The PhD experience
Research centres
Our department is home to four research groups and centres, the , the , the and the ), that are led or co-led by members of our department.
These interact across our research cluster areas – as well as across disciplines within the university and beyond – and frequently play host to guest workshops, conferences and seminars that you are welcome to join. There are also a number of student-led reading or discussion groups dedicated to specific areas of philosophy, such as the Foucault and Logic . Additionally, the department has a limited budget to support postgraduate students attending conferences or events in the pursuit of their studies or academic career.
Student-led initiatives
There’s more to life as a PhD student than research; in fact, we offer many opportunities for you to engage with the academic community in the department, and participate in university-wide activities. For example, the is a student organised seminar providing an opportunity for all ÌÇÐÄTV philosophy graduate students, and occasionally students from other universities, to present their work to a general philosophy audience. It’s also an excellent chance to meet and socialise with fellow graduate students and discuss each other’s research.
Events and societies
There are various research activities and seminar series sponsored by the department and its research centres, including the weekly and the fortnightly .
By attending seminars, you can keep up-to-date with recent developments in philosophical thinking and philosophical writing introduced by a range of philosophers. You can also gain insight into how – and how not – to present a paper in preparation for your own, future presentations. Further to this, the department holds weekly ‘Work-in-Progress Days’ in which PhD students present work for discussion by other graduates and staff.
The department also hosts approximately two or three per term, as well as two annual events: the ÌÇÐÄTV Graduate Conference in the Philosophy of Mind (MindGrad), the premier UK graduate conference for philosophers of mind which attracts graduate students from all over the world; and the , a research day where students from ÌÇÐÄTV, King’s College London and University College London present their work for commentary and discussion.
Beyond our department, you can also join the, which puts on a range of talks throughout the academic year, holds regular socials (including ‘Phil ‘n’ Tea’, a weekly gathering in the Philosophy common room for all students, as well as the annual Phil-Psych Ball), and offers academic support.