UKCGE Annual Conference 2023
The Annual Conference is the flagship event in the UKCGE events programme. Join colleagues from across UK as we come together to reflect on the past year in both PGR and PGT education, and discuss some of the most pressing issues affecting the postgraduate sector.
Growing the postgraduate sector has become national priority. The UKCGE Annual conference this year looks at successful strategies for managing this growth while at the same time maintaining quality in postgraduate provision.
Conference Themes
- Successful recruitment and admission strategies
- Internationalisation in postgraduate education
- Latest thinking in cohort development and postgraduate community building
- Innovative funding models which attract a wider pool of postgraduates
- Cutting-edge industry partnerships which develop new routes in & out of postgraduate education
- Developments in support for research supervision
- Innovations in postgraduate assessment
Background
Back in 2017, the Industrial Strategy White Paper (BEIS, 2017) committed Government to reach a target of 2.4% of GDP to be spent on UK Research and Development by 2027. This target created speculation in the postgraduate sector about how many doctoral researchers would be needed in order to meet that kind of R&D ambition. For example, at the 2019 UKCGE Annual Conference, the Director of Research at Research England suggested that in order to meet the Government’s target, we would need 25,000 new doctoral enrolments by 2027 (a growth of at least 20%-25% on present numbers).
Then, in July 2021, the Government published its R&D People and Culture Strategy (BEIS, 2021). In that document, we were told that we’d need an additional 150,000 people in the UK R&D workforce by 2030. Not all of these new appointments would be trained to doctoral level, but once again the implication was that there would have to be significant growth in postgraduate education in order to meet this ambition.
These national ambitions have had a significant effect on institutional postgraduate recruitment strategies. For example, recent UKCGE research shows that 78% of HEIs wanted to grow their doctoral population over the next 5–10 years (n = 74) (Smith McGloin & Wynne, 2022: p.5).
Postgraduate taught provision is already showing signs of a massive increase in the number of enrolments: over the last five years there has been a 48% growth in Taught Masters students (HESA: “Who’s studying in HE?” — https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-an… accessed 3/3/23).
If we are to continue to grow the UK postgraduate sector, we need to address the challenges that that may bring:
- Are our admissions procedures a barrier to inclusive growth in postgraduate numbers?
- Does growth require greater internationalisation in postgraduate enrolments? If so, what support services does that require?
- Do we have the right funding models and mechanisms in place to ensure that growth is sustainable?
- What effect does growth have on the quality of postgraduate education?
- How do we maintain a sense of belonging to a postgraduate community?
- What will growth mean for those responsible for the training and development of postgraduates, including supervisors?
- How can we ensure that the ways we undertake postgraduate assessment can ‘keep up’ with greater numbers?
Conference Programme, Presentations & Abstracts
Download as PDFRegistration—with refreshments available
Conference Information
Welcome & Introduction
Professor Colm Harmon, Vice-Principal Students, University of Edinburgh
Keynote Panel Discussion — The Experiences of Postgraduate Researchers
Karen Gordon, University of Glasgow
Ian Normile, University of Edinburgh
Maureen O’Callaghan, University of Lincoln
Chaired by Prof Janet De Wilde, Queen Mary, University of London
Changeover
Option 1: Oral Presentation — “In conversation with…”: Engendering academic research culture amongst doctoral researchers
Dr Elle Larsson & Richard McCormack, University of Westminster
Primary theme: Community building
Option 2: Oral Presentation — Sustainable, affordable and collaborative approaches to experienced doctoral supervisor development
Dr Jennie Golding, UCL Institute of Education
Primary theme: Research supervision
Secondary theme: Internationalisation
Refreshment Break
Option 1: Oral Presentation — Developing Good Practice in Establishing and Delivering Collaborative Doctoral Awards
Mary Beth Kneafsey, University of Glasgow
Sarah Patrick, Coventry University
Dr Juliet James, University of York
Rhiannon Martyn, University of Warwick
Prof Glyn Howatson, Northumbria University
Dr Susan Grey, University of Hertfordshire
Primary theme: Internationalisation
Option 2: 20:20 Presentations
Changeover
Option 1: Workshop — The Mental Health and Wellbeing of Part Time and Distance Learning Postgraduate Researchers
Professor Jane Creaton & Dr Charlotte Morris, University of Portsmouth
Primary theme: Community building
Secondary theme: Research supervision
Option 2: Workshop — The Power of three – Cultivating talent for the future
Linden Fradet & Leah Chapman, National Physical Laboratory
Primary theme: Industry partnerships
Secondary theme: Funding
Option 1: Small Group Discussions
Each discussion lasts 30minutes and will take place twice, allowing delegates will have opportunity to attend two different discussions during the session.
