The PhD Winter School on Participation and Communication successfully concluded in Guangzhou, China in December 2016. It is now time for us to look back at some of the perspectives on the experience that the participants of the PhD Winter School have shared with us.
I would like to thank the PCR section of IAMCR and College of Journalism & Communication, Jinan University for providing me a travel grants to attend the Winter School on Participation and Communication 2016. Often during the course of my PhD research, I have found myself deviating from my main research questions. The Winter School helped me bring focus on my cardinal research objectives. The lectures were instrumental in helping me understand contemporary theories and practices of participatory communication. The Masterclasses provided detailed feedback and suggestions on my research on Community Radio in India which will be invaluable for me in preparing the roadmap for further research. The intellectual environment during the duration of the Winter School helped me in my PhD research, extend my academic network as well as made for a wonderful stay in Guangzhou.....Arun John, University of Hyderabad, India.
The 2016 Ph.D. Winter School on Participation and Communication at Jinan University was hugely beneficial for me as a scholar. The workshops and discussions were organized in such a way that participants were able to interact with Ph.D. students at various stages of their programs and with various orientations to the notion of participation. I returned to my home country inspired and equipped with new ideas to pursue. The value of participation in the Ph.D. Winter School is immeasurable and I am grateful for the experience.....Jahmese Fort, University of California, San Diego, USA
Meeting like-minded PhD scholars at the Winter School on Participation and Communication was an an invaluable inspiration for my own project that is still at an early stage. It was a delightful week with so much worth mentioning - lectures of the invited scholars helped untangle a lot of complexities in the participation theories I work with, thorough feedback sessions that invited participants for brainstorming to help provide peer feedback on PhD research projects, a poster making session where we explained our projects, an ethnographic field trip at the place of our choice in the city of Guangzhou that encouraged independent and creative thinking! I would most certainly recommend the winter school to those interested in improving their PhD projects, networking, and developing creative thinking in a multi-cultural environment......Kirill Filimonov, Uppsala University, Sweden
The 2016 PhD Winter School on Participation and Communication was an inspiring and meaningful experience for me. The lectures were insightful and the discussions around PhD projects were vibrant which gave me a lot of insight into the field. I was particularly impressed with the PhD Masterclasses where the lecturers read our proposals in advance and made specific notes, gave us suggestions after our presentations. This one-on-one format for giving feedback is quite unique, especially for PhD researchers from Mainland China. I will definitely continue to follow the PCR section of IAMCR for more academic activities in the future, and also persuade my peers to apply for this Winter School next year!.....Zhanyong Wu, Wuhan University, China
Attending the PhD Winter School on Participation and Communication in Guangzhou, with a vibrant group of lectures and fellow PhD researchers was like a homecoming for me, since I have never felt so welcome in an academic environment before. The fact that all the participants were working within a similar framework of participation and communication made the Winter School a special occasion for all of us to improve our projects with good inputs and ideas. The PhD Masterclass was one of the best feedback sessions on my PhD project on Video Activism so far in my academic career. Professor Arne Hintz from Cardiff University reviewed my project and it was then discussed with the other participants. This process gave me a lot of energy, ideas, and encouragement for the future. Without a shadow of doubt, I can say that Guangzhou, China was the perfect place to discuss participation and host the Winter School!.....Ana Lúcia Nunes de Sousa, Communication and Culture - Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil