On 1st October 2019 we were delighted to welcome our very first QUADRAT DTP students to begin their studies at Queen’s and Aberdeen. Even more exciting than this was the prospect of their induction, which would bring them all together as a cohort for the very first time! The induction event took place on Thursday 10th October 2019 in Aberdeen, hosted at the beautiful and historical Trinity Hall.

This induction was our first opportunity to get to know the students properly, and to introduce them to the complexities of a NERC DTP and a T-shaped studentship! The induction took the shape of a series of presentations, training sessions, workshops and group tasks designed to build good relationships among the students, and to prepare them for the PhD journey ahead of them! It was an opportunity to ask questions, voice concerns and build networks. Supervisors, the wider academic community, CASE partners and collaborators were all invited along to get involved and to help direct the future of the QUADRAT DTP. Prospective supervisors met to develop new project ideas, supervisors were trained in DTP specifics and stakeholders were able to see the very first results of this project which has been in the making for a long time! It was a fantastic day for all involved and we can’t wait to do it all over again next year!