PhD Lounge

Students and Graduates!

Louise O’Brien is an Egyptologist and Ancient Historian specialising in Roman Egypt.

Her research interests focus on portraiture in the ancient world, cultural interactions, and hybrid visual and material culture. She completed her PhD at the University of Liverpool in 2025, and most recently has worked with the University of Tübingen Institute for Ancient and Near Eastern Studies on the project Die Bildostraka aus Athribis, researching artistic precedents of pictorial ostraca from the Middle Egyptian site of Athribis.

Louise's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louiseobrien343/

Louise's Instagram: @egypto_lou_gist

Thank you all for tuning in, it's been a pleasure.

Students and Graduates!

Jack Cooper, PhD, is a Paleobiologist from Swansea University, science write and public communicator.

His research expertise is about the Megalodon, a pre-historic shark that went extinct 3 Million years ago.

Jack Cooper has been featured in various documentaries about sharks, including a Ted Ed animated video, Channel 5’s Monsters of the Deep with Steve Backshall, and Giants by Off the Fence.

Jack Cooper's website: https://www.drjackacooper.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jack-cooper-00333613b/

Instagram: @cooperpalaeo

Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure!

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Students and Graduates!

As the World Cup 2026 is underway, did you know there is only one professional footballer who played a World Cup and obtained a PhD?

I introduce to you Turid Knaak, PhD, a former German professional footballer who had 16 caps* for Germany's female national team and played the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France, and top tier clubs such as Arsenal, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Atlético Madrid and VfL Wolfsburg where she retired from professional football in 2022.

What is also brilliant along her footballing career is that she obtained a PhD at the University of Köln in Children's Special Needs Education in 2021 while still playing for Atlético Madrid. Her dissertation research was about the complex learning of basic text production for years 3 and 7 pupils, exploring learning and diagnostic methods and exercises including spelling, oral lexicon and multi-component storytelling to argue the advantages and limitations in the improvement of school marks in pupils' vocabulary, knowledge of the grammar and high quality written language.

Dr Turid Knaak currently works as a football pundit, commentator and tactical expert for DAZN and Sky, and as football analyst at IMPECT.

Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure!

*2:36: Apologies for my mistake on the video as I noticed on her football profile that she had 16 caps for Germany and not 15 after editing this session.

Bibliography:

bravery.reports. (2021, August 19). Profi Fußballerin Turid Knaak über ihre Karriere in der Bundesliga und der Nationalmannschaft. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnx7ciUqMdI

Doeker, E. (2021, June 11). Turid Knaak: A Doctor who scores goals. Football Engine. https://www.footballengine.net/post/turid-knaak-a-doctor-who-scores-goals

Knaak, T. (2021). Bedeutung und Förderung grundlegender Schreibkompetenzen bei Schülerinnen und Schülern mit Lernschwierigkeiten (doctoral dissertation). University of Köln. https://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/51599/1/Dissertation%20Knaak.pdf

Strohschein, J. (2019, May 17). Knaak: “Very few women can live off football.” dw.com. https://www.dw.com/en/turid-knaak-very-few-women-can-live-off-football/a-48782166

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Students and Graduates!

Ersin Hussein, PhD, is an ancient historian whose work centres on the history and material culture of ancient Cyprus, with a particular emphasis on questions of identity and heritage. A consistent thread throughout her scholarship is the study of Cyprus as both a real and imagined space, shaped by historical narratives, artistic responses, and museological practices. Ersin’s interests also extend to the historiography and display of Cypriot artefacts, and the reception of Cyprus in visual art, contributing to broader debates around cultural heritage and the politics of representation.

Monograph: Revaluing Roman Cyprus: Local Identity on an Island in Antiquity.

Ersin is co-founder and co-director of two interdisciplinary research networks. OLCAP (Object and Landscape Centred Approaches to the Past).

Teaching Ancient Cyprus Network

Outreach work: Romans in Focus educational video series for the Cambridge Schools Classics Project.

Ancient History conversations on London Greek Radio and From Root to Vine Podcast

Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure!

Students and Graduates!

Among stereotypes, historical divisions and practical differences, Humanities and STEM deeply bridge gaps in the PhD universe! If you haven't thought about what similarities PhDs in Humanities and STEM bring to the table, then this late-night talk is for you. An honest talk of two long-standing and "bittersweet" research areas that share their knowledge between each other. We discuss the following:

• Funding;
• Transferrable skilset;
• Interdisciplinary research methodologies.

If you want a clearer, kinder way to think about doctoral study, this conversation gives you language you can actually use, plus examples you can share with supervisors, friends, and future employers. Where do you see humanities and STEM meeting in real life?

Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure!

