Tag: Research supervision

What does success really look like for an international PhD student?

Authors: Maxi (Huy-Hoang) Huynh and Lynette Pretorius. Note: We also acknowledge the other co-authors of our paper, as it was a truly collaborative project: Sandeep Khattri, Zhiheng Zhou, Redi Pudyanti, Abdul Qawi Noori, and Huizhen Nan. Doing a PhD is often seen as a journey of growth and achievement, but have you ever stopped to ask what
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Learning how academia really works: what doctoral students discover beyond the PhD handbook

Authors: Sandeep Khattri and Lynette Pretorius. Most doctoral students begin their PhD expecting to learn how to conduct research. They read the literature, design a study, collect and analyse data, and aim to contribute new knowledge to their field. On paper, the path to becoming a scholar appears relatively clear: map the literature, master the
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Becoming a scholar together: why doctoral writing groups matter

Authors: Abdul Qawi Noori, Michael J. Henderson, and Lynette Pretorius. We often imagine doctoral writing as a solitary endeavour. The image of a PhD candidate working alone, a lone ‘genius’ wrestling with literature, writing drafts, chasing deadlines, and decoding reviewer comments, still dominates academic and public culture. When writing stalls or publications don’t succeed, we
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Psychological capital in the PhD

Author: Lynette Pretorius. Hi there! Have you ever wondered what it really takes to thrive during a PhD? For over a decade, I’ve worked closely with graduate students, helping them navigate the academic and emotional hurdles of this journey. Along the way, I’ve seen a lot—students overwhelmed by isolation, stress, and uncertainty. Many come to
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