Around 100 research supervisors from campuses spread from Mackay to Melbourne converged for a two-day conference in Rockhampton this week (Nov 15-16).

Organised by the Office of Research and led by Research and Research Training Dean Associate Professor Lorna Moxham with input from other senior researchers, the conference started out with the fundamentals of how research higher degrees 'work'.

L-R Professor Kerry Walsh (Rockhampton); Professor Ross Lehman (Sydney); Dr Fiona Coulson (Rockhampton); Associate Professor Lorna Moxham; Professor Sheikh Rahman (Melbourne) and Dr Sanath Alahakoon (Gladstone)

Sessions continued with 'supervision success', 'candidates from diverse backgrounds', 'distance relationships', 'plagiarism' and 'challenging candidates'.

Participants considered the process of thesis examination, ethical responsibilities, progress reports, industry links and writing for publications.

The conference included a conference dinner - with lighthearted trivia and paper plane competitions - and a Q&A panel discussion for sharing of experiences.

Participants gather for the Research Supervisor Conference