Advocating for your research outside the university

22 May 2014

M. Luca Allaria

Being able to advocate and convince others outside the university of the value of their research is a challenge that virtually every doctoral candidate or graduate will face during his / her career. This workshop takes the perspective from the private sector to provide tools to help participants meet this challenge: to gain, maintain and strengthen the “crocodile” of the audience’s interest, understand and persuade the more resistant, and avoid the pitfalls of the “curse of knowledge”.

Course Objectives

After this course, you will be able to:

• Better advocate your ideas and yourself to audiences outside the university environment
• More effectively deal with objections and resistant listeners
• Recall and use the basic principles of effective communication
• Face an interview process in a more successful way

Content

• PhD’s and Industry: a concrete example
• Advocating your ideas better and overcoming objections
• The foundations of communication
• How to be effective in an interview process

Methods
Short theoretical input, group work, individual presentations and personalized feedback. Participants work on applying the theory to their own research.

Target Group
Doctoral candidates from all disciplinary areas who want to advocate for their ideas and research with a non-academic audience (potential funders or employers, collaborative partnerships, civic associations, etc.). Participants may be at any stage of the doctorate, although with greatest advantage during the middle/end of the process.

Requirements
An open mind, able to receive and give feedback, have fun.

Preparation
In order to gain maximum benefit from the workshop, participants are invited to provide the trainer with a short description of their research prior to the course using a provided template. This document should be sent to the email address indicated no later than Friday 31st January. (Details will be provided to registered participants prior to the workshop.)

For the workshop, participants will be asked to review a short film and online article. They should also prepare a short presentation about their research: this presentation will be used as a basis for the workshop. They will have the chance to modify it with the information shared in class. In preparing this presentation they should define WHO will be the audience and WHY they are doing this presentation.

Finally, participants are asked to bring their laptops with them to the workshop.

Université de Lausanne

Date: Thursday, 22nd May 2014

Schedule: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Location: University of Lausanne

Trainer: Luca Allaria is Therapy Marketing Manager for Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management for Europe at Medronic Inc, the world's largest medical technology company focused on the treatment of chronic disease. He is qualified as a Biomedical Engineer and holds an EMBA from the IMD Business School in Lausanne. In his career, Luca has focused on both the business aspects of his activities and the area of training and communication. He is certified as an Education Manager / Director, a certification awarded by Langevin Learning Services Inc. and recognized by The American Society for Training & Development, the International Board of Standard for Training Performance and Instruction, International Association for Continuing Education and Training, and The American Council on Education. Luca also holds certification in International Marketing (INSEAD Business School), Leader Effectiveness Training (Gordon Training International), Situational Leadership Training (Centre for Leadership Studies), and SPINN(r) Selling Skills (Huthwaite International).

Luca has personally trained more than 700 people (new employees and physicians) on the use of medical technology and on the interpretation of clinical trials. In cooperation with European Cardiologists, Luca has also designed several training programs for young and experienced cardiologists following the principles of Instructional Systems Design. He was also guest speaker at IMD for their program on Leadership Development. In addition to his role at Medtronic, Luca is business and communication coach for his peers.

Participants are eligible for reimbursement of incurred travel expenses by train between the town of their university and the location of the workshop (half-fare card, 2nd class).

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