Collaboration, communication and conflict

Research is always a collaborative process, whether you happen to be carrying out the research alone or in a formal collaboration. You can still only thrive if you attend to your communication and professional relationships. While supervision is a significant example, there are clearly more professional relationships to attend to – with colleagues and collaborators - and these may even span the international community. So, what contributes to effective collaboration? 

And what about conflict? What does it mean to you: differing academic interpretations, heated personal rows or navigating professional boundaries with colleagues and promotors? In pressurised, time-driven and results-oriented settings with multiple parties and agendas, some conflict is likely. So, it would be wise to have approaches that keep you steady and that keep professional relationships sound enough to withstand the changing weather of research.

This workshop, by Jamie McDonald, explores your approach to these situations and offers tools and insights to use on issues that matter to you, so you can begin practicing right away.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the workshop, you will have:

• Reflected on your own motivations, roles and agendas in collaborative relationships,
• Understood how stress, emotions and pressure influence communication and behaviour,
• Developed the ability to build and maintain constructive working relationships,
• Strengthened core communication skills,
• Recognised behaviours that undermine collaboration and trust,
• Applied solution-focused approaches to communication and conflict,
• Increased confidence in navigating difficult conversations and collaboration challenges.

Methods

This event is a highly interactive, hands-on workshop – we won’t be lecturing or diving deeply into theory. We use small group, paired and whole group discussions to review a range of focused, structured activities and reflective exercises that raise fundamental aspects of procrastination. There is no role play, and we ask participants to apply what they are learning to genuine situations, to make things practical, useful and personal, as well as enjoyable and informal. Models and personal experience are the foundation of the programme. Please come along ready to reflect, to contribute and to practice.

Competences

An important part of preparing for any further professional step is becoming (more) aware of the competences you have developed and/or want to develop. In the current workshop, the following competences from the UHasselt competency overview are actively dealt with:

• personal effectiveniess:
  • responsibility
  • self-development
  • stress management
• interpersonal competences:
  • collaboration
  • oral communication
  • assertiveness
  • negotiation
• intellectual competences:
  • problem solving

For whom?

• PhD students & postdocs - 18 places available

When & where?

• October 12 & 13, 2026 - 09:00-17:00
• Campus Diepenbeek, building D, room tbd

Preparation?

Come along with three collaborations and three conflict situations you wish to explore, alter or understand. As conflict means different things to different people, these can have a different character. They may be as mundane as a disagreement with your promoter, an argument with peers and collaborators or a potential disruption about authorship. Indeed, it may be helpful to have a diversity of contexts, one professional, one personal and another of your choice. And make sure these are real, not traumatic and substantial enough to work on over the two days. Please also bring a notebook and something to write with.

Registration?

• Register here from June 04 until September 13, 2026.
• As places are limited, registering does not automatically imply that you will be able to participate. You will be notified by email after the registration deadline has passed.
• Please cancel your registration at least one week in advance in case you cannot make it (cf. cancellation & no-show policy).

Acknowledged as?

• DS BSH: category 'career management & personal development' - workshop aimed at personal development
• DS HLS: category 'transferable skills' - compulsory elective course
• DS ST: category 'career & personal development' - workshop on personal development