Southampton’s Doctoral College Launched
Southampton’s Doctoral College Launched
The University of Southampton engages in cutting-edge research and innovation across a wide range of disciplines and has a strong mission to support postgraduate research and develop future leaders.
The University currently trains over 3,000 Doctoral Researchers who form an integral part of the research community and make important contributions by adding intellectual vitality and by participating in joint research activity.
Universities are in a rapidly changing external environment in which doctoral research increasingly involves collaborations across academic disciplines and across universities, with significant RCUK funding now coming through CDTs and DTPs. There has also been a change in the expectations of both funders and potential Doctoral Researchers in terms of the training. In particular, it is now essential to provide access to a broad and structured programme of research skills and professional development that address individual needs and help PGR students to prepare themselves for an increasingly wide range of careers.
In order to respond to this the University of Southampton has established a Doctoral College http://www.southampton.ac.uk/doctoral-college to support doctoral training and researcher development, and to provide a unifying mechanism for the strategic development and management of Doctoral Research provision across the University and partner organisations.
The Doctoral College aims to provide an inspiring research environment to support the development of independent researchers and foster the development of a well-integrated, dynamic postgraduate research community. A key role of the Doctoral College will be to support the professional development of future research leaders through a comprehensive range of workshops and courses that enhance research, personal and professional skills to complement the bespoke technical training provided at academic discipline level.
Professor James Vickers, Director of the Southampton Doctoral College said,
‘At the 2015 UK Council for Graduate Education Deans and Directors Residential, colleagues spoke at length about the sense of isolation sometimes felt by PhD students. The formation of the Southampton Doctoral College will help counteract this by building a strong community of Doctoral Researchers within the University. It will build this through academic and social activities that bring together PGRs to make connections and collaborate to with researchers from other disciplines.’
The Doctoral College also enables PGRs to take advantage of career development opportunities and internships during their time in Southampton and helps them develop a wide variety of skills relating to public engagement and promoting the impact of their research. It is a focal point for doctoral training and provides a central source of advice and training to supervisors.
Professor Vickers also reported,
‘The College will actively promote the personal development and welfare services available to Doctoral Researchers. It will also provide a platform to give Doctoral Researchers an active voice within the University Southampton to enable them to participate in decision-making and to take responsibility for shaping their own experience.’
The 2016 Deans and Directors of Graduate Schools (and other structures) Residential takes place in York on the 25th and 26th of February and this year includes a dinner and visit to the Jorvik Viking Museum. The events full programme will be published next month.
