Voices from Overseas Institutions
Again: great organization! Except wifi which did not work for me.
If there is a way to make applicants upload their materials earlier that would be even better!
Please let the iSchedule system open until June I control of the applicants and compare them with the PhD Workshop.
Nice venue, good wifi connection.
Well-organized event;
Good attendance.
It is better to have the event on Friday and Saturday in Beijing, and then Sunday for Shanghai.
Please improve hardware (Jade room 3). During our presentation computer turned to sleep mode or something similar every 5 min.
1-1.5 days in Beijing will be enough.
Laptop for the presentation was not correctly configured.
A larger room with more space for banners/adversitsing stands would be good.
We had some issues with hotel staff cleaning away our materials after day 1 even though we aksed them not do.
- Full day in Beijing. 1 full day in SH instead of half.
- Support for receiving materials by CEAIE.
- Shangri-la venue is good.
- Select only world's leading institutions, no unis ranked outside top 300, unless overseas campuses.
Future attendance will depend on the follow-up and applications and offers.
The workshop stretches too long over 2 days. On the second day, there are only a handful of visitors visiting the booth. We suggest that the workshop usually last around 1.5 days at most in Beijing.
1, Students should be categorized according to their interests: CSC, Self-funded, exchange, Joint PhD...
2, Attange some mingling evnets with students.
The scheduling system should not have appointment.
Maybe can limit the number of universities that a student can schedule interviews with , as we have many "no shows" and it is very unfair for the ones who came to the venue but had no reversations.
- the venure + hotel is good;
- Suggest to have Beijing event on Friday + Saturday in Beijing, and then Sunday in Shanghai.
The quality of applicants on the second day is not as high as the first day. I think the Beijing event would be shortened to 1 day or 1.5 days. The Shanghai event would be extended to 1 full day.
I heard from my former colleague that the workshop was not useful for us. Because most of coming sutdents were interedted in PhD courses, not the postdoc courses (we are not a universisy but a funding agency).
However, today i come here and i was really surprised! i don't thinkd so. This workshop is very useful for us!! So, we will be sure to attend next year. Thank you very much.
P.S: i deeply appreciated the fairlink's cooperation!!
It will be much appreciated if you can let the studets know that once we say "scheduled interviews only", it means scheduled interviews only!
- iSchedule system should improve search options, e.g. by topical words, key words.
- Network condition is not sufficient good. Capacity overflow?
We would like the registration fee includes use of business center/meeting room prior to the workshop for preparation and other additional services such as printing. We also have to have a session re Embassy briefing. Report from event organization is appreciated as well, for example # of attendee compare to the year before etc.
Share photo, so instutions can download for their own promotional purposes.
Thank you.
- Many student did not upload documents - were not prepared. They should not be allowed to attend without at a minimum uploading CV and transcript;
- Student should be required to include CET 6 test score;
- Provide opportunity for students to upload Englsih test.
1, One day is sufficient in BJ;
2, Charis outside venue for students;
3, Breakout rooms for meetings and breaks;
4, Better cleaner signage of universities;
5, More garbage bins;
- Only 1 day in Beijign instead of 2.
- Turn down the heating. It's ridiculously hot.
- The wires on the floor were trip hazards.
- Spaces to sit outside of the main room.
Thank you for: organization, hlepful staff, variety of food, booking system, clean toilets.
- I think the number of applicants was much lower than the previous years. The format of the room was not ideal for flow.
- The hotel was excellent! Best one in the last three years - keep it!
- Schedule Fri/Sat in Beijing, then Shanghai on Sunday.
- This is my first time to be in the PhD Workshop. I'm truly fascinated by the efforts of the organizers. It is indeed a good platform for yount brilliant to have the opportunities to study abroad.
- Very impressive list of institutions represented except the United State of America - i saw only two from USA. Great work and keep it up.
Wifi at this hotel better than Swiss hotel;
Food/catering were better than Swiss hotel;
Overall a good venue - Well organized.
The workshop needs to be better advertised in Chinese universities.
Meeting room facilities not so good.
- Facilitate group interviews schedule instead of individual;
- Close databasea few days before the workshop since delegates have to travel (from far ) and last minute appointemnt difficult to plan;
- Encourage students to send documents in time by stating that without documents chances to be selected are limited.
- Full day workshop in Shanghai;
- Do the students get information what they should prepare prior to attendance?
- Many students in the database do not upload important imformation (CV etc.).
The workshop in Shanghai should last one full day.
- Please ask the PhD students to prepare better for the interviews and to bring draft necessary proposals.
- Please include Geographical Science as a target deiscipline.
Depending upon the number of candidates we can eventrually get into the university of Groningen, we will decide upon next year. 2017 was in the end a disappointment, many candidates in the end opted for other universities. As the expenses to participate are quite high, we need to do our calculations.
It would be great if students provides their full documents as i believe, and especially research interests. Some of them only have a very generic hope.
It woudl be nice to have a more precise selecting option in the search fro students.
