One-day course "Beyond the Draft: Rethinking the Writing Process for Competitive Journals"
The course aims to support experienced researchers in refining their academic writing for top-tier publication. The course will focus on rethinking the writing process in four 90-minute sessions — from idea development and argumentation to revision and final polishing. Participants are asked to bring 4-5 paragraphs of any academic text they are currently working on both in printed and electronic format. Special attention will be paid to recognizing inconsistencies, improving clarity and flow, and adapting a text to disciplinary and journal-specific expectations. Some activities will involve the use of advanced tools to support editing, style calibration, and precision, so laptops are welcome as well. Participants will work hands-on with their own texts, exchanging feedback with peers and exploring more efficient revision strategies. Each of the 4 sessions includes paragraph-level writing practice, both with and without external support tools.
Trainer: Olesya Petrenko, Ph.D. in Economics and Management, is a researcher and academic writing specialist with extensive experience in supporting faculty and doctoral candidates at research-intensive universities. She has worked in the Czech Republic with local and international students and staff for 7 years and is currently a postdoc researcher at HSE. Over 17 years of teaching experience with her CELTA qualification, Olesya designed and delivered speaking and writing workshops for scholars in a wide range of disciplines, including STEM, social sciences, and humanities. Her professional focus includes AI in higher education, economics of higher education, gender pay gaps in STEM occupations, and the ethical use of digital tools in scholarly communication.
Dates: December 13 (8 a/h)
Time: 10:00 - 17:30 (with breaks)
Format: face-to-face
Location: 11 Pokrovsky boulevard, K-416
English level requirement: B2
How do I get accepted? The course is offered on a competitive basis. Please fill out an online registration form and write a motivation letter in English (about 300 words). Please briefly describe your experience of writing academic texts in English and the challenges you have faced. Explain how the course will help you overcome these challenges and how the new skills are relevant to your teaching and / or research. The motivation letter should clearly demonstrate that the applicant has read the course syllabus.
For more information on how to write a strong motivation letter, please read the AWC blog.