On June 4, 2026, the first PhD Café, titled “From Proposal to Defense: Real PhD Journey Stories,” was successfully held. The event was organized within the framework of the Pedagogical Hub (T2.1) as an initiative of the PhD Forum.
The event brought together PhD candidates and professors from various partner universities, offering a multidisciplinary and international perspective on the topic of the doctoral thesis defense.
Through targeted interventions, the expert panel – composed of Prof. Massimiliano Vesci from the University of Salerno, Dr. Tatiana Buelvas Baldiris from Šiauliai University, and Dr. Silué Songfolo Lacina from the University of Tours – created an informal and interactive meeting aimed at
shedding light on one of the most decisive moments of the doctoral journey.
During the debate, several key aspects related to the academic, mental, and emotional preparation required to face this important step were explored. Conceived as a space for exchange, the session made it possible to turn doubts into concrete opportunities for reflection, thanks to the sharing of
real stories experienced from different perspectives.
The event saw strong engagement and confirmed the high strategic value of the discussion spaces promoted by the NEOLAiA Alliance, establishing itself as a valuable opportunity for networking and fruitfully connecting colleagues, PhD graduates, and professors from all over Europe.
