The doctoral journey is often perceived as a solitary, uphill battle. It is a unique expedition, filled with intellectual discovery, but also, quite naturally, its share of demanding moments and unexpected turns. This talk is designed as an interactive, guiding conversation to help you cultivate the mindset and strategies needed to not just navigate, but truly thrive throughout your PhD. We will discuss how to effectively organize your research, manage the inevitable expectations and frustrations that arise, and foster productive, supportive relationships with your advisors and peers. We will also discuss the art of crafting compelling dissertations and impactful presentations, ensuring your scholarly contributions resonate widely. My aim is to equip you with the tools to build lasting resilience and academic success throughout and beyond your PhD journey.

Irit Hadar is the Director of the Center for Cyber Law and Policy at the University of Haifa. Prior to this role she served as the Chair of the Department of Information Systems. Her main research area is cognitive aspects of software engineering, with emphasis on requirements engineering, cybersecurity & privacy, and responsible AI. Hadar serves as an editorial board member of the journals Empirical Software Engineering and Requirements Engineering, has been serving as an organizer and PC member in various conferences, including program co-chair of the IEEE Int. RE Conf. in 2024, and as a member of the conference Steering Committee. She has won research grants from national and international foundations, governmental and tech organizations, and published papers in leading journals and conferences of software engineering and information systems (e.g., IEEE TSE, EMSE, IST, JSS, REJ, BISE). For more information, visit Irit Hadar webpage.