Presentation Skills Training for Hong Kong University
In December 2024, I delivered a full-day workshop to 18 PhD Medical students as part of an initiative from HKU to equip their students with presentation skills to build confidence when presenting their work in front of panels, conferences and in their final thesis.
Based on the actor’s approach, the presentation skills training focuses on 4 dimensions:
→ Mind: Focus on breathing, mindfulness, and self-awareness to respond vs. react and avoid the typical flight-freeze-fight reaction when under stress.
→ Text: Using storytelling to captivate the audience. We looked at different techniques to craft engaging stories that keep the listeners focused.
→ Voice: Leveraging intonation and resonance to create contrast and build up momentum. We did voice exercises to project the voice toward the audience and practiced different pitches.
→ Body: Eye contact, smile, hand gestures and intentional body movement to command the room and connect with the public.
We did several exercises in pairs and groups to practice the theory and bring the learnings to life.
The second part of the workshop was focused on rehearsal giving the students the opportunity to present an 8-minute research in a mock conference in front of the entire group and practice the new presentation skills.
Each student received a feedback form with areas of strength and opportunities to focus on.
