ADS Newsletter April 2026

Your monthly update from the Antwerp Doctoral School on events, workshops and valuable resources to support your doctoral journey.

Let's Talk Science!

Want to get a taste of the world of science communication?

Join this year's edition of Let’s Talk Science with a 3-day programme on 30 June, 1 & 2 July, created for early-career researchers who want to communicate their work with impact.
You can expect three full days of learning and networking, more than 25 expert workshop leaders, 40+ hands-on workshops and much more!

Find more information about the registration procedure here.

What does it mean to be a researcher in 21st century academia? - 2026 edition

Are you interested in reflecting on your position as a researcher in academia and broader society? Are you ready to take a critical look at your own role? Then this interuniversity course is for you!

The course will include dynamic sessions, expert speakers, and hands-on workshops, and will take place over three days in May 2026: in Brussels (6 May), Antwerp (13 May) and Ghent (20 May).
A detailed programme and more information on registration can be found on the course website.

Winners of PRESS>SPEAK: Where science meets storytelling

The annual PRESS>SPEAK competition helps researchers turn their work into clear, engaging stories. The 2026 edition once again showed how much communication talent our early-career researchers have. Have a look at the overview of the winners and the photo report from PRESS>SPEAK 2026. Four participants also share their experiences and communication tips.

Nature Online Masterclasses

Nature Online Masterclasses —an on‑demand platform offering professional development and training for researchers—has been upgraded to make learning even more engaging and accessible. The platform provides flexible online courses to help you strengthen key skills in scientific writing, publishing, peer review, grant preparation, and more.
Thanks to an improved search function, notifications, and a streamlined interface, navigating the platform has become easier than ever. All researchers at the University of Antwerp have access to the platform. Researchers who have used the platform before need to register again!

ADS thanks you!

On 19 March, the ADS team welcomed more than 180 PhD researchers, both on campus and online, for the ADS Doctoral Day!

A big thank you to all participants for their interest and attendance.

We hope you gained valuable information, inspiration and insights and that you also had the opportunity to get to know some of your fellow PhD researchers better during the breaks!

Presentations of the Doctoral Day are available on the ADS website.

⌛️Last chance to secure your spot in one of the

following ADS courses before summer!

Academic Confidence: starting 21 May
Applying for a job: 5 May
Communication Skills basics: starting 22 April
Creating a scientifc poster (half day): 22 April
Data Visualisation: starting 28 May
From Self-Insight to Career Impact: 7 May
Giving Academic Presentations: starting 20 April
Intake to FAIR: 28 April
My Personal Development Plan PhD: 2 June
Personal Effectiveness 12h: starting 19 May
Under pressure (Dutch): starting 23 April
Under pressure (English): starting 3 June
Writing Academic Papers: starting 27 April or starting 12 May

Enrollment via SisA Selfservice Student

Webinar: Creating effective presentation slides

Those of you who attend presentations probably agree that most slides are ineffective, detracting from what presenters are saying instead of enhancing their presentations. Slides may impress with decoration, but seldom with content. This two-hour lecture, given by Jean-Luc Doumont, discusses what (not) to include on a slide and why, how to optimise the slide’s layout to get the message across, and how to handle slides when speaking.

📅 30 April 2026
⏰ 2 - 4 p.m. + Q&A
📍Online via Zoom

More information

Smart Writing: human expertise and AI for better academic English

In this interactive summer school you will develop the skills to produce clear, accurate, and impactful English scientific or academic texts through guided practice, personalised expert guidance, and the effective use of AI tools. You will explore core aspects of effective academic writing, including text structure and appropriate phrasing.

The skills developed in this summer school will enable you to continue improving your academic writing.

📅 24 - 28 August 2026
📍Stadscampus, Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerp

More information

Save the date!🧠

Workshop International Career Development

Considering taking your career abroad? The Talent Center is organising a training that will help you define your motivation, identify your goals, and translate your academic experience into a compelling international career profile. You will explore your personal career drivers, analyse your professional strengths, and learn how to navigate the global job market with confidence. After two group sessions, each participant will receive personal one-on-one coaching to refine their CV, cover letter, networking strategy, or international career plan.

📍 Where: Stadscampus, building ABC, room ABC.203

🧾 How to register: Via email to talentcenter@uantwerpen.be

📅 When:

29 April 2026 from 9 a.m. - 4.30 p.m.
6 May 2026 from 9 a.m. - 4.30 p.m.
26 May 2026 one-on-one coaching session (to be planned with the trainer, between 9 a.m. - 4.30 p.m.)

Navigating the job market for PhD holders

— inside and outside of academia

This hands-on workshop gives PhD researchers who are nearing the end of their PhD trajectory, the tools to understand, analyse, and strategically approach the job market for PhD holders in natural sciences and engineering — with a particular focus on climate and sustainability-related fields.

📅 21 April 2026
📍Belgian Climate Centre, Av. Circulaire 3, 1180 Uccle

More information

Multidisciplinary research tools to study work and the labour market

This UGent@Work’s doctoral course-offers an intensive, one‑week deep dive into methods, datasets, and perspectives used across disciplines to study work, employment, and labour markets.

A great opportunity to broaden your methodological toolkit and connect with peers studying work and labour from different angles.

The course is open to PhD researchers from all Flemish universities and registration is free of charge.

📅 1 - 6 June 2026
📍UGent

More information

Knowledge for Growth

Knowledge for Growth is Europe's largest regional health innovation conference, bringing together leaders in biotech, medtech, digital health, agtech, and industrial biotech for two days of insights, networking, and cross‑sector collaboration. This year’s theme of the conference is “No Borders, Just Breakthroughs”. Discover breakthrough technologies, connect with global partners, and experience the innovation power of Flanders at this event.

📅 3 & 4 June 2026
📍Flanders Meeting & Convention Center Antwerp

Koningin Astridplein 20-26

2018 Antwerp

More information

Upcoming StatUa courses

Multivariate statistics (27-30 April)
Power analysis and sample size calculation (18-20 May)
Multilevel Analysis (26-28 May)
R Workshop (10-12 June)

StatUa Consultancy

The statistical core facility StatUa provides statistical advice to PhD researchers.

The first five hours are free of charge for PhD researchers. Reach out to statua@uantwerpen.be if we can help you!

Ready to level up your language?

Looking to take your Dutch, French, English or Spanish skills to the next level? Explore all Linguapolis courses starting in April, June and July! University of Antwerp PhD researchers receive a discount!

More information on

the ADS website.

Calendar

Contact

Catherine Bayart | Jana Cuyvers

Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerpen

www.uantwerpen.be/adse

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