Industrial Mathematics Group

Sanctuary Seekers STEM Seminar: Career and Professional Development

5 October 2026, Mansfield College

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Introduction

We were delighted to host our third in-person STEM seminar for Sanctuary Seekers at Mansfield College, Oxford on 5 October 2026. The seminar was co-designed by David Levy from Politics together with Georgia Brennan from the Mathematical Institute, with administrative support from Arham Farid. It was made possible because of the generous participation of other colleagues from the Mathematical Institute and around the University. The event included a welcome from Helen Mountfield KC, sessions on career development (careers in academia and STEM and applying for jobs) and professional growth (applying STEM skills in industry and commercial environments and a CV and cover letter workshop). There were also opportunities to exchange ideas with each other and speakers in the breaks, as well as in the sessions. The event provided participants with a new network as they remain in touch with each other, and we hope that the learnings from the day will help them in the next stages of their careers.

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Venue and travel

• The workshop took place in the Old Hall of Mansfield College..

Schedule

9:00-09:45: Arrival and registration at the Old Hall, Mansfield College. Teas and coffees available

• 09:45-10:00: Introductions, seminar goals and hopes for the day. David Levy, Georgia Brennan, Samuel Cohen and Saffron Cormican.
• 10:00-10:45: Session 1 - Transferable skills: Applying STEM skills in industrial/commercial settings. Samuel Cohen.

10:45-11:15: Break

• 11:15-11:45: Session 2, part 1 - CV and Cover Letter Workshop with Niamh Walsh from Oxford University Careers Office.
• 11:45-12:30: Session 2, part 2 - CV Clinic (opportunity for 1:1 slots) with Niamh Walsh and Suzi Black from Oxford University Careers Service.
• 12:30-12:40: Welcome from Helen Mountfield KC, Principal of Mansfield College.

12:40: Group photo

12:45-13:45: Lunch in the Chapel

• 13:45-14:45: Session 3 - Planning for job applications
  • Applying for jobs in academia and industry. Maria Bruna, University of Oxford.
  • Applying for jobs in academia. Georgia Brennan, University of Oxford.
  • Industry/academic collaborations. Slides from Christiana Mavroyiakoumou presented by Saffron Cormican.

14:45-15:00: Break

• 15:00-15:50: Session 4 - Open Q&A with panel: David Levy, Georgia Brennan, Maria Bruna, Samuel Cohen, and Saffron Cormican.
• 15:50-16:00: Conclusions and closing remarks.
• 16:00: End.

LinkedIn page

To connect with your colleagues, click here to join our Sanctuary Seekers' LinkedIn page.

Sponsors

We express gratitude to our sponsors for their generous support in making this event possible.

• The Mathematical Institute
• Mansfield College
• Jan Saxl Fund
• The Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara)

Last year's event

Here is a video from the 2025 Sanctuary Seekers' STEM Seminar: