Graduate Forum Committee

Chair

Niall Robb, Queen's University Belfast | @nialljrobb | LinkedIn: Niall Robb

"I have been an active member of the UACES Graduate Forum since 2019 and the Student and ECR Representative since February 2022. As elected Chair, I believe I am well placed to build on the great work of the outgoing committee and continue developing the Graduate Forum as we come out of the pandemic. Working with the rest of the committee, I would like the Graduate Forum to continue our regular online events and increase our level of digital communication in the coming year, in addition to delivering our Annual Conference and the Doctoral Training Academy."

Communications Officer

Yunus Barış Ertürk, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam | @bariserturk_ | LinkedIn: Y. Barış Ertürk

"I decided to nominate myself for UACES Graduate Forum on the day I participated in the Graduate Forum Conference. I had an opportunity to meet great young scholars and listen to impressive paper presentations. The event incentivized me to have more responsibility for my research community, moreover, build a reliable and advanced forum for each other!
I have several projects and ideas for the Graduate Forum. I want to increase the number of events and add new dimensions, from skill development in modern academia to interactive conferences.
UACES Graduate Forum members will work together and collaborate in the same research community for several years. I aspire to improve and amplify it with your support!"

Events Officer | Joint

Filiz Doğan, Leiden University | @frannygl | LinkedIn: Filiz Doğan, Ph.D

"I am a PhD researcher at the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs, at Leiden University. Based on my previous experience, as a project manager/specialist as well as a Chair of the PhD committee in my university department, I wanted to take up the Communications Officer role of the UACES GF committee because I like communicating with different researchers and hearing about their experiences. My aim is to create a dynamic communication network by reaching as many PhD and Early Career Researchers through various projects and activities. This way, I believe that junior researchers will find better support to overcome the challenges during their academic journey and will be able to establish stronger ties in academia in the future.”

Events Officer | Joint

Elena Simanschi, Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals | @ESimanschi | LinkedIn: Elena Simanschi

"I'm Elena, a third-year PhD candidate at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and a pre-doctoral researcher at the Barcelona Institute for International Studies. My research interests encompass disinformation, digital security, and geopolitics. I am enthusiastic about running for an events officer position because of my strong organizational skills. My membership in UACES has been invaluable, connecting me with a wide array of opportunities, including participation in the Doctoral Training Academy and the chance to establish meaningful connections with academics in my field. I look forward to the opportunity of bringing my skills and passion to the UACES Graduate Forum events, helping to enrich our academic community."

Student and ECR Representative

Roberto Baccarini, University of Exeter | @RobertoBaccari3 | LinkedIn: Roberto Baccarini

"My name is Roberto Baccarini, and I am a third-year PhD student in European Politics at the University of Exeter (United Kingdom). I decided to nominate myself for the Student and ECR Representative position because I strongly believe in promoting the creation of a vast network of PhD and early career researchers. It will be my duty to address and resolve the main issues and problems that may prevent PhDs and ECRs from making the most out of their journey and to ensure that the voice of PhD and ECR members of UACES is adequately represented within the UACES Graduate Forum Committee."