Our inaugural doctoral student festive party brought together researchers from across the university for a celebratory evening at The Bevy, a community pub close to our Moulsecoomb campus.

With representation from eight different schools, and some attendees travelling in from Eastbourne and London, the event offered a great opportunity for students to meet others outside of their own discipline. Fizz and conversation soon flowed, and we relaxed in the warmth of The Bevy’s hospitality, enjoying an excellent buffet and engaging in some enthusiastic cracker-pulling.

When the prosecco corks began to stack up, a couple of our researchers grabbed the chance to demonstrate their juggling skills – a valuable attribute for anyone who works in academia!

One of the topics of conversation was the isolation PhD students often experience. The Doctoral College is aiming to provide more opportunities for our researchers to meet and mingle in 2019 and beyond, so stay tuned. (And don’t forget, our regular PhD Student Hub is open to all PGRs.)

Many thanks to The Bevy for being so wonderfully friendly and helpful – and for taking ice buckets to the next level (see photos below). And thanks too to all staff and students who came along and supported our first Christmas party in fine festive style!

Check out the gallery below for some photos of the evening.

“I had a great time and met people I normally wouldn’t have crossed paths with” – Tochukwu Ozulumba