RSD — Research Skills Development Course
[New Edition]
Convento da Arrábida
RSD — Research Skills Development Course
[New Edition]
Convento da Arrábida
RSD — Research Skills Development Course
RSD — Research Skills Development Course
Get to know RSD
— Research Skills Development Course
Welcome to the Research Skills Development Course offered by NOVA Doctoral School. Enjoy the journey.
The sublime landscape and tranquillity of the hillside, far from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, create the perfect environment for productive and dynamic learning, both during scheduled sessions and outside the workrooms.
Participants stay at the Convento da Arrábida, where nature persists, takes over the minutes and time takes on another dimension. The four days are marked by the opportunity to take a break from the daily rush, where everyday tasks, cell phones and the internet become secondary elements, giving space to our own voices. The place serves not only as a source of inspiration, but also as a way of exploring identity.
Research Skills Development - RSD, created in 2004 at Imperial College, is a residential course, which offers additional cross-curricular and transferable training (e.g. effective communication, teamwork, project management) essential for any student starting their PhD, in a relaxed, safe and challenging training environment. Participants will inspire, support and encourage each other while learning from the trainers.
Break away from your normal routine and dive into this immersive and transformative program.
a hillside Monastery overlooking the sea — the Convento da Arrábida
There are places that, due to their location and characteristics, remain faithful to their origins. Arrábida is one of those places - there is silence, introspection and serenity, you can hear the crickets chirping, the wind caressing the trees and the sound of the sea in the distance. There is an undeniable beauty in everything.
And this is exactly what the Franciscan friars sought here - “if I’m not in Heaven, I’m in its suburbs”, said Frei Martinho de Santa Maria in 1542.
The Convento da Arrábida stands in the middle of the mountainside. Founded in 1542 by the Franciscan Frei Martinho de Santa Maria, after the land was given to him by D. João de Lencastre, it has undergone several changes over the years. Even before it was built there was the Ermida da Memória, a pilgrimage site where the first four Arrábidos friars lived in holes dug in the rocks.
In 1990 it was sold to Fundação Oriente, which is now responsible for its preservation and historical importance.
it is here, in this idyllic setting, that the Course participants stay.
...but it’s not just about the fantastic scenery, amazing activities or relaxed conversations between students and trainers, there’s also hard work!
This course, designed to combine theory and practice, maximizes the potential of an innovative context, different from the traditional classroom. In this way, the soft skills of PhD students are maximized through the application of different learning methodologies.
This course is ideal for PhD students who:
Preferably attend the first years of study, in any scientific field;
Want to experience 4 days and 3 nights of immersion, self-knowledge and deepening of scientific techniques in the most different areas of knowledge;
Intend to guide their research work and minimize daily distractions;
Want to share their ideas among peers;
Look for moments of silence, connection and critical self-reflection.
Program/Activities
Plenary sessions
Group work:
• Communication (individual and group communication skills);
• Teamwork (the different roles of group members, group dynamics, the impact of communication);
• Creativity (techniques and application);
• Understand and manage the doctoral process (planning and problem solving);
Interdisciplinary collaboration (science communication in broad environments, negotiation, decision making).
Readings/individual work/exercises
Networking activities
Total number of hours: 56h
meet the trainers who teach the Course: Roberto Henriques
[Course coordinator]
Current Associate Professor at NOVA Information Management School at NOVA University Lisbon, where he is Deputy Director for Teaching and Pedagogical Affairs. He is director of the Master’s Degree in Data Science and Advanced Analytics. Holds a Ph.D. in Information Management (NOVA), a master’s degree in Geographic Information Science and Systems and a degree in Biophysical Engineering. His research interests include data analysis and decision support systems using artificial intelligence and machine learning. His work has been published in several international journals and conferences of high quality and reputation. He has also managed and participated in numerous knowledge transfer and innovation projects in areas such as health, marketing and CRM, among others.
