Profesor Dr. Badrul Hisham b. Yahaya (Pusat Kanser Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (PKTAAB))
4 November 2026 (Wednesday)
9.00am-12.00pm
This talk explores the vital role of the supervisor–student relationship in shaping the postgraduate research experience. A strong partnership built on trust, communication, and mutual respect can significantly enhance research quality, student well-being, and academic success. Through engaging discussions, real-world scenarios, and guided reflections, participants will learn how to navigate different supervision styles, set clear expectations, manage conflicts, and cultivate habits for proactive research progress. The session also highlights the importance of institutional support and provides tools for students to assess and strengthen their working relationships with supervisors. Designed to be interactive and reflective, this session empowers postgraduate students to take ownership of their academic journey and build collaborative, productive, and respectful partnerships with their supervisors.
Prof. Ts. Chm. Dr. Ahmad Zuhairi bin Abdullah (School of Chemical Engineering)
11 November 2026 (Wednesday)
2.30pm-4.30pm
This talk focuses on aligning academic pursuits with professional aspirations. It addresses the need for career mapping, skill development, networking, strategic planning, and continuous professional growth. Strategies covered include internships, industry engagement, professional development initiatives, effective communication, and mentorship. This discussion aims to empower students to leverage their postgraduate studies for successful career transitions.
Dr. Mansour Amini (School of Languages, Literacies & Translation)
12 November 2026 (Thursday)
9.00am-12.00pm
This talk explores what distinguishes PhD-level research from a conventional academic research project, focusing on originality, contribution, theoretical positioning, methodological rigour, and the ability to develop a clear and defensible research argument. The talk also highlights common problems that can undermine doctoral research, including overly broad questions, descriptive literature reviews, inappropriate or disconnected theoretical frameworks, methodological misalignment, and confusing findings with contribution. Ultimately, the session encourages PhD students to move beyond simply consuming and reporting existing knowledge towards questioning assumptions, identifying unresolved issues, developing well-supported arguments, and making a clear and meaningful contribution to knowledge.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sasidharan Sreenivasan (Institute for Research In Molecular Medicine)
16 November 2026 (Monday)
9.00am-12.00pm
Are you applying ANOVA correctly, or could weaknesses in your research design and statistical assumptions affect your findings? This practical talk is designed for postgraduate researchers who want to develop a stronger understanding of ANOVA-from experimental design and data analysis to interpretation of results.
The session will introduce the fundamental assumptions of ANOVA and explain how violations of these assumptions can influence the validity and reliability of research conclusions. Participants will explore how to select an appropriate ANOVA approach for different research questions and study designs, including one-way, two-way, repeated-measures, and mixed ANOVA.
Beyond statistical testing, the talk will emphasise the importance of designing experiments appropriately before data collection begins. Practical guidance will be provided on randomization, replication, blocking, balancing, and control of experimental variation. Participants will also learn how thoughtful research design can support more robust statistical analysis and more credible conclusions.
Whether you are planning an experiment, preparing to analyse your data, or interpreting ANOVA results for a thesis or publication, this session will provide practical strategies to help you use ANOVA accurately, confidently, and responsibly.
Associate Professor Dr. Siti Rohaida Binti Mohamed Zainal (School of Management)
5 November 2026 (Thursday)
9.00am-12.00pm
This session is designed to prepare research-mode students for their proposal defense by guiding them through the process of transforming an initial research idea into a clear, coherent, and defensible research proposal. It focuses on developing a strong research problem and gap, aligning research objectives and questions with the theoretical and conceptual framework, and selecting appropriate research methodology, sampling, data collection, and analysis techniques. The session also emphasizes effective proposal presentation, anticipating examiner questions, justifying research decisions, and responding confidently to critical feedback.