News and blog

We held our third EDI Conference on November 4th/​5th 2025 at Cloth Hall Court, University of Leeds, reopening the debate about how to tackle the challenges around Race and Ethnicity in PGR.

On October 23rd 2025, the Co-Chairs of our Postgraduate Education Practitioners’ (PEP) Network, Susanna Broom and Kerri Gardiner, held a Network Clinic looking at the specific issues and unique challenges which face those working within postgraduate research. Their report on the event is below.

The UK Council for Graduate Education welcomes the government’s ambition to reform the post-16 education and skills system. We are pleased to see recognition of postgraduate education and a commitment to widening access and removing barriers to study. However, there is greater scope for acknowledging the essential role postgraduates play in sustaining the UK’s innovation, productivity and knowledge base.

On October 17th 2025, the DDD Network held another of its regular ​‘introduction’ sessions for those who are new to the role of Doctoral Dean or Director.

The Director and the Policy and Research Officer of UKCGE will be co-editing a special issue of the journal, Innovations in Education and Teaching International, along with Dr Sian Vaughan from Birmingham City University. 

A joint project from Aston University and the University of Leeds to set up an artificial intelligence (AI) tools researcher development network has won £3.4m in funding and UKCGE has joined as a partner organisation.

On September 26^th 2025, we welcomed Professor Donna Chambers from Generation Delta, who presented on this four-year project to improve the experiences and outcomes for Black, Asian and minority ethnic female students in postgraduate research.

We are delighted to announce a collaboration between UKCGE and Research England to increase the impact of 13 key projects on widening participation in postgraduate research. 

The UK Council for Graduate Education welcomes the short pause in REF2029 as an opportunity to simplify and streamline the process, reduce burden, and ensure alignment with government objectives.

From July 3^rd to 4^th 2025, we held our Annual Conference at the Advanced Research Centre (ARC), University of Glasgow. The theme was ​‘Transitions and Transformations in Postgraduate Education’ and we welcomed delegates from across the world to present on a range of topics from REF 2029 to managing institutional change.