UKCGE Chair Speaks at CGS Summit in Mexico
Professor Doug Cleaver, Chair of Trustees for UKCGE, presented at the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) Strategic Leaders’ Summit, held in Guadalajara, Mexico, from October 6th to 8th 2024.
Based at Universidad de Guadalajara, this year’s Strategic Leaders Global Summit was themed around ‘Transdisciplinary & Transnational Research to Solve Global Grand Challenges’. Attendees gathered from five continents (North and South America, Asia, Africa and Europe), and were welcomed by Héctor Raúl Solís Gadea, Vice President of the University of Guadalajara and Suzanne Ortega, President of the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS).
Professor Doug Cleaver — who is Chair of UKCGE and the Director of the Doctoral School at Sheffield Hallam University — spoke as part of a session on International Mobility, along with delegates from Senegal, Mexico and the USA. His presentation focussed on the Universities UK report, Powering the Engine — The non-financial contribution of international postgraduate students to the UK, along with the UK Research Supervision Survey 2024 Report, published by the UKCGE on October 25th 2024, and the ongoing Research England-funded Next Generation Research SuperVision Project (RSVP).
“I’m very excited to be here to explore opportunities to expand the Council’s engagement internationally,” he began. “Generally, international mobility is recognised as being beneficial for researchers and, indeed, the research system. For example, it’s associated with increased impact for publications and multiple institutional affiliations being retained throughout individual’s careers.”
Turning to Powering the Engine, he revealed striking data confirming the extent of PGR research – and international PGR research – across the UK. For the most recent year, the total number undertaking PGR study is 123,525. “That is one in 541 of total population. By my calculations, that is approximately double the equivalent figure for the US and Canada.” However, he added that the report also demonstrates that lack of coordination across the sector may hinder the impact of international PGR students.
Over the summer of 2024, UKCGE in partnership with RSVP ran the largest ever survey of UK doctoral supervisors and Professor Cleaver also drew on these findings to paint a picture of the PGR landscape. He said “Supervisors are crucial to the effective delivery of research degree programmes – but their perspectives and motivations are rarely considered. Indeed, it’s all too easy for managers to adopt a deficit culture in this space – rather than working to normalise supportive approaches.”
He discussed some of the findings of the survey and explained that it will be run again in 2027. Professor Cleaver concluded by summarising his work as Co-Director of RSVP. This, he highlighted, will lead to the creation of a suite of CPD materials for supervisors, along with an institutional evaluation tool, all of which will be hosted on UKCGE’s website.