i had to decline an invitation to speak at a conference for personal reasons .. i since recieved i very unpleasnt email from the leader saying it was bad etiquette etc and i should consider how this will affect my PhD.. should i reply as i feel it is unprofessional of him to phrase it in such a way or leave it?

how rude of this person!

kick their ass!

leave it, pointing out his un-professionalism will make thing only worse because you are much lower in the pecking order than him.


Just write back very formally how sorry you are that you had to decline such a great oppotunity (bla, bla, bla) because of (serious) personal circumstances.

BUT keep his email (and your emails to him) in save place, just in case.

I agree with Verdy

thanks.. feel like he was threatening me into going..! guess professionalism sometimes escapes some people..

i still think bashing them over the head with a big stick would have been more fun :D

Following Jewel's advice- print out a photo of this professor and perforate it with pen (knife), etc. and put his name on the list of people you are not going to talk to when you will be famous;)

sounds like a good idea.. grr hate those who think there above the rest of us.. ie us poor PhD students!! showed my supervisor the email and he was very unimpressed!

send a reply that is nice and formal..making sure that the email that u are replying to is at the bottom. CC it to your supervisor. The proff wont care - but it will give your supervisor the chance to have a quiet word with this power mad berk.