Chris Poskitt

PhD in Computer Science

Chris previously studied for his undergraduate degree in Computer Science at York, and then went on to continue his studies with us.

Why did you choose to study for your PhD at York?

I graduated in the middle of a dire economic situation, when good graduate jobs were few and far between. It made sense to continue my studies to both ride out the economic storm and gain qualifications that would give me an advantage over other applicants. My undergraduate degree also gave me a taste for basic Computer Science research - I found it to be both enjoyable and intellectually stimulating. The PhD at York was a natural choice to allow me to do research in the area of my undergraduate project. The Department is one of the strongest for Computer Science research in the country, and I had no doubt I would continue to enjoy studying and living in York for another three years.

Tell us a little more about your PhD.

My PhD research is in the area of algebraic graph transformation, in particular, the formal verification of graph transformation systems and graph-based programming languages (a research project more on the theoretical side of the spectrum). I am expected to contribute some knowledge to this area over the next three years, while in parallel, gaining some core research skills.

I am learning first and foremost how to be an independent researcher. We are no longer fed any information - in fact, by the end of a PhD, most students find themselves knowing more about a particular subject than even their supervisors!

Throughout the PhD, I will be able to present my work to other researchers in my area by attending international conferences. I have already presented at the International Conference on Graph Transformation (yes, there is a conference for that!), and my results were published in the conference proceedings. Seeing your work in print is surprisingly exciting!

How does postgraduate life differ from undergraduate?

You have to be able to organise your own time effectively. In general, you have a blank timetable, perhaps except for a weekly supervision - how you organise your research is up to you. Despite this freedom, it is hard work (most treat it as a full-time job), though you do get the opportunity to travel. In the summer, I spent two weeks in Germany for the Marktoberdorf Summer School, and a week in Edinburgh for a conference. A friend of mine recently came back from a workshop in Russia!

You will also find you are treated quite differently - staff members generally treat you as their equals, and undergraduates start to see you as some kind of authority figure!

What areas of work could you go into as a result of your further study?

I think I would be quite comfortable to continue researching and teaching at a university, but I am still seriously considering moving into industry after completing my PhD. There would be many interesting research-based jobs in the technology sector that would be open to me.

If at the end I am exhausted with Computer Science (!), there are many other jobs for which the skills developed during a PhD would be invaluable.

What advice would you give for someone considering further study?

Don't be afraid to contact academic staff directly for advice when considering further study. Many will have exciting ideas for research topics, or pots of money for funding students, that you may not find out about otherwise.

You can find out more about Chris on his personal home page. Chris is part of the Programming Languages and Systems research group (PLASMA) - find out more about the research carried out within the group.