Course description
| No. 908.01 | Academic Writing Meetups |
|---|---|
| Dates | Fridays, 9:00–10:45 AM (twice a month, from 24.04.2026 to 24.07.2026) |
| Location | hybrid: in person and via Zoom |
| Target group | PhD students and postdoctoral researchers who are currently writing a dissertation, research article, or conference paper in English. |
| Group size | max. 12 persons |
| Content | Ready, set, write! Academic writing can be a challenging, lonely, and tedious process, plagued by writer’s block or a lack of effective writing habits. However, writing is essential for progress and success in academia. This series of writing meetups is designed to support PhD students and postdocs in setting and achieving academic writing goals. Participants will write independently within a supportive environment that promotes mutual motivation. During the first meetup, participants will receive optional support in setting “SMART” goals, creating a writing plan, and maintaining effective writing habits. In subsequent sessions, participants will meet, set aside all distractions, and write. Sessions will conclude with participants documenting their writing progress and identifying any writing challenges. During the meetups, participants can receive optional support from the facilitator in overcoming writer’s block, revising their writing, or refining English grammar, punctuation, and academic style. |
| Instructor | Dr Pamela Heidi Douglas |
| Information about the speaker | Pamela Heidi Douglas is a lecturer at Paderborn University and a native English speaker. Originally from Canada, she has studied and taught English in countries across Europe, North America, and Africa. After completing her Ph.D. at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Heidi began teaching English courses at Paderborn University in 2018. She also has worked as a proofreader and editor of academic manuscripts and texts for over ten years. |
| Reporting deadline | 16.03.2026 On the registration deadline, we will decide on the basis of the registrations whether the course can take place or not. Therefore, please register promptly if you are interested! The more registrations we receive, the more likely it is that the course will take place. Of course, you can still register after the registration deadline if there are still places available. Please contact hdouglas(at)mail.upb.de for late registrations or enquiries. |