Alexandra Dias Santos
Has a degree in Art History from NOVA’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FCSH-UNL) and a master’s degree in Communication, Culture and Information Technologies from Instituto Superior de Ciências do Trabalho e da Empresa (ISCTE Instituto Universitário de Lisboa). She is the current Coordinator
of the Communication Sciences course at ISLA Campus Lisboa, where she teaches communication to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Her interest in the social sciences and the interdisciplinary approach led her to the Institute of Social Sciences (ICS-UL), where she carried out the research that would earn her a PhD in Sociology. Her thesis focuses on Angolan literature, emphasizing its links to nationalist and communist ideologies. In addition, she has interests in media studies, especially in the relationship between the media and nationalism.
Elsa Caetano
Elsa Caetano is a researcher at the National School of Public Health, NOVA, collaborating in the H2020 Project, Partnerships for Science Education (PAFSE). She is also a PhD candidate in Education Sciences at the Institute of Education of the University of Lisbon, where she is studying “Health Education in Portuguese Public Schools - training, professional identities and perceptions of Primary School Teachers”.
She has a degree in Nursing, a degree in Communication Sciences and extensive experience at NOVA Doctoral School and NOVA’s Pedagogical Innovation Office, designing and delivering content on teacher development, pedagogical methodologies and transferable skills. Her experience at the Interactive Technologies Research Centre and iNOVA Media Lab, combined with her specialization in Film Studies, has given her the skills and knowledge needed to develop Digital Learning Objects.
Guilherme Hidalgo Victorino
Guilherme Victorino is currently Associate Director of NOVA IMS for the “Value Creation” area and Coordinator of the Innovation & Analytics and Health & Analytics Laboratories. He holds a PhD in Information Management from NOVA IMS and a Msc. In Behavioural Science from London School of Economics. As a lecturer, he works in the areas of Innovation, Change and Knowledge Management and coordinates the Postgraduate Programme in Health Information Management and BI. He is also the coordinator of the Design Thinking course at the Doctoral School. As a consultant and certified trainer in Design Thinking and Change Management, he has had the opportunity to work on new approaches to innovation in workshops and research projects applying design thinking in the private, public and social sectors in Portugal, Spain, Holland, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Australia and Brazil. As an executive he has a career spanning more than 15 years in leadership positions in sectors such as Health, Media and Telecommunications.
Joana Marques
It is the relationship with people that most motivates Joana, and it is in this relationship that she recognizes the greatest potential for individual development. She has a Master in Educational Sciences and she’s doing her PhD in Educational Administration and Policy. She has been working in Education since 2007, as an Invited Teacher (Institute of Education - University Lisbon), and as a researcher and facilitator in Nova University Lisbon (2009-
2019), in the scope of students’ training and teachers’ professional development. She has been working, simultaneously, in the planning, development and evaluation of training in the areas of communication, leadership and management.
Since 2019, she has been a senior consultant and partner at Way Beyond. She believes that the development of soft skills is one of the keys to live more and better, so helping others to develop soft skills has been one of her focuses in the last years. As a hobby, she plays theatre.
João Valente Cordeiro
Assistant Professor of Health Law and Ethics at National School of Public Health, NOVA University Lisbon (ENSP NOVA). He holds a Biochemistry Degree from the Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, a PhD in Biochemistry and Virology from University College London and a Law Degree from the Faculty of Law, University of Lisbon. For the last years he has focused on the interface between Health, Science, Technology, Law, and Ethics. He coordinates the Research Ethics Course of NOVA Doctoral School and is also actively involved in researching and teaching Health Law, Ethics in Science and Technology, Bioethics, Digital Health, and Precision Medicine at NOVA University.
Overall, he worked in five multidisciplinary research labs in three European countries. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Portuguese Journal of Public Health and a member of different Research Ethics Committees, both within and outside NOVA University. He is also a member of the Portuguese Bar Association, with health law as his preferred area of professional practice.
Learning Outcomes
Experiential and peer learning:
Is more memorable; Builds confidence and awareness; Breaks down barriers; Is based on everyone’s experience; Does not depend on specialists.
At the end of the course, the student must demonstrate effectiveness in different academic skills covered, such as: teamwork; managing and understanding the PhD process; communicating science to a lay audience or a colleague; and designing a collaborative research project. The aim is for candidates to acquire new technical and scientific skills that enhance their individuality, making them more competitive in the job market.
