“Belonging” in an academic context is a well-documented issue for many PGR students across the globe (e.g., Zhang et al., 2022; Grant et al., 2024) and is associated with challenges in three main areas: isolation, separation of power, and collaboration (Caligiuri et al., 2022; Cruz et al., 2022). Apart from affecting domestic students, studies also show that international PGRs are at greater risk of experiencing feelings of isolation and exclusion (Cena et al., 2021; Pervez et al., 2024; Zhang et al., 2022). With students becoming more internationally mobile as they reach more advanced levels of education (OECD, 2023), community building at the doctoral level represents a particular pertinent issue.

Recognizing these challenges, a group of home and international PGRs at a post-1992 UK university collaboratively initiated the grassroots “Walk and Talk” initiative. This innovative project leverages the simple, yet profound act of walking combined with open dialogue to foster a sense of belonging, promote mental well-being, and enhance research culture among PGRs across various stages of their doctoral journey. By combining physical movement with dialogue, this method is positioned to facilitate natural conversations, mitigate power imbalances, and enables participants to express themselves freely (Kinney, 2017). Furthermore, walking in natural or open spaces can alleviate stress and promote emotional well-being, providing a supportive context for student participants to share personal experiences (Bartlett et al., 2023; Greenleaf et al., 2023).

It is widely recognised that universities can help to scaffold activities that can foster a sense of belonging and increase the social integration among PGRs (e.g., Pervez et al., 2024; Caligiuri et al., 2020). However, approaching a university as an organisation reveals that it can produce both social and systemic integration. While systemic integration refers to “relations that connect people to one another through formal organizations, representative systems, information flows, economic production, or markets” (Marwell & McQuarrie, 2013, p. 130), social integration is based on fostering community. A higher education institution can be positioned to achieve the latter by providing a space and a rationale for “individuals with shared interests or identities to come together” for “face-to-face interaction … in small group settings” (Laryea & Brandtner, 2024, p.181).

In this sense, PhD students represent the most vulnerable group as they form a dispersed community for whom physical co-presence is a relatively rare occurrence. PhD students face multiple challenges that limit their opportunities for community building. These include an emerging professional identity, limited connections beyond supervisory teams, and uneven timescapes of progression. These factors, combined with life commitments beyond the university, hinder the development of a sense of community belonging. While social rhythms have become normalized, this normality is “driven by the rhythms of capital” (Lefebvre, 2004, p.279) rather than by the unique rhythms of the PGR journey, in which both time and space shape the academic experience (Shaw & Blazek, 2024).

Walking and talking offer PhD students an opportunity to disrupt the conventional rhythm of production and performativity. By stepping out of traditional academic spaces and into the natural surroundings of the campus, participants benefit from environments that stimulate both physical activity and meaningful conversation. These “mini journeys” may not only alleviate feelings of isolation but also facilitate the development of research skills, strengthen researcher identities, and contribute to building a purposeful academic community.

This collaborative autoethnographic study explores the sociological, psychological, and physiological impacts of the “Walk and Talk” initiative. Following ethical approval, this study employed a collaborative autoethnographic methodology to explore how walking and open dialogue can address these challenges. Drawing of the qualitative data collected in the form of written reflections from 12 doctoral students in the field of Education from diverse backgrounds, the study addresses the following key research questions: 1. What are the sociological and psychological impacts of the “Walk and Talk” initiative on participants, including international doctoral students? 2. How does the initiative contribute to the development of research skills, researcher identities, and a purposeful academic community?

Preliminary findings suggest that the “Walk and Talk” initiative offers a transformative approach to addressing the common challenges faced by domestic and international PGRs through highlighting shared vulnerabilities as opposed to ‘othering’. Despite the notion of shared vulnerability bringing to light the issues around ‘walkability’, neurodiversity and social inequalities, participants report improved well-being, greater confidence in their academic roles, and enriched perspectives on interdisciplinary collaboration. By weaving together diverse experiences and perspectives, the “Walk and Talk” initiative demonstrates how small-scale interventions can create a resilient support network that enriches both individual journeys and the broader academic community of and for home and international students. This paper presentation will share key findings from the project, discuss its implications for enhancing sense of belonging and research culture across European universities and beyond, and propose practical recommendations for implementing similar initiatives in different academic contexts.

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