HUI-EU: Inter-institutional, regional workshops for PhD Candidates

HUI-EU workshops are designed to facilitate networking, cooperation and collaboration among early career researchers whilst equipping participants with valuable transferable skills. Workshops run over two consecutive days and participants must attend both full days.

The broad thematic focus of the workshops will be on the field of EU engagement with respect to the Asia-Pacific region on political, diplomatic, economic, social, and cultural levels. Core headings include:

• Resilience – Research exploring the concept and practice of resilience, reflecting the centrality of resilience in the European Union Global Strategy. In a world characterised by complex interdependence and increasingly also disruption, the ability of the EU to absorb and recover from shocks and disjunctures, as well as its ability to support and promote such resilience with its external relations partners, is increasingly important as currently demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Governance – Research focusing on the issue of governance as it relates to the EU, both internally and externally. Issues related to internal governance structures include institutions, actors, processes, functions, as well as the challenges posed to them by inter alia Brexit, the rise of populism in Europe, questions as to the legitimacy of the EU, etc. External governance includes the role of the EU in institutions of global governance, such as the WTO and regional relations, and in relation to key policy areas (e.g. environmental, economic or security governance).
• Identity – Research focusing on the identity of the EU in its external relations. How is EU identity express and perceived on the global stage, and in particular in its relations with the Asia-Pacific? How do we differentiate the EU’s role from other actors?

HUI-EU workshops consists of multiple sessions each day with doctoral research presentations and discussions interspersed with practical skills training and presentations of experienced academics and/or practitioners. Themes addressed at the practical skills and knowledge sessions include but are not limited to:

• Doctoral Research in Practice – working with your supervisor, student-supervisor relationships, potential issues and how to avoid/address them; interviewing, ethics approval and managing data, interviewing as a mechanism for data collection; mistakes to avoid and challenges that may undermine successful completion of the PhD.
• Collaboration in Practice – examining the collaborative process, the benefits, how to start collaboration and make it work as well as potential pitfalls, and how to effectively contribute to collaborative research.
• Getting your work out there: Conference participation and publication – how to succinctly and effectively communist your research to interview subjects, at networking meetings and to non-academic audiences; how to approach publication, identifying article types and methodologies, targeting journals and tips from journal editors; strategies for effective conference participation, utilising a conference as an opportunity rather than box-ticking exercise and structuring an effective paper and presentation;
• The EU in the host country – an overview of the history of relations between the EU and the host country and discussion of key elements that define and shape the current engagement; resources for researchers – how to research the EU in other countries, challenges and key resources.

As part of the award, recipients must:

• submit their presentation to the workshop convenors who will provide feedback prior to the event
• participate in the 2-day workshop and
  • present their research to peers and academics
  • chair one panel of peer presentations
  • act as discussant for one panel of peer presentations
  • actively engage in seminars on key academic and professional skills
  • participate in one evening networking event
• agree to and participate in the recording of a “Doctoral Research Video” including self-introduction and information on their academic background and interest in EU Studies, the nature of their current research and goals anticipate to achieve. The video will be published on this website.
• submit an executive summary of their research (300 words), a summary of their experience (learnings, tips, etc; 250 words) and their bio (100 words) for publication on this website

Costs for international travel, accommodation and catering during the workshop including one dinner are covered by the organisers.

Failure to comply with the above requirements may result in a repayment of the award to the NCRE.

The eligibility criteria are:

• Applicants must be enrolled (or enrolling) at a NZ university in the 2022 academic year, either in their first year to 18 months of their PhDs (immediately pre- or post-confirmation), whose topic involves the EU or Europe.
• Research topics must focus on the European Union. Students from all disciplines researching Europe and the EU either within New Zealand or the wider Pacific region are encouraged to apply.
• Applicants must be non-EU citizens or hold NZ citizenship or permanent residence (or will gain this by the enrolment date – proof will be required).

The following general funding rules apply to awards:

• Funding can only be used for the purposes outlined in the application and within the eligibility period.
• Funding recipients are expected to demonstrate progress with their studies during the funding period.
• Students must attend EU-focused events and seminars at their university.
• Failure to deliver the award-related deliverables may likely result in a repayment of the award to the funder.

Applications must be submitted by 23:59 on Sunday, 31 October 2022. Late applications cannot be accepted. Please follow the following simple steps to complete your application:

1. 1. Collect the Required Documents (see below) and save them into ONE pdf file (any scanner can do this, if in doubt ask for help – incomplete applications will not be considered).
      1. A one page summary of your intended course of study and research connected to this. 
         If you have previously received funding from the NCRE please outline how your research has progressed.
      2. A motivational statement.
         Please provide a half-page motivational statement as to why you want to participate in the HUI-EU workshop and how your research will benefit.
      3. Your CV which must be no longer than one page in length. 
         Please outline both, your academic and employment/volunteering information.
      4. Your academic record (transcript) containing your academic history. 
         This must either be signed or certified by the university, a supervisor or administrator with departmental stamp.
         Tip: Yes, NCRE Administrators can do this.
   2. Complete the online Application Form and upload the pdf file containing the required documents before the submission deadline.
   3. Submit your application.
   4. Ensure your academic referee emails us a pdf of your reference letter or fills in the appropriate form.