PhD Students Connect Through AI, Creativity and Community

The initiative was designed to provide a supportive space for students to come together, share experiences, and reflect on different aspects of doctoral study, while engaging in activities that foster learning, collaboration, and shared understanding across the PhD community.

The session took the form of two practical group activities which explored the use of AI for collaborative image generation. The first activity, ‘Interdisciplinary Ecosystem with Hidden Connections’, invited students to consider how their research areas might connect across disciplines, themes, methods, and areas of impact. The second activity, ‘The Emotional Landscape of Research’, encouraged students to reflect on and visualise the emotional dimensions of the research journey, including its challenges, motivations, uncertainties, and moments of discovery.

The event concluded with an informal potluck, providing a relaxed opportunity for students to continue conversations beyond the structured activities.

We would like to thank all students who participated in the session and contributed to the generation of excellent images that embraced the spirit of the activity. The activities were shaped with the support of our PhD student representatives, whose valuable input helped ensure that the event reflected the interests and experiences of the PhD student community.

The first PhD Quarterly provided a positive starting point for this new initiative, and we look forward to future sessions continuing to strengthen connection, collaboration, creativity, and shared reflection across the PhD Programme.