The article below is written from the point of view of PhD students in the United States. It describes the experiences of Black, Indigenous and people of colour within a particular field of research but it is an informative framework to consider issues of importance for postgraduate researchers in other disciplines and for the wider postgraduate research community.
Click here to view article from the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution (July 2020)
CILAVS, the Centre for Iberian and Latin American Visual Studies, is based in the School of Arts and brings together Birkbeck researchers from the departments of Cultures and Languages, History of Art, Film Media and Cultural Studies, Geography, Law, Politics and Psychosocial Studies. Created in 2007, it is now an established hub for research networks in the UK and overseas, promoting the best research on the history and theory of visual culture in the Hispanic and Lusophone worlds and supporting research in the cultures of Iberia, Latin America and the Afro-Hispanic and Afro-Lusophone continent.
The Centre has attracted very substantial research grants from AHRC, British Academy, Leverhulme Trust and other bodies, including private donors, and enabled collaborative doctoral partnerships with organisations outside of higher education, including the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Royal Society and Victoria and Albert Museum. CILAVS has also brought to London some of the most important artists, filmmakers and scholars in the Iberian and Latin American fields: Carlos Monsiváis, Pedro Costa, Luis Camintzer, Roger Bartra, Jean Franco, Cecilia Vicuña, John Beverley, Karim Aïnouz and Trifonia Melibea Obono Ntutumu, to name just a few.
CILAVS offers a rich and varied programme of activities including talks, workshops, film screenings and festivals. It has also organized conferences, book launches, exhibitions at Birkbeck’s Peltz Gallery and many other public events in collaboration with other Research Centres in the School of Arts, Birkbeck Institutes and beyond.
The Centre is very keen to involve interested Research students from across the College in its activities and will offer support in the organisation of student-led activities including, for example, reading groups, workshops, talks and conferences. Javier Vicente Arenas, currently CILAVS’ student representative and member of its steering committee, says:
Doctoral research can be a very solitary undertaking. However, for those working or interested in the fields of Iberian and Latin American Studies, CILAVS offers a unique opportunity to meet other students, share our ideas and interests, and showcase our research and academic achievements. This can lead to unexpected synergies among students while having a positive impact on our research and CV. Moreover, CILAVS is keen to support students’ initiatives, so do get involved!
We will love to hear from any Research students at Birkbeck working on any aspect of the cultures of Iberia, Latin America and the Afro-Hispanic and Afro-Lusophone continent. If interested, our contact details are below.
The image “british library” by fsse8info is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
The box office is now open for the upcoming British Library Open Days. The days explain the practicalities of using the Library and its services – including navigating the physical and online collections. Students are encouraged to choose the event which is of most interest and relevance to their studies, from the following:
The image “british library” by fsse8info is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
The British Library has scheduled a season of Doctoral Open Days in January and February 2020.
Booking is essential and tickets will become available via their Box Office in mid-October. The Open Days are designed for first year PhD students who are new to the British Library. The days explain the practicalities of using the Library and its services – including navigating the physical and online collections. Students are encouraged to choose the event which is of most interest and relevance to their studies, from the following:
The BGRS is pleased to announce a call for current Birkbeck research students to seek funding and support to pilot training initiatives in 2019/20. This call offers current Birkbeck PhD students the chance to propose training that will benefit themselves and their peers and to develop and deliver them with support from the BGRS. Funding awarded will be used to support well-defined initiatives which will deliver training accessible to all Birkbeck PhD students.
Current PhD students are invited to submit a brief expression of interest by 27 September. If you think of a training idea after this date you can still submit an application but we suggest that you contact the BGRS so that we can provide advice and support.
BGRS support in October will give you the chance to consider your ideas in more detail and will provide you with the support needed for you to prepare and submit a full proposal by 15 November.
In developing their own training initiatives those awarded funding will be able to build professional relationships with other research students and staff, improve their organisational skills and meet the training needs they identified.
If you have any queries about this call for student-led training proposals please do contact the BGRS in the first instance
When considering your training ideas it is recommended that you look at previous events listed on the BGRS and BPSN timetables to see whether any similar training has been run before and to get ideas about the format and type of training that you think would be useful.
Further information about this call and the expression of interest form are available below:
During 2018/19 all Postgraduate Research Students at Birkbeck will have timetabled access to a flexible working space within the Birkbeck Main Building. The room provides space for desk based work for up to 30 people, seminar style events for up to 40 and side offices provide quiet working spaces/ meeting rooms.
Further information about this resource is available on the BGRS Moodle site, which provides details of how the space can be used including how Birkbeck postgraduate research students can book the space. Birkbeck PGR students of staff should contact the BGRS if they have any queries about access of usage.
