Workshops and Transversal Skills Training
This page lists the most recently workshops offered within the PhD Programme. These workshops are independent of the regular PhD courses and School meetings (which typically consist of one-hour seminars by guest scientists. In contrast, the workshops listed here are extended training activities delivered by external experts, and they focus mainly on soft and transversal skills that support high-quality scientific work, such as communication and specific professional competencies
UPCOMING EVENTS
23-24 MARCH + 13 APRIL 2026
Science communication and public-facing writing
Cristina Bellon –
“Making Psychology Accessible”
Effective Science Communication and Writing Techniques for PhD Students and Researchers
Intensive 12-hour workshop for doctoral students and early-career researchers who want to make their research understandable beyond the academic community. Participants will rewrite their own research projects in accessible language and practise concrete communication strategies, including analogies, metaphors and, where appropriate, a touch of satire. The output of the workshop is an original public-facing science communication text, specifically a scientifically accurate and accessible press release based on one’s own research
Key information
● Total duration: 12 hours (3 sessions)
● Dates and times: 23 March 2026, 14:00–18:00; 24 March 2026, 09:00–13:00; 13 April 2026, 14:00–18:00
● Hands-on deliverable: final press release based on your own research (draft up to 3,000 characters, spaces included)
● In-session micro-task: 300-character public-facing post (title, subheading, abstract)
● Attendance requirement: full attendance at all three sessions
● Note: AI tools for drafting/editing are not permitted
Session 1 – Unlocking the Pen: Writing to Be Read
Date: 23 March 2026, 14:00 – 18:00
Duration: 4 hours
Objective: To introduce doctoral students to the potential of science communication as a key to academic and outreach skills.
Content:
• Difference between academic writing and public-facing science writing
• The role of the researcher in society: thinking outside the box!
• The four golden rules for being understood: clarity, structure, rhythm, and style
• Narrative strategies to attract attention: analogies, metaphors, and a touch of satire
• Guided analysis of the structure of science communication articles in psychology (e.g. from Le Scienze, Mind, Corriere Salute, La Repubblica)
Session 2 – Workshop: Writing a Scientific Press Release
Date: 24 March 2026, 9:00 – 13:00
Duration: 4 hours
Objective: To learn the structure and technique of the scientific press release by drafting a tailored version based on one’s own research project.
Content:
• What is a press release? Its purpose, target audience, and typical structure
• Making a complex research topic newsworthy
• Headline, subheading, lead, body, quotations, closing: anatomy of an effective text
• Accessible language: avoiding jargon, using strong verbs, creating vivid imagery
• How to craft a narrative angle and identify a newsworthy element from an academic paper
Interactive activities:
• Individual mini-exercise: identify the news value within one’s research and draft a short public-facing post (300 characters), including title, subheading, and abstract
• Group feedback: sharing, analysis, and discussion of stylistic choices, strengths, and areas for improvement
At the end of this session, participants will have approximately one week to ten days to submit a full draft of their press release (maximum 3,000 characters, spaces included), which will be reviewed and discussed in the third session.
Session 3 – Feedback and Revision: Towards a Final Version
Date: 13 April 2026, 14:00 – 13:00
Duration: 4 hours
Objective: To refine and finalise the press release through peer and instructor feedback, revision, and rewriting.
Content:
• Feedback on submitted texts
• How to give and receive constructive feedback
• Five key questions to ask before publishing a text
• Editing techniques
Interactive activities:
• Public sharing: reading one’s own text aloud to the group
• Expert feedback: personalised analysis by the instructor
• Individual rewriting: producing the final version of the press release
Course Outcomes
By the end of the course, each participant will have produced a scientifically accurate and accessible press release based on their own research, supported by personalised feedback and practical tools for ongoing improvement. In addition to the final text, students will leave with a practical framework for communicating their scientific work to a range of audiences in diverse settings.
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