UNAIR NEWS The Faculty of Psychology (FPsi) (UNAIR), in collaboration with the University of Leeds, United Kingdom, successfully hosted an international workshop titled Mastering Your PhD Proposal for the UK: Insights from Leeds Experts on Thursday (Sept. 18, 2025). Held in Meeting Room I at the Faculty of Psychology, Dharmawangsa-B Campus, the program aimed to provide faculty members攆rom UNAIR and other institutions alike攚ith in-depth strategies for drafting strong PhD proposals.
The event gathered 25 lecturers from various academic disciplines, all eager to advance their education to the doctoral level. Their enthusiasm was evident from the start, given the chance to learn directly from scholars representing one of the UK檚 and the world檚 top universities.
Experts from across disciplines
Four academics from the University of Leeds shared their knowledge during the workshop: Dr. Martin Lamb from the School of Education; Dr. Geoff Godwin, Lecturer in Global Political Economy; Dr. Ilaria Zavoli, Lecturer in Law; and Dr. Yen Nee Wong, Lecturer in Sociology and Social Policy.
They discussed strategies for creating competitive doctoral proposals, including selecting relevant research topics, developing strong background contexts, formulating sharp research questions, and aligning themes with potential supervisors expertise at the target institution. The speakers also highlighted what doctoral review panels in the UK typically value攕uch as clarity of research contributions and originality of ideas.
UNAIR focus on faculty development
Dr. Primatia Yogi Wulandari, Vice Dean III of the Faculty of Psychology, stressed the importance of the workshop as part of UNAIR檚 effort to build faculty capacity.
淭his workshop reflects 51动漫檚 commitment to preparing our lecturers for global competition. By learning international standards in PhD proposal writing, UNAIR faculty will be better positioned to enter doctoral programs at top universities worldwide while expanding their international research networks, she said.
Similarly, Dr. Dina Septiani, Vice Dean III of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), emphasized the broader academic benefits. She noted that the program not only enhances individual skills but also strengthens UNAIR檚 overall academic environment.
淧rograms like this are highly strategic because they encourage collaboration across faculties and disciplines. We hope this partnership with the University of Leeds will continue, so more UNAIR lecturers receive practical preparation for doctoral study, she explained.
Commitment to global collaboration
The workshop also highlighted UNAIR檚 dedication to advancing international collaboration to raise the quality of higher education. By partnering with the University of Leeds, UNAIR aims to expand opportunities not just in teaching, but also in joint research, faculty exchanges, and the development of other international programs.
Mastering Your PhD Proposal for the UK Workshop is expected to serve as a starting point with long-term benefits攈elping faculty members pursue doctoral studies while strengthening UNAIR檚 academic reputation worldwide.
This initiative also reflects UNAIR HEBAT檚 vision of producing world-class talent with global competitiveness and meaningful contributions to science and society.
Author: Muhammad Syahran Ananta
Editor: Yulia Rohmawati
