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IDeAL Students Participate in the 2019 ARC Conference hosted by the Open University

June 3, 2019

Three IDeAL students Peter Macharia, Beatrice Amboko, and James Otieno are among the students who attended the Affiliated Research Centre (ARC) 2019 Conference. The conference was hosted by Open University (OU) Graduate School in the United Kingdom (UK) and the first ARC conference that involved students from various ARC centers globally.

The ARC program supports the provision of doctoral training in the UK, Europe and worldwide and enables leading research institutions not accredited to award degrees, provide doctoral training with their support.

This year’s conference was held on the 16th and 17th May 2019 with the theme, ‘Sharing Good Practice and Building Networks’. The conference which brought together students from various Open University-affiliated research centers provided a platform for students to network and explore possibilities for collaboration.

“From my visit to the Open University, I was able to create networks with other Ph.D. students and staff of the Open University graduate school and learn more about available resources for my research work. The interesting part was the filmmaking training delivered by renowned actress, Katharine Schlesinger, and followed by an hour’s filming practicals,” remarked Peter Macharia, a Ph.D. Student who participated in the conference.

Beatrice Amboko was perplexed to learn that the Open University was not just a virtual university offering online degrees, but a fully fledged campus with well-equipped research facilities. “The tour of the university and filming my research was the highlight of my visit,” she said.

Besides developing their research posters, participating students were tasked with the development of a two-minute film showcasing the story behind students’ research degrees. The resulting films will be part of the Graduate School’s celebration of 50 years of the OU.

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