The Researcher.Life Ambassador Program is a global community of researchers who wish to give back to their academic communities through mentoring and collaboration with other researchers. Researcher.Life Ambassadors empower themselves and their fellow researchers with advanced tools and services from Researcher.Life that help them do more, be more, and succeed more. Every month we spotlight one Ambassador who has gone the extra mile in supporting their academic community.
Ambassador of the Month: Nour Benlakhdar
Nour Benlakhdar is a Ph.D. candidate in Educational Linguistics, University of Northampton. Originally from Algeria, she is now in the third year of her Ph.D. program in the U.K. Her research focuses on the difficulties Algerian PhD students face when writing for publication.
How did you get interested in this field?
My research stems from my personal experiences with science Ph.D. students and my observation of their struggles throughout the process of drafting academic articles. As I grew up in a family of intellectually-curious people, I became strongly interested in research – including how to do research – and academic life. I quickly realized that education sits at the heart of any kind of development. My field, Educational Linguistics, combines every passion I have in this sense.
Why did you decide to become a Researcher.Life Ambassador?
Researcher.Life Ambassador is one of the programs which facilitates researchers’ interactions with one another and encourages interdisciplinary collaborations. More than that, I joined this program because I wish to give back as much as possible to the academic community as a Researcher.Life Ambassador offers all types of support to do so.
What is the best part about working in research?
I find research to be rewarding. In the social sciences, research combines theory and practice and being able to touch upon practical issues promises a new step towards enhancing current situations.
And the most challenging part about working in research?
I believe that doing research is time and effort consuming especially when things don’t go as planned – but it is part of research and we should embrace it.
What is the one thing you want people to know about Researcher.Life?
There is a lot to say about Researcher.Life, but if you’re a researcher at any stage in your journey, joining this community will help you broaden your support bubble, build sustainable relationships and stay up-to-date with the latest discussions in all fields.
How has Researcher.Life Ambassador Program helped you in empowering the research community?
I have always wanted to help as many Ph.D. students as possible by sharing organization tips I have developed since the start of my journey. The team of the Researcher Life Ambassador program is supportive and has helped me prepare for my first Facebook live ‘Laying the foundation to Ph.D. success.’ It is amazing how the team works very hard and encourages its ambassadors to do more!
Would you also like to give back to the academic community like Nour?
Consider becoming a Researcher.Life Ambassador – apply today!
Learn more about the Researcher.Life Ambassador Program here.
