Employability Awards - How to organize a seminar series (by Karen Siegel and Arantza Gomez) by GSP Coordinator

Employability Awards - How to organize a seminar series (by Karen

Siegel and Arantza Gomez)
Steps to organize a seminar series: Example of an application
for funding
We followed these steps to organise our seminar series:
funding a...n[1].doc
1) Brainstorming: example of an application for
funding
• Subject area, potential speakers, potential audience, funding possibilities
960.5KB | Thursday, 29 April 2010 |
2) Reality check: Details

• Which subject area is interesting for you and broad enough to interest a wider
audience? Programme example
• Which speakers would be interesting and at the same time realistically able to come? LA Semina...0[1].doc
• What is the audience you would like to reach: undergraduate or postgraduate students, Programme of a Seminar Series
members of staff, people outside the university. In general the broader the topic the 929KB | Thursday, 29 April 2010 |
broader the audience you are likely to reach, for a very specific topic you may only Details
get a small audience. This is not a problem if it is the case only for one seminar in the
series, but it might be disappointing to have a low turnout for the whole series
because the topics are too narrow. Examples of posters
• Which budget do you need to carry out your project and which funding possibilities
Oelsner -...e[1].doc
are realistic?
poster example 1
• Never underestimate the possibility of unforeseen events (speakers might cancel at 47KB | Thursday, 18 February 2010 |
last minute; you may not get the first funding you apply for etc.) Details
3) Crucial first arrangements
Paulo Sot...1doc.doc
poster example 6
• Apply for funding: Your department or supervisor may help you with possible option. 76KB | Thursday, 29 April 2010 |
Do not offer to cover any expenses of speakers, before you have a confirmation of Details
sufficient funding, otherwise you may end up paying from your own pocket! poster pa...n[1].doc
poster example 2
• Book a room: Try to book a suitable room within the opening hours of the university,
921KB | Thursday, 18 February 2010
this means you don’t have to pay for the room. Your department will be able to help
you with this. | Details
Dedenbach...)[1].pdf
4) Make a detailed budget and timetable Reading material before seminar
example 1
• In general make sure you can cover travelling expenses and some drinks for all 410KB | Thursday, 29 April 2010 |
speakers and accommodation and dinner for speakers who have to stay overnight Details
because they cannot travel back the same day. This means you have to play around a Dr Lilian...e[1].doc
bit with the number of speakers and where they are coming from. poster example 5
43KB | Thursday, 29 April 2010 |
5) Invite the speakers Details
• Academic have a very tight agenda and in many cases they may not be able to give a Dr.Iona M...e[1].doc
poster example 4
seminar on the date that you propose. Therefore invite those speakers that are
32.5KB | Thursday, 29 April 2010 |
essential for the seminar series first, so that you still have alternative dates available
Details
to offer them. Once the first speakers have confirmed you can move on to invite the
others. Keep in mind that some speakers may not reply immediately and you have to Dr.Liam K...e[1].doc
poster example 4
follow up your first invitation with another e-mail or by phone.
32.5KB | Thursday, 29 April 2010 |
6) Publicising the seminars Details
Dr.Mo Hum...e[1].doc
poster example 3
 • Think about who might be interested in attending the seminar and keep in mind that 57.5KB | Thursday, 18 February
people outside your own department or even university might also be interested. This 2010 | Details
is especially relevant if your topics are interdisciplinary.
• E-mail all contact persons you can think of. This may include undergraduate and
Further information....
postgraduate students, members of staff and relevant university clubs or societies.
You can also think about contacting relevant departments of other universities in
Glasgow, such as Strathclyde and Caledonian, or other universities that are not too
far. Map of Latin America
• Apart from the overall programme, make some posters with more detailed map LA.doc
information for each seminar and attach these to your e-mails and put some up around Map
the campus. 914KB | Thursday, 29 April 2010 |
Details
7) Hosting the seminars

• Make sure you think about who could possibly chair each seminar if you do not want
to chair all the seminars yourself. Links
If speakers would like to distribute handouts for their presentation, make sure you For further information on research in the
photocopy these in advance. UK and how to develop your transferable
• Make sure powerpoint is available and working in the seminar room. skills see vitae.
Provide water for the speakers and always acknowledge the effort they made to
present at your seminar series.
Announce the next seminar at the end of each seminar.
For further information on the Caribbean
8) The last things to remember Discussion Group.

• Keep all receipts and remind the speakers to send you the receipts of their expenses.
You will not be reimbursed without the receipts!
For further information on Latin
• Take the speaker for a drink and make sure you get one too because you deserve it!
American Studies in the UK see SLAS.

Consequence of organizing a seminar series on your CV:

The organisation of the seminars helped us in our academic and professional development
in three ways:

• developing practical skills that can also be transferred to other contexts

establishing contacts and networking
broadening our general knowledge on Latin America

Practical skills

The practical skills we developed by organising the seminar series included the
following: putting together a programme to interest a wide audience across different
disciplines; approaching potential speakers; devising a timing that is suitable to the
majority of the people involved; planning the budget in order to cover all expenses;
arranging travel and accommodation for guest speakers; advertising the programme;
chairing the seminars; organisational skills.

Establishing contacts and networking

By inviting guest speakers we got to know experienced researchers in our field personally
and got a chance to exchange research ideas. As we included an informal socialising
event after each seminar, we also established contacts with other students interested in
Latin American issues who did not present in the seminars. Moreover, by inviting
professionals from the Embassy of Brazil in London and the Woodrow Wilson
International Center for Scholars we were able to widen the scope of the seminars
considerably and also make contacts outside Scotland. As the seminars attracted a wide
audience, including people from outside the University of Glasgow, they also promoted
and strengthened the Scottish research community on Latin American issues overall.

Broadening our general knowledge on Latin America:

As organisers of the seminar series we already had a good understanding of specific

issues relating to Latin America which are the focus of our research. However, the
seminar series was an excellent opportunity to broaden our knowledge beyond these
rather specific debates and develop a good understanding of the dynamics on the
continent overall.

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