Arqus PhD Career Week – ADVANCE CRT Summer School 2026: A very engaging week

From 8-12 June Maynooth University hosted the joint Arqus PhD Career Week / ADVANCE CRT Summer School 2026. This five-day programme, hosted by the Graduate Research Academy, the Research Ireland Centre for Research Training in Advanced Networks for Sustainable Societies (ADVANCE CRT) and the Arqus team in Maynooth, supported postgraduate researchers exploring career paths beyond academia through talks, workshops, roundtable discussions on skills, job applications, interview skills and research careers.

The programme focused on career planning for PhDs beyond academia. There were 33 PhD researchers from Arqus, with representation from all 11 Arqus partners (a first for this event). The group were joined by 21 PhD researchers from the ADVANCE CRT, a Research Ireland-funded centre. On Thursday 11th June they were joined by 20 PhD researchers from the Research Ireland Centre for Research Training in Digitally-Enhanced Reality (d-real) CRT and 4 PhD researchers from the Research Ireland Centre for Research Training in Foundations of Data Science. Nine Irish universities were represented through the CRTs, with participation from at least one PhD researcher from each institution.

The careers sessions were led by world-class careers trainers from within Arqus and from networks within Ireland. The sessions focused on a wide range of topics, from assessing your skills, to preparing your CV and cover letter, grant writing, building a LinkedIn presence, networking to effective communication and job interview skills. The goal was to increase the confidence of PhD researchers and help them to elucidate their skills beyond core research competencies.

Activity on Thursday 11th June focused on career mentoring, as we welcomed 15 academic mentors and 15 mentors from industry, public service and NGO sectors, who gathered together in RCSI in Dublin city. The mentor booklet can be viewed here. Conversations were held in roundtables of one mentor and 1-4 PhD researchers. The mentors showed a great willingness to volunteer their time and to get involved. The session closed out with an exciting keynote speech by Dr Norah Patten, an aeronautical engineer who is set to become Ireland’s first astronaut.
 
A number of social and cultural activities were held during the week, including a human bingo icebreaker, a Lego-building team challenge, reception dinner, tour of the south campus with Rev. Dr. John-Paul Sheridan (St Patrick’s Pontifical University, Maynooth), scavenger hunt around Dublin city and tour of the National Science and Ecclesiology Museum in Maynooth with Dr Neil Trappe (Department of Physics).

This was a very engaging week, due to PhD researchers coming with great enthusiasm and a willingness to get involved. The Graduate Research Academy were hugely impressed with the group of researchers from a range of disciplines, countries and outlooks, who got involved and maintained the high energy over an intense week. The hope is that the Graduate Research Academy will replicate this training in the future, ensuring that researchers develop their career readiness.

Article and pictures by the Graduate Research Academy (Maynooth University)