Qatar Research Excellence Workshop

The British Council and Qatar Research, Development and Innovation (QRDI) Council with the support of the British Embassy are jointly delivering Qatar Research Excellence Workshop, which targets early and mid-career researchers at Qatar’s universities.

Qatar Research Excellence Workshop is a professional development workshop series that focuses on developing excellent communication skills for international, multicultural contexts. The aim is to enhance the productivity of individual researchers, and, in turn, help strengthen the international reputation and ranking of the researcher’s employer.

The workshop is designed specifically for early and mid-career researchers, though certain aspects also benefit more experienced members of the research community. Qatar Research Excellence Workshop is not an English language course; participants should have a minimum of B2-level English to participate fully.

The workshop provides participants from all academic disciplines with insights, understanding and tools to communicate effectively in any situation or context. It is offered as a series of modules delivered through face-to-face workshops by experienced, quality-assured trainers.

The UK has recognised, through the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, that researcher training and development are essential to maintaining its status as a world leader in research.

In response, Vitae-UK experts in researcher communication skills training-produced the Researcher Development Framework (RDF) in collaboration with the higher education sector and other stakeholders. The RDF identifies attributes and behaviours of successful researchers and supports their development across the research community to help researchers maximise their careers.

Qatar Research Excellence Workshop was developed for the researchers in Qatar with consideration of the RDF. The workshop uses experiential learning methods. Participant input, reflection, activities, feedback, and review all enhance the learning experience.

Each Qatar Research Excellence Workshop begins with the "Know Your Audience" module, which introduces the approach and builds awareness essential for all subsequent modules. This half-day module is followed by seven modules tailored to participants’ development needs. A certificate of completion is awarded to each participant.

The eight modules cover different important aspects of the modern international research environment.

The trainers specialise in higher education training and have extensive academic and teaching backgrounds. Each trainer brings expertise in research, specific disciplines, and professional communication.

• Know Your Audience: Develop communication strategies and understand different audiences.
• Using Digital Tools: Build confidence in digital and social media to increase research visibility and impact.
• Writing Abstracts: Learn techniques to write and critique abstracts effectively.
• Email Communication: Understand how emails are read and avoid common errors for clear communication.
• Collaboration: Gain confidence in approaching collaborators and understand when collaboration is beneficial.
• Project Planning and Funding Proposals: Use essential tools to develop audience-focused funding proposals with clear goals.
• Academic Writing: Critically analyse and develop writing style with practical tactics and language techniques.
• Presenting With Impact: Build skills in voice, body language, and presentation structure through interactive practice.