Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) organized a workshop titled “Academic Growth Lab: PhD, Writing, and Research” on Monday, 9 February 2026, at Meeting Room 1, Soeharno TS Building, FEB UNS. The event featured Prof. Evan Lau Poh Hock from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) and was attended by FEB UNS lecturers.

Prof. Evan began his presentation by emphasizing the importance of motivation in pursuing doctoral studies (PhD). According to him, motivation should stem from a clearly defined question or research problem.

“Before you begin your PhD, start with a question. By doing so, when you complete your PhD, you will arrive at a conclusion,” Prof. Evan explained.

He encouraged participants to cultivate the habit of asking questions—whether while reading scholarly articles or engaging in everyday activities. This critical inquiry mindset, he noted, is essential in doctoral research, as the primary objective of a PhD is to identify alternative approaches to addressing or resolving existing problems.

In addition, he stressed the significance of research collaboration. Collaborative work, he explained, enables researchers to complement one another’s expertise and facilitates the discovery of innovative methods or alternative analytical perspectives.

Throughout the doctoral journey, both students and lecturers may encounter moments of intellectual stagnation or the loss of promising research ideas. Therefore, maintaining motivation through continuous critical questioning becomes a key factor in sustaining research continuity and productivity.

Prof. Evan further outlined several literature sources and academic journals that can serve as references and inspiration for conducting rigorous PhD research.

He concluded his presentation by motivating participants not to fear rejection in the academic publication process. Rejection, he emphasized, is an inherent part of scholarly work and should be regarded as a constructive learning process that ultimately leads to stronger and more refined research outputs.

This workshop reflects FEB UNS’s commitment to strengthening faculty capacity in advanced studies and scientific publication. The initiative aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) through the enhancement of higher education and research quality, as well as SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through international academic collaboration.