We appreciate Fairlink sevices in particular that of Harden and Sophie.
The iSchedule is much better and a few may be be improved. Thank you.
PS: we especially appreciate that Fairlink listens to their clients (big ballroom for Canadians).
It would be great if uploading a CV/transcripts would be obligatory in the iSchedule system.
Those information are very improtant for deciding whether a candidate fits or not.
Maybe Sunday may be stopped: a lot of cancelled appointment; and candidates not prepared for the meeting.
- Very good platform;
- More students on the first day / Lots of cancellations on the second day.
The hotel here is more comfortable then the Swisshotel. I appreciate the change even if further from the metro station. However, i feel that Sunday is no longer interesting be little candidates, i would appreciated to be able to choose between 1 or 2 days in Beijing and pay accordingly. Over the years, the number of students i met have dropped dramatically.
Hotel is not bad, but the location is a little bit far from the metro. But all in all, it is good. For Sunday, fewer studnets came to the table. Maybe proposed 1 day Beijing and 1 day Shanghai.
Can we have more places for charging? My computer is powered off.
Venue is good in general except it is far from city center.
Many of the students / applicants need career counseling and guidance on the types of programs they might be qualified to enter.
1, Break out room availibities;
2, Chairs extended to room;
3, Air condition to be improved;
4, 1 and 1/2 days in Beijing, no need for 2 full days.
Candidates should first understand better what the purpose or their visiti to this workshop is?
Great organization！ Thank you.
Develop an app for iphone for the iSchedule system
We are happy with the facilities of this hotel.
The WIFI is much better than other hotels in the past.
It's well organized. Many thanks.
Please stay at Shangri-la hotel. Good location.
Consider doing Fri + Sat in Beijing, and then Sunday in Shanghai.
1, Delegates numbers seem lower in 2018 than 2017.
2, Two days in Beijing probably too long. Perhaps one day.
3, One day in Shahgai on a Tuesday is not the best for attracting studetns. Perhaps, put on Sunday.
4, Excellent venue and support!!
In my opinion, the candidates spoke better Englsih than last year. However, in most cases English needs to be improved.
The year was very well organized. Thank you!
Ask students to bring (even a short ) proposal. Because that would help to match them with a potential supervisivor.
Provide more waste baskets.
iSchedule - enable selection of students baesd on their studies, e.g. electronics, law etc. This will make scheduling much more simpler!
The programme is too busy no. Should be extended to 1 day.
In Shanghai students adhere less to agenda than in Beijing.
- a lot of cancelled appointments;
- a lot of imprepared appintments;
- Need some break;
Shanghai PhD Workshop should be full day from 10:00 onward maximise the end effort to be in Shanghai.
Excellent candidates. it would be ideal to have a full-day in Shanghai.
1, 希望明年可以安排午饭的品种和选择更多一些，且安排更多热的食物，谢谢。
2, 上海活动可以安排 1 - 7 PM，时间更长一些。
We can easily extend our interview to one full day. Half day seems a bit rush for us.
Many thanks for organizing this.
Candidates in Shanghai better than in Beijing.
Please plan more than 1/2 day in Shanghai!
Shanghai's quality seems to be better.
Get students to better understand the purpose of the PhD early on. Write a good proposal! (Get guidance on writing a proposal). Dispel the idea of "Taught PhD"; PhD ideas / aims come from the students. Apply for an interview early or internet communication after arrival in China is too poot.
Economic on programme, eg. Beijing 1.5 days, travel to Shanghai; Shanghai 1 day (next day): Day 1 BJ, Day 2 BJ to SH, Day 3 SH.
Should have better lighting for the venue.
Obligatory research proposal to upload in the system.
Change the Shanghai event to Sunday and extend to full day program.
Never had so many participants with a scheduled meeting who didn't show on the fixed time or never showed. That's annoying!
Some candidates were excellent.
Shanghai is very interesting for recruiting and advising excellent candidates in the field of sciences (maybe more than Beijing).
It seems that the students prefer early meeting slots. Maybe start Shanghai in the morning and end of 17:00.
Thank you very much for this excellent organization!
Okura Garden Hotel is perfect place.
The smell in Jasmine room wasn't so good at the begining. Also the offer at the Coffee Break were very poor.
- This venue was too crowded. Bigger space needed.
- Provide option to upload English test scores.
- Many students were not prepared - about 20% only had CV, or no documents. Perhaps you should not allow last minute registrations students unless they upload their documents.
- Shanghai students were good for us this year.
The Shanghai PhD workshop is better for us than the Beijing one in term of students quality.
Probablly for 2019, 1 day in Beijing, 2 days in Shanghai.
Candidates were well prepared. It was a pleasure to advise them!
Thank you for great and thoughtful organization!
Maybe the workshop should last a whole day in Shanghai.
Please move Shanghai day to a weekend. If only half day in Shanghai, can we do morning or start at 1:30 so there is time for lunch.
1 day in Beijing, 1 day in Shanghai, possible a thrid day in western China.