In October, the held its annual induction to welcome the 2025 cohort of PhD students. The WGSSS is a partnership of seven universities in and around Wales and offers around 70 PhD studentships each year across 15 subject themes or pathways. These range from Digital Economy and Society to Education, Linguistics, Criminology and Law, Sports and Exercise Science to Environmental Planning and Human Geography.
This year, five candidates were awarded studentships in the pathway at 18ËêÑÇÖÞÎçÒ¹¸£Àû, of which four of us embarked on a road-trip to discover the stunning landscapes of Wales from north to south to attend the induction in Cardiff. After miles of cottagecore villages, towering mountains, bucolic pastures, the Welsh capital’s vibrant mood and modern architecture in the far south offered an interesting contrast to the picturesque and calm atmosphere of Bangor in the north.
“From the outset, a clear theme ran through the event: collaboration, networking, and impact.â€
The induction started with a warming and ice breaking social evening on Thursday. This was a great opportunity to meet fellow students, as well as putting faces to names of the WGSSS staff we’ve been emailing throughout application and induction process. With 15 pathways represented, the induction brought together students whose work intersects with—and often differs completely from—our own, sparking conversations that broadened how we think about our fields.
The main programme began on Friday morning in the eye-catching modern Sbarc building of . We received an official welcome from (WGSSS Director), (Training Lead), and Sian Shepherd (Research in Practice Co-ordinator). These introductions emphasised how we can grow as researchers over the course of our studentship, utilising the training and placement opportunities available.
Training and Research in Practice placements
By offering training opportunities across the seven partner universities, WGSSS candidates can access a huge range of expertise beyond the walls of our home institutions. The programme thus emphasises an ethos of collaboration; putting into practise the fact that forming connections, exchanging ideas, and working with others makes our research stronger.
Furthermore, the placement scheme, introduced by Sian, allows students to work with policy organisations, NGOs, or within specialist academic teams. This aspect of the programme encourages us to think more broadly about our development—not just focusing on completing a PhD but stepping outside our projects to gain skills and perspectives that strengthen the relevance of our research.
Knowledge exchange across related pathways
Our next session brought us into our ‘cluster’ groups—collections of related pathways. As Environmental Planning candidates, we joined the cluster alongside . Led by 18ËêÑÇÖÞÎçÒ¹¸£Àû’s Dr Freya St John, the session introduced the cluster system and gave us a chance to meet our cluster representative and fellow students. Hearing about other projects helped us identify potential collaborations, find common themes, and get a sense of the supportive community we’re joining.
After lunch, a panel of four speakers from different professional backgrounds answered questions submitted by the cohort. Here, the theme of making an impact took centre stage. The panellists discussed how to make research meaningful outside academia, the challenges created by gaps between academic and practitioner communities, and the importance of developing relationships with the people and organisations our work aims to influence. They encouraged us to gain hands-on experience in the sectors most relevant to our research—another reminder of the value of the placement opportunity.
Navigating research ethics
The final session, led by , focused on navigating ethics committees. His storytelling skills captivated our attention and made us see ethics as a core pillar of social science research rather than an administrative box to be ticked before embarking on data collection. Using case studies, he walked us through issues surrounding confidentiality, consent, and protection in social science research. Each of our projects will require specific ethical considerations and ongoing engagement; this session provided a helpful foundation for thinking through the complexities we will face.
Embracing the support from WGSSS
Before starting a PhD, you may be warned that the journey can be a solitary one. While independence is certainly part of the process, this event showed us that we are far from alone. Whether it’s someone exploring similar environmental issues at Bangor, a student researching a completely different topic at another university, or a peer from a different discipline entirely, we are surrounded by WGSSS peers who are equally passionate about tackling social science challenges. The WGSSS staff team are clearly – and very encouragingly – eager to support is in our journeys. Their warm and generous words of encouragement were very welcome at this uncertain first stage of our projects. Overall, this event was a great welcome to the Doctoral Training Programme, and I think it’s safe to say we’re all excited to get started with our research.