Developing PGR Communities

The event kicked off with a series of breakout rooms so that attendees could network with colleagues. Following this icebreaker session, Dr Owen Gower (Director of UKCGE) introduced the speaker: Professor Anya Ahmed (Academic Director of the Doctoral College and Professor of Wellbeing and Communities at Manchester Metropolitan University).

Professor Ahmed said: ​“It’s nice to be here and have such a big group of people,” adding that she does not have ​“all the answers” but she wanted to share the journey which she and her colleagues have been on at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). 

“When we launched the Doctoral College, it gave us an opportunity to think about what we wanted to achieve,” she explained. She spoke about her previous career background in social housing and her own research about community; she also explained that her presentation would have both a theoretic/​conceptual and a practical focus. 

She opened by talking about community as a concept. ​“The Social Scientists among you will know that community is not an unproblematic term,” Professor Ahmed said. She explained that community is sometimes difficult to pin down and that context is key. ​“The general consensus is that community is a good thing and it’s something we should strive for,” she explained. ​“It represents something shared – security and cosiness. But when we think of creating it, this is where we can get into difficulties – it needs to be co-created.”

Looking at the theoretical aspect, Professor Ahmed said that we need to ask: ​“What is community for?” She said that it could represent a place, social networks or identity. ​“What’s really important here is that we understand the premise – what does it mean to be community of place?” She suggested that place is an important feature because it’s where people form their networks and perform their identities; she also highlighted the changing make-up of the community and how it should not be thought of as a static entity or the answer to everything. 

“We have to be careful with community – to avoid seeing it as a solution to social problems,” she observed. 

Moving on to the practical side, Professor Ahmed explained that the Doctoral College at Manchester Met was launched in January 2024. The vision was to create a vibrant doctoral community which encompasses place, networks and a shared identity. ​“The main thing I learnt from my research is that you can’t do community to people – it has to be a collaboration,” she explained. 

She then spoke about the make-up of Manchester Met’s doctoral community and the overarching ambitions of the university. When the College was launched, they decided to construct it around three pillars: Academic Leadership, Doctoral Services and Doctoral Student Development, with it being academically led. They also engaged in six months of pre-launch activity, including a focus on supporting doctoral supervisors. 

She also spoke about putting measurable criteria in place, including the following:

• Clarity of roles, responsibilities and communication between students and supervisors/​other stakeholders.
• Clear processes to address breaches.
• Robust data capture mechanisms to monitor progress.
• Timely completion of doctoral research.
• Alumni whose ongoing work shines a light back to their Manchester Met experience.

In building the community, Professor Ahmed reemphasised the importance of sharing power and co-creation. She spoke about several initiatives which had emerged including holding regular research-culture lunches, putting in place a structured induction for students (which has proved especially helpful for international candidates) and setting up both student and supervisor hubs. She and her colleagues have been particularly pleased that a Doctoral Student Society has emerged from this work – at the request and instigation of the students themselves. 

“I’m proud of what we’ve achieved but I think we still have a way to go,” she concluded, ​“I can’t overemphasis the importance of keeping up an ongoing dialogue about community.”