Are you passionate about talking about your research to more people? Do you want to grow your public engagement skills?
Cambridge InterActive Academy gives PhD students, post-docs and early-career academics the chance to develop the communication and interaction skills required to become ambassadors for their subjects. The programme aims to hone engagement skills to integrate public engagement with different academic disciplines. The course is open to all disciplines. No previous experience is required to apply.
After 3 in-person training sessions, participants will have the skills and confidence to deliver their own hands-on activity for the Family Weekend at the Cambridge Festival.
Training will cover a variety of topics, including:
- how to get someone interested
- tailoring your message
- creating inclusive activities
- evaluating engagement
In-person training will take place on the following dates:
- 5 Feb 2026, 10am to 1pm
- 20 Feb 2026, 2pm to 5pm
- 2 March 2026, 2pm to 5pm
You must be able to attend all sessions, as well as the Family Weekend on the 28-29 March, to take part in the programme.
The leading instructors will be Dr Claudia Antolini (Public Engagement Manager, University of Cambridge) and Ms Sarah Cruise (Communication expert, Eloquential). For any questions, please contact Claudia Antolini claudia.antolini@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Applications will be assessed according to the applicant’s ability to talk about their research in lay terms, their motivation to pursue public engagement, and their goals for this programme.
Applications are open until the 23 January 2026 at 5pm.