Doctoral Colloquium Preparatory Workshop Series Begins with Abstract Writing Session

The School of Management (SOM) at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) officially launched the Doctoral Colloquium 2025 Preparatory Workshop Series with its first session titled “Crafting a Compelling Abstract” on Saturday, August 23, 2025. Conducted online and led by Dr. Muhammad Junaid, PhD Program Faculty Director and Assistant Professor of Marketing at SOM, the session was attended by PhD and DBA students from across the school.

This inaugural session marks the beginning of a six-part workshop series designed to support doctoral candidates as they prepare for the 2025 Doctoral Colloquium. Beyond the colloquium, the series aims to strengthen students’ capacity to write extended abstracts, journal articles, dissertation, and other research-related outputs. All doctoral students are expected to take part in this initiative, which provides a structured environment for peer feedback, academic exchange, and research development.

Dr. Junaid’s session introduced students to the core components of an effective abstract, including articulating the research problem, building the theoretical framework, designing the methodology, and highlighting findings and implications. Drawing from real examples and his own research publications in leading journals, Dr. Junaid emphasized how an abstract functions as the gateway to any academic work – convincing editors, reviewers, and readers of its relevance and contribution.

The workshop also addressed the specific structural guidelines for extended abstracts required for the Doctoral Colloquium 2025. Topics such as originality, theoretical and practical value, and formatting styles (APA, Structured vs unstructured abstracts) were discussed in detail. Participants were guided through sample problem statements, theoretical diagrams, and methodological outlines to help them frame their own research more effectively.

This workshop sets a strong foundation for the upcoming sessions in the series and reinforces AIT SOM’s commitment to nurturing research excellence and academic rigor among its doctoral students.