The course is also an opportunity for networking in a different environment from the one in which the student is used to working, through interaction between colleagues from other scientific fields and trainers.
“there are three versions of the PhD: the one you planned, the one you had and what you learned from the difference between the two” Peter Honey [adapt.]
How?
Through a safe but challenging environment that will encourage participants to explore and identify the key elements of teamwork, networking, effective communication, planning and project management;
With a balanced and structured program made up of exercises and sessions that will provide a variety of learning situations;
By sharing feedback and continuous networking between participants;
Through a learning journal to aid the learning process.
Practical Information
Check-In & Check-Out
Check-In [1st Day]
1. Bus transportation*:
• Campolide Campus | 16h00
• Caparica Campus (NOVA FCT) | 17h
2. Own transportation:
• check-in at Convento da Arrábida around 6pm
The course activities start at 7pm sharp, with dinner. Please make sure you arrive on time. If you happen to be late, please contact NOVA Escola Doutoral (210436891/2).
Check-Out [Last Day]
Activities end at around 5pm
Transportation*
Participants will be provided with bus transportation from either the Campolide Campus or NOVA FCT (Caparica Campus) to Convento da Arrábida and back. If you wish to change the transportation option you made on the form, you should contact NOVA Doctoral School as soon as possible (nova.doctoral.school@unl.pt). If you choose not to use the transportation provided by the University, you will be responsible for the respective costs The Monastery has limited parking spaces.
Meals
Meals will be provided during the course. If you have specific dietary requirements, make sure to notify the organization in advance.
Services and Amenities for an exceptional experience
The four days of the course unfold in activities and experiences. They unfold in learning. In enthusiasm.
Students are accommodated in double rooms;
There is a room available 24 hours a day for all retreat participants to gather;
There are rooms reserved for groups, available during work sessions;
The outdoor space is ideal for group activities.
Clothing
Comfortable clothes and shoes are recommended during the course. The RSD program includes outdoor activities. In the winter, it is recommended that all students wear appropriate clothing for the cold and rain and comfortable footwear. In the summer, the use of sunscreen is recommended. Activities will only be suspended in the event of very heavy rain.
LISBOA
EN 10 SETÚBAL
CONVENTO ARRÁBIDA
50 KM from Lisbon 15 KM from Setúbal GPS 38º 28” 27.34 N 8º 59” 45.05 W
[There is no public transport network to the Monastery]
The rest... It’s experienced at Convento da Arrábida
Everything here is unique. To be experienced and felt.
The greatest secret of the RSD course’s success lies in its mystery. Anyone who has attended the course in previous editions can’t put into words the essence of what you live there. The secret is revealed through the experiences you have over the course of the four days. The path of learning is continuous and will not stop when the course ends, but each participant leaves Convento da Arrábida with the certainty that they have experienced something unique and significant, a milestone in their PhD.
What you live at Convento da Arrábida lies between the sea and the mountains. In everyone’s learning and memories.
the product of the PhD process is not only the thesis but also the person
Guarantee your place on the Research Skills Development Course
1500€
PhD candidates from NOVA University Lisbon partner institutions
1800€
PhD candidates from other institutions
Includes:
Accommodation at Convento da Arrábida
4 Days
3 Nights
9 Meals (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) Snacks Transportation
+ a unique experience in your academic journey
The testimonies of those who have already attended the course:
“This course provides a unique experience with the acquisition of multidisciplinary skills relevant to the development of research activities.”
“Challenging, dynamic, in a very enriching environment (connection between nature, heritage and gastronomy); Passion of the teaching staff, commitment and interaction with the students; learning and consolidation of useful information to face the challenge of the PhD.”
“It’s a very interesting course, it allows you to network with other students at the university, something you wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to do. The experience, the location and the activities carried out make for an experience that effectively marks the course of the PhD.”
“It was very useful in this phase of the first year of my PhD because I learned a lot, clarified ideas and took a step forward in focusing my research project.”
