News & Events

The Department of Early Childhood Education (ECE) hosted the 3^rd International Summer School and Symposium for Junior Researchers in the field of Early Childhood Education and Development (InSuDoc 2025) from June 12-13, 2025. The theme for this year’s InSuDoc 2025 is “Development of Academic Identity”. There were around 50 participants, including doctoral and master students, research assistants, and post-doctoral fellows. 

The four keynote speakers and the titles of their respective workshops were: 

• Dr. Pooja Sidney (University of Kentucky, USA) - “Tell Me About Your Research: Developing an Academic Identity” 

• Prof. Pirjo Aunio (University of Helsinki, Finland) - “Design and Quality of Educational Interventions” 

• Prof. Steven Howard (University of Wollongong, Australia) - “Academic Writing Unlocked: Strategies for Persuasive Arguments and Writing for Different Audiences and Purposes” 

• Prof. Victoria Simms (Ulster University, Northern Ireland) - “Building Better Research: A Beginner’s Guide to Open Research Practices” 

During their opening speech, Dr. Alfredo Bautista and Dr. Jenny Yun-Chen Chan (Co-Chairs of InSuDoc 2025) said: “As an early career researcher, it is so important to learn how to present yourself to others, communicate about your research, and establish friendships. Especially as a junior researcher, the skills you learn and networks you build today will last for a very long time, probably your entire research career.” 

Ms. Nathalie Parry, a joint PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne and KU Leuven, shared: 'The workshops were incredibly relevant to my career stage. Hearing candid reflections from mentors and peers was invaluable - realizing we share similar struggles made me feel less alone and more empowered in my PhD journey.'

To learn more about InSuDoc 2025, please visit our website: https://www.insudoc.info/.