On 13 May, the Doctoral School at UIC Barcelona hosted as new edition of PhDay Fest, an annual gathering of the University’s doctoral community. Organised in cooperation with the Vice-Rectorate for Research, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer (VRIT), the event brought together 120 participants, including PhD candidates, thesis supervisors and staff from different university services, in a space designed to foster connections among researchers, provide support and promote scientific outreach throughout the PhD process.
The event kicked off with the talk “Bright Futures Beyond the PhD”, by Ton Guardiet, UIC Barcelona alum and CEO of Acceleralia, and Daniel Jové, holder of a PhD in Health Sciences from UIC Barcelona. Both speakers reflected on the job opportunities that holding a PhD unlocks outside academia and highlighted the importance of soft skills in career development. Attendees were also given the chance to view the scientific poster exhibition displayed on Passeig de la Fontana. During the session, the speakers also agreed that doctoral research should be aligned with each researcher’s personal motivations. “Doing a PhD is a long and demanding process, which is why it is important to research a topic you are truly passionate about,” they noted.
After the opening lecture, participants attended the EDOC scientific poster competition, which this year recorded its highest turnout since the initiative began, with a total of 22 posters submitted – eight in social sciences and fifteen in health sciences.
First prize went to Blanca Reguant Montiel, a PhD candidate in Humanities, for the work “Reescribiendo la historia: las mujeres artistas en Barcelona entre 1888 y 1929” (Rewriting history: women artists in Barcelona between 1888 and 1929). Second prize was awarded to David Sánchez Pizarro, a researcher in Neuroscience, for “Turning Off the Brain: A New Anti-Obesity Therapy”, while the Audience Award was given to Gabriela Giselle Castillo Bernal for a study on exposure to nicotine-related content on social media and the consumption of new tobacco products among university students.
In the afternoon, sessions featuring the academic committees of the doctoral programmes afforded PhD candidates the opportunity to ask questions and share concerns with teaching staff. Afterwards, Dr Clàudia Rossy, a member of the teaching staff and psychologist in the Support Clinic, delivered the workshop “Coping with Imposter Syndrome”, focused on emotional and psychological management during the PhD process.
The event concluded with the internal stage of the “Present Your Thesis in 4 Minutes” contest, an initiative promoted by the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRi) and the Government of Catalonia’s Ministry of Research and Universities. Ten PhD candidates took part in the ninth edition of the initiative, three of which presented their research in Catalan.
First prize went to Marta Ferrón Carbonell, from the doctoral programme in Health Sciences, for the presentation “Respira la vida: de l’inhalador a la persona” (Breathe life: from the inhaler to the person), which also received the distinction for best thesis presented in Catalan. Second prize was awarded to Han Tang, from the programme in Communication, for “The Art of Hiding”, on censorship in Chinese film. Lastly, the Audience Award went to Mercè Gómez Pallarès, a cancer researcher, for “La foto que las proteínas no querían hacerse” (The photo proteins did not want taken). The winner will represent UIC Barcelona in the Catalan final of the competition, which is due to take place on 11 June in the city of Vic.
Dr Núria Casals, director of the Doctoral School, spoke positively about the event and highlighted the strong sense of community among the PhD candidates. “PhDay Fest helps us create spaces where doctoral candidates can meet, as the PhD process is often quite individual or solitary. Sharing experiences, concerns and challenges with other people in the same situation helps them feel supported and see that they are not alone.”
Núria Casals also underscored the importance of these initiatives in strengthening ties between predoctoral researchers and encouraging an environment of mutual support during a particularly gruelling academic stage. With this new edition, PhDay Fest further cements its position as a key initiative for promoting scientific outreach, emotional wellbeing and cohesion across UIC Barcelona’s research community.
