Opportunities and Professional Development

The School of Humanities and Communities and Communication Arts runs a large number of different events and classes throughout the academic year, including writing retreats, literacy training courses, a large end-of-year postgraduate conference, reading groups, seminar series, and more. Candidates also have the opportunity to develop links with industry through Research Internships.

For more information or to register for an upcoming event, class, or seminar, contact Rinu and Melinda at PostgradsHCAadmin@westernsydney.edu.au.

HDR Researcher Development Workshops

The Graduate Research School organises a series of Researcher Development workshops throughout the year, with seminars on key topics ranging from "The ABCs of Research Impact" to "Enhancing Your Employability for HDC Candidates". Full details and registration for these workshops are available on the Graduate Researcher Hub page of the Researcher Development SharePoint site. Note that HDR candidates need to request access to view the calendar and updated resources.

Writing Retreats

Winbourne Writers' Retreat, 28 July - 1 August, 2025

Winbourne Writers' Retreat is an opportunity for research candidates in the School of Humanities and Communication Arts to dedicate five solid days to writing.  The retreat will be for eight candidates who will be allocated to single rooms in a cottage, and be given access to a dedicated writing space. Candidates will be given the opportunity to receive one-on-one feedback on a text from an academic other than their supervisor.

Varuna Writers' Retreat, 17-24 November, 2025

The Varuna Writers’ Retreat is an intensive and discipline-specific 8-day writing program targeted at Literary Studies and/or Creative Writing students either at the mid-point, or in the final stages, of their doctorate in the School of Humanities and Communication Arts. The retreat is structured around and facilitated via several different research training and writing support processes, including group workshops with supervising academics. These are staggered before, during, and after the main retreat, with the broad aim of providing students with dedicated time and space to write and develop their confidence in writing independently and productively—both solo, and in a community setting with a peer group.

Postgraduate Conference

Now in its seventeenth year, the School of Humanities and Communication Arts’ Annual Interventions and Intersections HDR Conference is an indispensable platform for informed discussion, stimulating debate, and the perfect opportunity for candidates to present their research to friends and colleagues. Run by and for the School’s HDR community, the 2025 Postgraduate Conference will take place in November, with dates yet to be determined.

Last year's theme, Unity: Embracing Humanity, Community, and Opportunity, brought candidates together to celebrate shared values, and create pathways for growth and development. The aim was to showcase all postgraduate research being undertaken at the School, and to emphasise how candidates' projects contribute to a broader understanding of how we can build more inclusive, resilient, and thriving communities.

The theme for the 2025 conference will be determined by a committee of academics and HDR candidates. A call for committee members will be released soon.

Research Internships

Research internship is a vehicle to expand horizons for research students and offer opportunities to the industry, the end-users of research, to solve real-world problems they face working in collaboration with our brightest students.

An internship with the end-user of your research may provide new opportunities for research, research application, and more importantly, may create a pathway for an impact of your research.

Candidates can organise an internship either through the University’s partner APR Intern or they can source one on their own. For more information, visit the University’s Research Internships page, or contact Associate Professor Alex Ling at a.ling@westernsydney.edu.au.

Postgraduate Reading Groups

Contact Dr Melinda Jewell (M.Jewell@westernsydney.edu.au) to join the Creative Writing and Literature Reading Group, or if wish to receive guidance in establishing your own reading group in your discipline.

Writing and Society Research Centre Seminar Series

The Writing and Society Research Centre (located in the School) runs a series of seminars that occur regularly throughout the year. Seminars are presented by Centre members, visiting scholars, and the Centre’s postgraduate students. Seminars are open to participants from other universities, as well as interested writers, critics, and researchers.

Postgraduate Newsletter

The School produces a monthly newsletter showcasing our HDR achievements and opportunities. Email Dr Melinda Jewell to be added to the mailing list!

3MT

The Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition is a fantastic opportunity to cultivate your academic, presentation, and research communication skills, and get your ideas and research out to a wider audience. The rules are simple: You have three minutes to effectively explain your research in language and terms that everyone can understand. No gizmos, no props, no tech wizzbangery: just you, your ideas, and a single static slide.