Sasha wearing a colorful sweater while taking a selfie with a Highland cow

Meet the Intern: Sasha Vaniev

Hi, fellow PGRs, my name is Sasha (which is short for Alexander – though it sounds confusing, it’s a good conversation starter). I am 2nd year PhD student at the School of Education and PGR Development Events and Communications intern for the 2023-2024 year.

In this blog post, I would like to tell you about my role in the Researcher Development team, my interests, and the goals I set for myself for the role this year. I hope you find something new and useful that resonates with you in this post :)

My Role: PGR Events and Comms Intern Role:
what’s on the menu?

When I started my PhD at the University of Glasgow last October, I was so fascinated that the university has a separate dedicated team of Researcher specialists who organise regular university training on a multitude of topics: academic writing, mental health & well-being, research integrity, career pathways, etc. Usually, if there is an opportunity for personal and professional growth right in front of me, I don’t know why I should not take it, especially in my first year of PhD studies. Additionally, the beautiful thing about PGR development training is that it helps socialising (a.k.a. you meet your fellow PGRs who are in the same boat as you) + is free to attend (a.k.a. the perks of being UofG PGR).

As the position’s title suggests, I am responsible for organising and coordinating small and large events that support PGR development. These events include competitions (3 Minute Thesis, Love Letters to Your Thesis, or Visualise Your Thesis) and induction events (PGR Induction and This PhD Life Conference). Such a diverse portfolio of opportunities strives to make the academic journey of UofG PGRs more meaningful and interesting and promotes a sense of belonging and growth among PGRs from all disciplines.

I seriously cannot stress it enough: PhD is way more than reading, writing, working in a lab or conducting research for publication – and I would argue with any student or supervisor who thinks otherwise. Finally, I am usually the person behind our social media (Twitter and Instagram), where we share various opportunities for UofG PGRs. Worth mentioning that since my role has evolved significantly over the years, I now work together with four other interns: Nadine (PGR Writing intern), Paola (PGR Communities Intern), Hollie (Research Culture Intern), and Gabriela (Research Staff Development Intern).

My PhD journey and Research Interests

Even though I have an original undergraduate background in Computer Engineering, my academic interests in higher education stem from a rather simple question: “How come some brilliant researchers, respected professors, or even renowned academics sometimes are so poor at teaching and delivering a message across to students they teach?”. I pondered the question throughout my undergraduate studies, and, to some extent, it made me change my professional trajectory from engineering to education and pursue a youth trainer volunteering in an international student NGO in my UG and PG studies.

After some years of delivering non-formal education training to various audiences (from high scholars to senior adults), I geared my interests towards how one becomes a trainer/teacher/facilitator/adult educator and became interested in instructional design, facilitation of learning, and curriculum development.

In my PhD project, I study human and non-human factors that contribute to the teacher development of Scotland-based early career academics. Or to put it in layman's terms, I try to understand what makes a “good” new university teacher (and what does not). Also, these days, I teach pedagogy to STEM postgraduate students (MSc and PhD), as well as do teaching assistantship and dissertation support to MSc students at the School of Education.

Sasha is facilitating learning and educational resources to a group of four students at The University. Sasha mentioned that this is one of the most rewarding things he has found in academia

Sasha’s interests

When I was involved in my student NGO, I travelled a lot across Europe. I managed and was privileged to visit 30+ countries, usually by delivering training to future youth trainers. One thing I love to do is explore new places by foot or bike; without maps, prior background, knowledge of the history, and urban or natural landscape (and sometimes actually get lost ), which is part of the process. Along with my passion for travelling, I do love to hike, jog, and cook. I believe these activities are a natural continuation of discovering new destinations and experiences, and fulfilling a never-ending need for novelty.

However, at this point in my life, I navigate the novel spaces and times via parenting. This April, I became the father of a very distinguished wee gentleman, even though it has been not an easy journey for my partner and me as an international PhD student (parents not being able to come to the UK, exposure to a different healthcare system, parenthood in another country and culture, cost of living, etc.). However, despite all the sleepless nights, endless nappies, NHS visits, balancing PhD studies and parenting, and moments of mental and physical fatigue, I still believe that fatherhood is the best thing that happened to me. To some extent, the fact that I am fostering a wee one during my PhD studies makes it somehow special and pushes me to become a better version of myself, making me embrace new roles, responsibilities, and experiences. And of course, makes life interesting.

Photo of a Transsiberian train during a journey on the way to Vladivostok

Sasha is holding his baby Alan. Alan was one-month-old in the picture

Dear Sasha - a note to myself

Most probably, you will check this exact blog post around a year from now. I hope you gave your role an offbeat spin, made new significant connections with fellow PhD researchers and your team, and managed to “indoctrinate” current and new UofG PGRs into attending the available Researcher Development training and workshops, as well as bigger events like 3MT® (stay tuned for updates in the (follow newsletter, Twitter and Instagram). However, most importantly, I hope you had fun and balanced parenting and PhD studentship.

A couple of wishes to UofG PGRs

In the upcoming 2024 year, I want to wish all PGRs two things.

1. Make the most of the PhD opportunities you have or even do not know about yet. Shoot for the stars but be realistic. As your PGR development intern, I will do my best to communicate these opportunities to you.

2. Remember that while you are an empowered PhD student, you are still a human being. Be mindful to take care of your well-being, social circles, and support networks; as eventually, these will be your sources of energy in the long (PhD) run.

Merry Xmas and Happy New Year!

Sasha looking at a mountain far in the horizon. He is wearing a hat and a blue and yellow sweater.

Sasha is a 2nd year Ph.D. student at the School of Education. Sasha’s research is about the study of human and non-human impacts that can contribute to teacher’s development in Scotland (early career academics).