Bibliography:

• Freedman, D. (2025, April 25). Bridging the divide: the intersection of STEM and the humanities. Duke Trinity College of Arts and Sciences Department of English. https://english.duke.edu/news/bridging-divide-intersection-stem-and-humanities
• Ghosh, R. (2022). The degree value of Arts, Humanities and Social Science (AHSS) and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) for Elite Professional Service (EPS) firms. In Oxford University Research Archive (ORA) (University of Oxford). https://doi.org/10.5287/ora-eo2b2v5q6
• Hastings Woodhouse, S. (2024, May 2). Arts & Humanities vs STEM PhD Applications – What’s the difference? Find a PhD. Retrieved May 28, 2026, from https://www.findaphd.com/blog/11395/arts-and-humanities-vs-stem-phd-applications-whats-the-difference
• Labodda, A., & Labodda, A. (2025, May 16). The STEM/Humanities Divide and Student Defeatism | Blog of the APA. American Philosophical Association. https://blog.apaonline.org/2025/05/12/the-stem-humanities-divide-and-student-defeatism/
• Oras, E., De Groot, J., & Björkstén, U. (2025). The “biomolecular humanities”? New challenges and perspectives. iScience, 28(2), 111679. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.111679

Students and Graduates!

Your PhD can feel like one long stretch of work, but the truth is that each year demands a different kind of focus. In this late-night solo session, we explore how each year of your PhD changes.

1st year: First supervisor meetings, literature review, early chapter drafts, research methodologies, research training and probation.

2nd year: Case studies, reviews, recent publications add-ons, demanding supervision feedback, first conferences.

3rd year: Write-up year, dissertation submission and viva voce preparation.

4th year: Optional year if you haven't gather everything yet!

Whether you're starting out, midway through, or staring down the viva, this gives you a clear map of what to expect and how to pace yourself.

Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure!

Bibliography:

• Higginbotham, D. (2026, May 21). What is a PhD? https://www.prospects.ac.uk/postgraduate-study/phd-study/what-is-a-phd/
• Tippett, J. (2025, April 24). What is a PhD? Find a PhD. Retrieved May 24, 2026, from https://www.findaphd.com/guides/what-is-a-phd
• UNESCO launches report on higher education trends. (n.d.). University World News. https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20260513111529544

Students and Graduates!

Networking can feel like a mysterious academic superpower: everyone tells you to do it during your PhD, but nobody explains how to do it without feeling awkward, uncomfortable and time-consuming. In this late-night talk, we unpack why networking is one of the most valuable skills you can build throughout and after your PhD, through three PVP insights.
—> Purpose

—> Value

—> Patience

Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure!

Bibliography

Bozward. D. (2025, September 24). Networking for PhDs: Building connections inside and outside academia. Dr David Bozward.

Cao. V. (2020, September 13). PhDs’ greatest weakness: not networking. Free the PhD.

Childs. K. (2024, November 4). Researcher Development University of Glasgow.  Building your academic network: Why it’s never too early to start (Katharine Childs) [Video]. YouTube.

Moser. T. (2025, July 15). Why Networking Matters: A Comprehensive Guide for PhD Success. alchemist-tribune.academicrenegade.news.

Nagy, H. (2026, March 23). PhD networking. career-advice.jobs.ac.uk.

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Students and Graduates!

Nigel Pollard, PhD, is an Ancient History Professor at Swansea University, author, fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and archaeologist specialised in the Roman and Near Eastern worlds. ⁠https://www.swansea.ac.uk/staff/n.d.pollard/#authored-books=is-expanded&journal-articles=is-expanded&publications=is-expanded⁠

Stephen Harrison, PhD, is an ancient historian of ancient Greece, Macedonia and Persia (Achaemenid Empire) at Swansea University, You Tuber and author. His books ⁠‘Kingship and Empire under the Achaemenids, Alexander the Great and the Early Seleucids’⁠ and ⁠'Alexander the Great: Lives and Legacies' ⁠ are out now. 

⁠@StephenHarrisonHistory⁠

Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure!

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Students and Graduates!

The heavy feeling of “I’m failing” that hits when supervisor feedback is slow, sharp, or hard to predict, and how that can spiral into imposter syndrome, low achiever or fraudster thoughts. In this late-night talk, we reframe failure as a normal learning stage to strengthen your research and keep going.

—> Identify gaps to improve.

—> Reframe your approach to your PhD.

—> Normalise "Failure". 
If this resonates with you, whatever stage you're at your PhD, than this late-night talk is for you!

Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure!

Bibliography:

Humphrey, C. (2023, November 16). Feeling like a failure? 4 strategies for beating the post-PhD blues — Jobs On Toast. Jobs on Toast. https://www.jobsontoast.com/blog/feeling-like-a-failure/

Maslach, D. (2025, December 16). I Finally Understood Why So Many PhDs Feel Like They’re Failing. Medium. https://medium.com/@contact_49854/i-finally-understood-why-so-many-phds-feel-like-theyre-failing-56c74dec8a55

PhDiaries: A reminder for when you think you are a failure. (2024, August 20). Student News. https://studentnews.manchester.ac.uk/2024/06/19/phdiaries-a-reminder-for-when-you-think-you-are-a-failure/

Students and Graduates!

Sean Sullivan is a Ph.D candidate in History at Swansea University, specializing in early modern British History and the Stuart Monarchy. When procrastinating on doing more productive things, he can usually be found trawling used book stores to add to his collection of things he says he'll read eventually, and enjoying enthusiastic walks in the woods. He resides in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, U.S.A.

Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure!