About UKCGE
Established in 1994, the UK Council for Graduate Education is the national representative body for postgraduate education and research.
The UKCGE is the third-largest representative body of its kind in the world, representing 92% of all UK postgraduate research provision and 85% of all UK postgraduate taught provision.
We are a Registered Charity (No. 1061495).
What We Do
We champion and enhance postgraduate education and research by enabling collective leadership on the development of postgraduate affairs across UK HEIs, research agencies and funding bodies.
We do this by providing learning and professional development events, commissioning research, sharing best-practice developments, and by gathering information and evidence to support policies which promote a strong and sustainable postgraduate sector.
Why We Do It
The institutional autonomy of UK Higher Education providers creates a vibrant and diverse higher education sector which meets the needs of a wide range of students and researchers.
In that context, we enable collective leadership and foster inter-institutional exchange, to ensure that the postgraduate sector as a whole can learn and benefit from the actions and innovations of individual institutions.
Understanding the importance of postgraduate education and research for individuals, for the economy and for society more broadly, we use our collective voice to ensure that postgraduate education and research is properly resourced, structured and recognised within institutional and national policies.
Among our charitable objectives, we have specific remits to promote the status, education and training of postgraduates and to advocate for equity and inclusiveness in postgraduate education and research.
Who We Work With
We work with, and represent, everyone involved with postgraduate education and research: Pro-Vice Chancellors and Deputy Vice Chancellors with responsibility for postgraduate education and research; Research Supervisors; Deans and Directors of Graduate Schools, Doctoral Training Partnerships, and Centres for Doctoral Training; Graduate School and Doctoral College Managers; PGT Course Directors; and Academic Developers.
We also work with doctoral candidates and Masters students, research centres; regulators; funding bodies and other interest groups. By serving and representing the postgraduate sector across all levels, we are a trusted voice on all aspects of postgraduate affairs.
How We Do It
The Council is an independent educational charity which relies on voluntary contributions from individuals and institutions in the postgraduate sector. We are governed by elected representatives of the postgraduate sector, who serve for a 3‑year term. We raise funds through membership subscriptions, event registration fees, research grants, and commercial sponsorship.