CURA Workshops
Each academic year, as part of the CIRS Undergraduate Research Advancement (CURA) program, CIRS conducts targeted research skills-development workshops to help GU-Q students gain deeper understanding into the academic research process. Workshops are carried out by GU-Q experts and faculty, external trainers from other institutions in Qatar, and CIRS staff.
Topics may include, for example:
- Developing a Research Problem
- Literature Reviews
- Research Methods & Data Collection
- Responsible Conduct of Research and Ethical Research Standards
- Writing Proposals for Conference and Grant Funding
- Written and Oral Presentation of Research
- Publishing
- Using Social Media Effectively to Promote Your Research
Previous Workshops
CURA Research Skills Workshop: Tools for Effective Argumentative Writing
On February 8, 2024, the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) hosted a research skills workshop titled “Tools for Effective Argumentative Writing.” The workshop was presented in collaboration with the Office of Academic Services at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), under the auspices of the CIRS Undergraduate Research Advancement (CURA) program. Twelve undergraduate students from GU-Q attended the…
CURA Research Skills Workshop: Designing a Research Question
On February 9, 2023, the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) hosted a research skills workshop titled “Designing a Research Question.” The workshop was presented in collaboration with the Institute for Advanced Study in the Global South (#IAS_NUQ) at Northwestern University in Qatar (NUQ), under the auspices of the CIRS Undergraduate Research Advancement (CURA) program. Twenty-three undergraduate students from…
CURA Workshop: Writing Women into Wikipedia: Information Creation and Peer Review
On August 11 and 18, 2022, CIRS hosted a two-part workshop for undergraduate students titled, “Writing Women into Wikipedia: Information Creation and Peer Review.” The workshop was offered under the CIRS Undergraduate Research Advancement (CURA) Program, and was co-led by GU-Q Faculty Professor Phoebe Musandu, and Paschalia Terzi, GU-Q Librarian. This workshop taught me to create and edit the websites,…
CURA Workshop: Methodology and Bias: Reflections from Food Security Research in Ethiopia
On October 21, 2021, CIRS hosted a CURA workshop titled, “Methodology and Bias: Reflections from Food Security Research in Ethiopia” led by Professor Logan Cochrane, Associate Professor in the College of Public Policy at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar. Via interactive exercises and group discussions, Cochrane guided thirteen GUQ and NUQ students to reflect on questions of power and…
CURA Workshop: Evaluating Credibility: Sources for Academic Research
On January 23, 2020, CIRS hosted a CURA workshop titled, “Evaluating Credibility: Sources for Academic Research,” with GU-Q Professor Jim Reardon-Anderson and Librarian Paschalia Terzi. The workshop was focused on scholarly resource analysis and determining the authenticity of sources for research projects. Professor Anderson led the workshop and outlined some of his preferred techniques in determining the authenticity and validity…
CURA Workshop: The Art of Hearing and Seeing Data
On October 10, 2019, CIRS hosted a CURA workshop titled, “The Art of Hearing and Seeing Data: Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods,” by Assistant Professor of Government at GU-Q, Dr. Uday Chandra. The workshop provided participants with an insightful breakdown of the practical fundamentals of qualitative research and data observation. Ranging from freshmen to seniors, the participants actively engaged with the…
CURA Workshop: Introduction to Research Methods
CIRS hosted its second CURA workshop for GU-Q students on the topic “Introduction to Research Methods” The workshop, held on February 7, 2019, presented a conceptual definition of research methods, introduced methodological approaches, addressed practical issues concerning data availability, and helped students to identify appropriate strategies for tackling their own research projects. Justin Gengler, Assistant Research Professor at the Social and Economic…
CURA Spotlight on Undergraduate Publishing
On April 23, 2020, CIRS hosted an online CURA workshop titled, “CURA Spotlight on Undergraduate Publishing,” featuring presentations by Suzi Mirgani, Assistant Director for CIRS Publications, Jackie Starbird, CIRS Publications and Projects Assistant, and Chaïmaa Benkermi, CIRS Publications Fellow. The workshop was centered around supporting undergraduate research and publishing, with a focus on the path towards academic publishing, its benefits, as…
CURA Workshop: Designing a Research Question
On October 4, 2018, CIRS hosted its first CURA workshop for students. “Designing a Research Question” was intended to outline the research process and offer strategies for developing a research question. This was accomplished through the process of finding and narrowing a research topic, identifying a research problem, and devising a research question to address that problem. CIRS Director, Professor…