News and blog

On November 18th 2025, we held a session focussed on developing a cohesive community for doctoral researchers, led by Professor Anya Ahmed from Manchester Metropolitan University.

On November 12th 2025, the Co-Chairs of the PEP Network ran their regular session taking an overview of the PGR landscape, discussing challenges and looking at upcoming priorities. 

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.