10 Years of Let’s Talk About [X]: reflections on the University of Glasgow’s multidisciplinary undergraduate research conference

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi37.1748

Keywords:

undergraduate students, multidisciplinary, academic research, conference

Abstract

Let’s Talk About [X] (LTA[X]) is the University of Glasgow’s annual multidisciplinary conference, run by Student Learning Development (SLD). The initiative comprises a two-month training programme, through which participants enhance their multidisciplinary communication and academic presentation skills with the help of learning developers, PhD mentors, and student peers, and a conference event where students showcase their outstanding research to peers and the wider university community. LTA[X] is one of the most ambitious and longest-running events of its kind in the sector, and it has been shortlisted for a Times Higher Education Award.

 

As LTA[X] reaches the 10-year landmark, we wanted to share our reflections on the process of creating and running this programme with the wider community of learning developers. This presentation traced the history of LTA[X] and detailed what is involved in organising and running the conference yearly, from the selection of participants to the organisation and overseeing of the training and the delivery of the conference itself, including discussion of some of the main hurdles faced by the organising committee. It also offered testimonies from previous years’ participants and PhD mentors who each reflect on their experience of taking part in LTA[X], and on the skills and experience they gained as well as some of the challenges they both encountered. In detailing our processes and experiences over the course of a decade, we seek to encourage and offer proven practical tools to learning developers in other institutions interested in organising similar events or programmes in their institutions.

Author Biographies

Aleix Tura Vecino, University of Glasgow

Aleix Tura Vecino is the Effective Learning Adviser for the College of Social Sciences at the University of Glasgow. He holds a PhD in English Literature, focusing on the development of short story anthologies as a literary form. His research and teaching interests include short fiction, women’s writing, collections and collecting, academic literacies and peer learning.

Robyne Calvert, University of Glasgow

Robyne Calvert, the Effective Learning Adviser for the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Glasgow, is a Cultural Historian with expertise in object-based learning. Her research and teaching interests include art, architecture, design, fashion, heritage, museum studies, digital and material culture, critical and creative writing, and academic literacies. She holds a PhD in the History of Art and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Mona O'Brien, University of Glasgow

Mona O’Brien is an Effective Learning Adviser for International Students at the University of Glasgow. She works with undergraduate and postgraduate students in all subject areas to enhance and develop their academic literacies. Mona researches in education, looking at the academic experiences of international students, and in history, exploring epidemics and society. She has a PhD in History from the University of Glasgow and was previously a postdoc at the Herzog August Bibliothek, Germany.

James Rowe, University of Glasgow

James Rowe is the Effective Learning Adviser for the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Glasgow. He holds a PhD in Mathematics, with a focus on category theory and algebraic geometry. As Effective Learning Adviser, he is interested in developing the academic literacies of science students and understanding the position of quantitative skills within the academic literacies ecosystem.

References

Bownes, J., Ramsay, S. and Struan, A. 2020. ‘Let’s Talk About [X]: A Reflection on a Model for Engaging Undergraduate Students in Research Communication.’ Student Empowerment in Higher Education: Reflecting on Teaching Practice and Learner Engagement, edited by Mawani, S. and Mukadam, A. A. Logos Verlag Berlin, pp. 351-365.

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Published

30-09-2025

How to Cite

Tura Vecino, A., Calvert, R., O’Brien, M., & Rowe, J. (2025). 10 Years of Let’s Talk About [X]: reflections on the University of Glasgow’s multidisciplinary undergraduate research conference. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (37). https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi37.1748

Issue

No. 37 (2025): Special Edition, ALDinHE Conference Proceedings and Reflections

Section

Conference Proceedings

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