About Us
At Dissertate., we believe graduate students deserve more than rushed comments, piecemeal advice, mandatory writing courses or mass-delivered workshops.
We know that writing at the advanced level is more than just a skill—it’s a way of thinking, of joining a scholarly conversation, and of shaping knowledge. That’s why our coaching is built around dialogue, reflection, and empowerment.
Writing is hard. But it doesn’t have to be lonely. We’re here to help you hone your craft—one idea, one draft, one conversation at a time.
What We Believe
Writing is a process, not a product.
We see writing as an iterative, design-driven journey that evolves through drafting and revision. This process clarifies meaning, fosters discovery, and develops the writer, not just writing.​
Graduate students have a right to real writing support.
We are committed to providing meaningful, integrated writing guidance—not just peripheral or “add-on” services—so that graduate students can thrive as writers.​
Good writing grows through conversation.
We believe that dialogic interactions focused on learning, developing ideas, and building knowledge are essential. Through these interactions, writers demystify the complexities of writing, including voice and criticality.
International and multilingual students deserve safe, warm spaces to develop their voice.
We create safe, welcoming environments where all writers can develop their voices, rather than focusing solely on testing, placement, or correction.
Good writing transcends any particular discipline.
We uphold that the core principles of clarity, coherence, and critical thinking are valued across all fields. While writers must adapt to specific disciplinary norms, effective communication remains universally important. ​
Coaching should empower, not evaluate.
We approach coaching as a partnership that builds confidence and agency, centering on growth and empowerment rather than judgment or assessment.
What Makes Us Special
We offer personalised, one-on-one writing coaching for graduate students working on long-form research writing—dissertations, research articles, proposals, and more. Our sessions are designed to support your writing, your voice, and your scholarly growth—at whatever stage you are.
We don’t use student coaches or offer pre-set courses. We don't pretend to be experts in every field. What we do offer is something rarer: focused, thoughtful, field-sensitive feedback from coaches who are deeply committed to helping you move your research ideas forward—one draft or conversation at a time.
Our coaches are highly qualified and experienced writing professionals who care deeply about supporting graduate writers. We are deeply knowledgeable about how adults learn, how learning works, how successful writers think when they compose, and how language works for specific purposes. Having once been both faculty and students ourselves, we understand the frustrations of faculty when students come into a higher degree programme without a strong foundation in writing, and the imposterhood that strikes students when they discover the (real) challenges of dissertating. We're here to bridge the gap.
We’re not bound by institutional metrics, which means we don't have to justify workload accounting or collect esteem measures. We’re here because we want to help you thrive in your scholarly journey—with clarity, confidence, and care.
What Makes Us Special
Dr Kum Khuan Tang is Founder and Principal Writing Coach at Dissertate. He received his PhD in Higher Education from Lancaster University, UK. His expertise lies at the intersection of researcher development and applied linguistics. He has dissertated on audience awareness, academic criticism, journal author development, research mentoring, science communication, and expository writing. He also peer-reviews articles for higher education journals. A teacher by training, he has over two decades of experience teaching English and communication to a diverse profile of learners aged 13 to 49 years old. Outside coaching, he is a developing pop vocalist who strives to enhance his musicality and emotionality.
