First "PhD Meet Up" of the Academic Year Held

Building upon the successful tradition of PhD Meet Up gatherings at our University, the first session of this academic year aimed at networking, empowering, and exchanging experiences among early-career researchers and doctoral candidates concerning doctoral studies, research, and teaching activities took place on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, in the University Library.
 

About twenty attending doctoral students were welcomed by Prof. Roberto Antolović, PhD, Vice-Rector for Research at CUC, who encouraged them to persevere in their work and advised that whenever they encounter an impasse, they should reach out to others, explore possibilities, and never hesitate to seek support across the University.

The central part of the program featured a panel discussion entitled "What Does the Journey to a PhD Really Look Like?", where Senior Assistants Filip Hren, PhD, Maja Žutić, PhD, Nika Đuho Vulin, PhD, and Leali Osmančević, PhD, shared their personal experiences, the challenges encountered during their doctoral studies, as well as practical insights and advice. The panel discussion was moderated by Teaching Assistant Paula Zujić.
 

The focus of this inaugural meeting centered on the comprehensive experience of the doctoral journey, with upcoming sessions planned to address a variety of key topics related to professional endeavors, career progression, and the day-to-day work of early-career researchers.
 

This initiative is open to all teaching assistants, senior assistants, and CUC employees enrolled in doctoral programs, as well as all doctoral students across the University, regardless of their scientific discipline or stage of doctoral study.