Graduate Forum Committee

Graduate Forum Committee Elections 2024

We currently have three positions available on the committee which will commence in December for a 2-year term from December 2024 to December 2026. Those are: Chair, Events Officer (joint position), and Communications Officer. It would be desirable (but not essential) that these positions are filled by people who are still completing their PhD.

If you are interested in standing for the Committee, please complete the online nomination form to put yourself forward for one of the positions: Graduate Forum Committee Elections Nomination Form. Please be sure to review all the information below and read the Graduate Forum Committee Terms of Reference prior to submitting your nomination.

You must be a UACES member in order to run for election. Please note that group members are not eligible to stand in elections. If you are a member via a group membership and wish to stand, you should join as a PhD Researcher, Early Career, or Individual member.

If you have any questions about the roles or elections, please contact Ollie Pilkington (opilkington@uaces.org). If you’d like to speak to speak to any of the current committee members about the roles, you can find their information below. Alternatively, Ollie can put you in contact by email.

General Duties of the Committee

1. Ensure the smooth running and coordination of the UACES Graduate Forum events and activities.
2. Attend the full programme at the Graduate Forum Conference and Doctoral Training Academy. Reasonable expenses will be covered by UACES.
3. Represent the interests of UACES Student, PhD Researcher, and Early Career Members.
4. Attend, observe, engage, and chair with the committee, working groups, and task and finish groups as the Constitution and By-Laws require. The Graduate Forum Chair will be expected to attend all in-person meetings whilst the rest of the Graduate Forum Committee will be expected to attend virtual meetings only.
5. Produce reports to the Officer and Committee meetings as necessary.
6. Uphold the constitution, policies and values of UACES and always abide by the Nolan Principles.
7. Participate in the annual Committee member peer review process.

For further full information on the elections, requirements of each role, and our EDI statement, please click here.

What happens next?

Nominations will be accepted until the end of the day on Sunday 1 December. The election will run from Monday 2 December until Friday 13 December at midday. The outcome of the election will be announced shortly after this.

The newly elected members will be required to agree to the Terms of Reference before assuming the role.

Communications Officer / Interim Chair

Yunus Barış Ertürk, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam | @bariserturk_ | LinkedIn: Y. Barış Ertürk

"I decided to nominate myself for UACES Graduate Forum on the day I participated in the Graduate Forum Conference. I had an opportunity to meet great young scholars and listen to impressive paper presentations. The event incentivized me to have more responsibility for my research community, moreover, build a reliable and advanced forum for each other!
I have several projects and ideas for the Graduate Forum. I want to increase the number of events and add new dimensions, from skill development in modern academia to interactive conferences.
UACES Graduate Forum members will work together and collaborate in the same research community for several years. I aspire to improve and amplify it with your support!"

Events Officer | Joint

Filiz Doğan, Leiden University | @frannygl | LinkedIn: Filiz Doğan, Ph.D

"I am a PhD researcher at the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs, at Leiden University. Based on my previous experience, as a project manager/specialist as well as a Chair of the PhD committee in my university department, I wanted to take up the Communications Officer role of the UACES GF committee because I like communicating with different researchers and hearing about their experiences. My aim is to create a dynamic communication network by reaching as many PhD and Early Career Researchers through various projects and activities. This way, I believe that junior researchers will find better support to overcome the challenges during their academic journey and will be able to establish stronger ties in academia in the future.”

Events Officer | Joint

Elena Simanschi, Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals | @ESimanschi | LinkedIn: Elena Simanschi

"I'm Elena, a third-year PhD candidate at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and a pre-doctoral researcher at the Barcelona Institute for International Studies. My research interests encompass disinformation, digital security, and geopolitics. I am enthusiastic about running for an events officer position because of my strong organizational skills. My membership in UACES has been invaluable, connecting me with a wide array of opportunities, including participation in the Doctoral Training Academy and the chance to establish meaningful connections with academics in my field. I look forward to the opportunity of bringing my skills and passion to the UACES Graduate Forum events, helping to enrich our academic community."

Student and ECR Representative

Roberto Baccarini, University of Exeter | @RobertoBaccari3 | LinkedIn: Roberto Baccarini

"My name is Roberto Baccarini, and I am a third-year PhD student in European Politics at the University of Exeter (United Kingdom). I decided to nominate myself for the Student and ECR Representative position because I strongly believe in promoting the creation of a vast network of PhD and early career researchers. It will be my duty to address and resolve the main issues and problems that may prevent PhDs and ECRs from making the most out of their journey and to ensure that the voice of PhD and ECR members of UACES is adequately represented within the UACES Graduate Forum Committee."