The BGL HDR Student Symposium 2026 brings together Higher Degree by Research (HDR) candidates, academic staff, and researchers to celebrate and showcase the outstanding research being undertaken across the BGL community.

Light catering for morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea will be provided.

Keynote speaker: Dr Merle van den Akker

Talk: The Ultimate Guide to Doing a PhD (and What Comes After)

Dr. Merle van den Akker is a behavioural scientist and Senior Product Manager at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, where she leads research and analytics strategy across the Guidance & Investing squads in Wealth & Private. She holds a PhD from Warwick Business School and is an Adjunct Fellow at UTS Business School, where — alongside UNSW — she teaches postgraduate courses on choice architecture and experimental design.

Merle is the author of The Ultimate Guide to Doing a PhD and the forthcoming The Future of Behavioural Science (Bristol University Press, 2026), and has published peer-reviewed research on consumer decision-making and financial behaviour, including work with Cass Sunstein. She also runs the Australia Behavioural Science MeetUp and still regularly consults on applied behavioural science projects in fintech.

Originally from the Netherlands, Merle now lives in Sydney and is passionate about demystifying the PhD journey — and the many paths that can follow it — for the next generation of researchers.

At the event, 50 copies of The Ultimate Guide to Doing a PhD will be given to the first 50 students who register. Dr Akker will also be available for a book signing during morning tea.

Contact the host of BGL HDR Student Symposium 2026

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