Open World Research Initiative: postdoctoral researchers’ event
I recently attended a training event for all postdoctoral researchers working on projects associated with the Open World Research Initiative (OWRI). OWRI is a funding initiative by the Arts and Humanities Research Council supporting research on multilingualism and cross-cultural communication. It was launched in 2016 and consists of 4 ambitious research projects which aim to have a transformational impact on Modern Languages research in the UK. My research is part of the Language Learning strand of the Creative Multilingualism project, which is investigating the impact of creative teaching methods using literary texts on learners’ vocabulary skills and linguistic creativity.
The postdoctoral training event was a great opportunity for all postdocs to get to know each other, learn about each other’s projects and identify potential opportunities for collaborations. Since several projects investigate research questions related to language learning, we envisage creating synergies by sharing materials and comparing results, for instance. In a highly informative session, previous postdocs shared their experiences, thus providing valuable insights into what the role of a postdoc entails and how postdocs can best add value to their projects. Another important aim of the workshop was to identify project-specific postdoctoral training needs. We also received an induction as to how social media can be used to increase the impact of our projects by sharing results that may be relevant for non-academic audiences. Overall, the workshop provided a great platform for exchanging experiences and generating collaborations. It also provided a useful update of the progress of the OWRI projects. I will be back for future training events!
Julia Hofweber is a Postdoctoral Research Assistant working on strand 7: Language Learning.
Where next?
How learning languages can help in a career as a film producer and writer