Option 2a: Oral Presentation — Supervision Standards for Postgraduate Research Projects
Dr Carwyn Hooper & Dr Kate Everett-Korn, St George’s, University of London
Primary theme: Research supervision
Option 2 Changeover
Option 2b: Oral Presentation — Introducing a Supervisor–Research Student Agreement at Trinity College Dublin
Ewa Adach & Dr Rionnagh Sheridan, Trinity College Dublin
Primary theme: Research supervision
Refreshment Break
Option 1: Oral Presentation — Providing 1:1 development opportunities through a coaching programme
Oli Schofield, University of Bath
Primary theme: Research supervision
Secondary theme: Community building
Option 2: Oral Presentation — Improving Response Rates in the PRES
Dr Darren Van Laar, University of Portsmouth
Primary theme: Community building
Secondary theme: Postgraduate assessment
Changeover
Option 1: Networking Session — UKCGE Doctoral Deans & Directors Network
formerly the Deans & Directors of Graduate Schools Network
Option 2: Networking Session — UKCGE Graduate Education Managers Network
Close of Day 1
Dinner
at Café Andaluz, George VI Bridge
Day 2 Registration — refreshments available
Keynote Presentation — The UKCGE Associate Research Supervisor Recognition Programme
Dr Owen Gower, UKCGE
Dr Kay Guccione, University of Glasgow
Changeover
Option 1: Workshop — Coffee, Cake and Crystal Maze – how to create a sense of belonging in postgraduate community.
Mandy Gill & Donna Palmer, University of Nottingham
Primary theme: Community building
Option 2: Workshop — Postgraduate Entrepreneurship: A Partnership Between the University of Lincoln & Incrementa
Reece Leggett & Lauren Blackwell, The University of Lincoln
Primary theme: Industry partnerships
Option 1: Oral Presentation — UKCGE Research Supervisor Associate and Full: sharing good practice between two UK Graduate Schools
Dr Clive Palmer, University of Central Lancashire
Dr Chris Hughes, Edge Hill University
Primary theme: Research supervision
Secondary theme: Community building
Option 2: Oral Presentation — International PGR Voices: Lived Experiences of Completing a Doctorate at the University of Salford
Dr Maggie Hardman & Professor Jason Underwood, University of Salford
Primary theme: Internationalisation
Secondary theme: Community building
Changeover
Keynote Presentation — Supporting Scotland’s Postgraduate Researchers
Dr Kay Guccione & Dr Charlotte Matheson, Scottish Funding Council
Lunch
Option 1: Small Group Discussions
Each discussion lasts 30minutes and will take place twice, allowing delegates will have opportunity to attend two different discussions during the session.
Option 2a: Oral Presentation — Building postgraduate communities through the delivery of research leadership academies.
Professor Priscilla Harries, Marie Withers & Professor Tushna Vandrevala, Kingston University
Dr Elizabeth Morrow, Research Support Northern Ireland
Prof Rachel Allen, St George’s, University of London and NIHR ARC South London
Bernadette Corrigan & Aoife Keohane, Kings College London
Primary theme: Community building
Option 2 Changeover
Option 2: Oral Presentation — Curiosity is community: from student feedback to increased participation
Dr Vincent Adams, University of Portsmouth
Primary theme: Community building
Secondary theme: Recruitment & admission
Refreshment Break
Option 1: Oral Presentation — The impact of Covid-19 on doctoral research and the final examination: what can we learn?
Dr Gill Houston, UKCGE (Honorary Life Member)
Primary theme: Postgraduate assessment
Option 2b: Oral Presentation — Tailoring PGR supports to facilitate the needs of distance-based & international PGRS: a case study
Dr Julianne Stack, Dr Rebecca Breen, & Prof Michael Healy, Mary Immaculate College (MIC), Limerick
Primary theme: Community building
Secondary theme: Internationalisation
Changeover
Closing Conference Plenary — Ensuring Quality and Delivering Growth in Postgraduate Education
UKCGE Executive Committee