I run training sessions for Doctoral College and Graduate Centre students and have coached at Bristol, Sheffield and Exeter Universities UK, the American University Beirut, and the Open University of Jerusalem.

As well as building confidence in public speaking, I encourage participants to focus on the aim of their presentation, the nature of their audience and what exactly they want to communicate. For both non-native and native speakers, we focus on some of the peculiarities of presenting in English and how body language can aid your message. I use tips from training actors on dealing with nervousness and breath control.

Presenting research requires not only that you know what the key points are that you need to communicate, but also that you have an awareness of the audience knowledge base and the kind of queries you could expect. In my training sessions, I set aside time for participants to look at their research from different perspectives and utilise the critical thinking skills of their peers.