The Second Annual Middlesex University Student Research Symposium was held on Sunday, October 27th at Block 4, Knowledge Village Dubai. In line with Middlesex University Dubai’s research strategy, such an event promotes student research by providing them a platform to present their research work carried out as part of their study (as coursework or final dissertations).

During the Symposium students presented their work through illustrated posters and discussed their findings with the attendees. There were 24 submissions comprising of both undergraduate and postgraduate students belonging to various disciplines ranging from School of Science and Technology, Social Science, Psychology, Media, Marketing, Finance and Education. All of the symposium’s participants were all nominated by their supervisors for their outstanding and exemplary research.  At the conclusion of the symposium, three Best Paper awards were given based on feedback from an expert panel in three categories (UG individual, UG Group, and PG Individual).

The research symposium was opened with introductory comments from Dr. Alun Epps, Associate Professor in Marketing, Dubai Campus Programme Coordinator, The Middlesex MBA and the Research Committee Chair.  Professor Raed Awamleh, Pro Vice Chancellor of Middlesex University and Director of Middlesex University Dubai, Dr. Anna Kyprianou, Pro Vice Chancellor of Middlesex University, Programs Coordinators and faculty members were also present. The event was also widely attended by students and family members of the participating students.

The Symposium was a great success that allowed for students to share their work with the wider Middlesex University Dubai community and their friends and families. As Amrita Ghosh, BSc Psychology Student commented: “As a student that is very passionate about her academics and research, I would like to say that the Student Research Symposium provided us with an indispensable platform to experience a real life poster conference, where we could showcase our research and hard work. I found it very self satisfying to explain my research to so many well known people who are very experienced in this field, which further raised my confidence levels all the more. I feel even more motivated now to strive towards my future career goals in research psychology.”

While all of the presenters were recognized with participation certificates for the quality of their research, three ‘Best Poster’ awards were also presented for the top students in each of the three categories. The panel of judges evaluated each poster on the basis of the criteria included academic rigor, theoretical/practical implications and contributions, and the quality of presentation.

The winners were:

1. UG – Individual: Wafa  Sadiq,    The Representation Of Vampires As The Others In Twilight,  Project Supervisor : Ms. Evelyn Stubbs.
2. UG – Group: Zac Hassan and Danah Ghadban, Insane Beliefs About Insanity In Sane People , Project Supervisor : Dr. Jakob Pietschnig
3. PG – Individual (only) : Nada Rabah, The Impact Of Brand Image On Consumer Experience: An Investigation Of The Super – Regional And Community Shopping Malls In The Emirate Of Dubai, Project Supervisor : Dr. John Sutton

The symposium was organized by Dr. Fehmida Hussain and Dr. Cody Morris Paris, but it would not have been a success without the help and support of the Research Committee, Marketing department, Library staff and most importantly the faculty that supported and supervised these exceptional students.

Each of the student participants were nominated by a faculty member because of their outstanding work. The full list of participants is listed below: