Scientific Writing & Oral Presentations
23 & 24 November and 14 & 15 December 2023
General context
The Scientific Writing and Oral Presentations course is designed for researchers who need to publish their research projects and/or present them to an international peer audience.
The course aims at enhancing the participants’ skills of communicating their research results in a persuasive and professional way. It will raise their awareness of the qualities of good scientific writing and speaking while at the same time give them the tools and resources to improve their written and oral communication skills in the long term.
Both Scientific Writing and Oral Presentations are interactive courses as they require active input from the participants. Places are limited (max. 8 participants).
The Scientific Writing course is built around the different steps an author takes in the writing process. Themes dealt with include: defining a thesis statement, reader-oriented writing, planning and organizing information, the contents and the structure of the different parts of a report from abstract to appendix, readable paragraphs, meaningful titles and headings, a clear and professional style, tables and figures, and referencing. Also, some important differences between scientific and business reporting will be pointed out. The course consists of three half-day group sessions and one-half day of individual coaching. The latter is based on an individual writing assignment.
Oral Presentations offers participants an up-to-date reference framework for making and evaluating presentations. It will help them discover and assess their own strengths and weaknesses in orally presenting research results. The course deals with the building of a presentation, the use of visual aids, the presenter’s qualities and the delivery. Ample focus is given on structuring the presentation, on making good use of PowerPoint and on making the delivery captivating. The course is split over two half-day group sessions and one full day of presentations by the participants themselves.
VIB PhD students and postdocs
Please note that this is not a language course, so proficiency in English is a basic requirement!
- Participation is free for VIB participants.
- Note that upon no show without valid justification a fee of € 100 will be charged and you will be blacklisted for the VIB training program for 1 year. Click here for more information.
- The trainer has signed a Confidential Disclosure Agreement with VIB.
"The instructor taught us how to write in a structured manner and focused on how we - each personally - can improve our presentation skills. Very very useful training!"
Participant edition spring 2023
"Generally, I am very glad I have attend the course. So many things while writing and presenting we do not notice about ourselves and the output we give, and this course helps you to reflect on your own work, wait for a second and re-think your own actions in writing and presenting. Professor is very knowledgeable and interesting, so these 4 days passed very quickly for me. It is nice that there are not a lot of people so we do get to know each other, and give feedback, discuss different angles and perspectives."
Participant edition autumn 2022
"This course is really great for early-career scientists that have to write and present their research more intensively. The guidelines and practices were really useful."
Participant edition spring 2021
"I was also surprised that, although I think of myself as being quite good in presenting, that I still learned new things on giving presentations and using PowerPoint."
Participant edition spring 2020
Trainers
Antoine Vermeire
Antoine Vermeire is Emeritus Professor at Gent University and a professional training and coaching consultant. Already for several years, prof Vermeire is successfully training VIB PhD students and postdocs towards writing excellent reports and giving memorable presentations.
Program
Scientific Writing
3 half-day group sessions and one half-day individual coaching based on an assignment
- The qualities of a good research report
- The preliminary phase: purpose, audience and contents
- Structuring a research report
- Parts of a research report
- Proposal writing
- Writing the research report of proposal
- Visual appearance
- Academic posters
Oral Presentation
2 half-day group sessions and one full day presentations by participants
- What makes a presentation memorable?
- How to prepare a presentation?
- How to build a presentation?
- How to end a presentation?
- How to use PowerPoint Effectively?
- How to be(come) a charismatic speaker?
- Some loose ends
Practical info
23 November 2023 - 24 November 2023
Ghent - VIB/UGent FSVM II
Technologiepark 75
9052 Zwijnaarde
Belgium
14 December 2023 - 15 December 2023
Ghent - VIB/UGent FSVM II
Technologiepark 75
9052 Zwijnaarde
Belgium
23 November 2023 - 24 November 2023
Ghent - VIB/UGent FSVM II
From Ghent Sint-Pieters station, you can take bus 49, 50 or 70 to Technologiepark. Please check Routeplanner De Lijn for schedules.
14 December 2023 - 15 December 2023
Ghent - VIB/UGent FSVM II
From Ghent Sint-Pieters station, you can take bus 49, 50 or 70 to Technologiepark. Please check Routeplanner De Lijn for schedules.
23 November 2023 - 24 November 2023
Ghent - VIB/UGent FSVM II
There is only one entrance to Technologiepark. At the entrance, please take a ticket and have it validated at the reception desk of the FSVM building. Parking will only be allowed in regular parking spots (for instance in front of the building) and in the new parking tower. Parking alongside the roads or in other places where there is no regular parking is prohibited and after initial warnings, fines will be issued (€ 50).
14 December 2023 - 15 December 2023
Ghent - VIB/UGent FSVM II
There is only one entrance to Technologiepark. At the entrance, please take a ticket and have it validated at the reception desk of the FSVM building. Parking will only be allowed in regular parking spots (for instance in front of the building) and in the new parking tower. Parking alongside the roads or in other places where there is no regular parking is prohibited and after initial warnings, fines will be issued (€ 50).
23 November 2023 - 24 November 2023
Ghent - VIB/UGent FSVM II
14 December 2023 - 15 December 2023
Ghent - VIB/UGent FSVM II
Room L4