…ereira Union Affairs Officer, Leeds Beckett Student Union Supporting their Communities, and the Nation/s, throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Alliance universities have been at the forefront of the Covid response. Thousands of nursing students from all 12 Alliance universities volunteered to take up positions with in the NHS to support the nationwide effort to stem the spread of the virus; something Birmingham City University PVC Dean Professor Alis…
…and choice benefits all students – even on campus students have lives and commitments- it is a win-win situation. Often simple, low cost actions can make a difference. Maguire and Morris offer a good ‘go-to’ list when planning changes. Some good first steps for us have been the following: Listen for the voices of commuter students in the data you already collect. You don’t always need a new survey. Consider how the Student Union represents commut…
…ng back students with a blended learning approach (a mix of online and face-to-face teaching). For Alliance universities this approach is nothing new, with digital learning opportunities existing long before the pandemic. But our recent experience has taken this one step further. Alliance universities have now amassed a wealth of evidence about the benefits of blended teaching and learning, and have a good understanding of the challenges of delive…
…chers At the end of the course, confident researchers had emerged. Our soon-to-be doctoral graduates told us that they have supported the research endeavours of others, been invited onto research advisory groups, and have given international presentations and seminars. Our graduates will use the skills gained throughout the doctorate in their roles within the NHS, contributing to the future leadership of research. As such we have contributed to an…
…socialising, which supports motivation while promoting solidarity and peer-to-peer support. One of the key benefits I have gained from my role on the DTA Rep Committee, is developing intimate knowledge of the complexities and challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. The survey we distributed was effective in illustrating its far-reaching negative consequences for our PhD researchers. These include concerns about the continuation of fundi…
…ffects my daily job. The sudden transition from being a student with little-to-no responsibility, to having full responsibility for a number of people as a nurse is very scary, but I would say that the degree prepared us for it as best as it could, which made the transition a lot smoother and a lot less stressful. Especially in the last part of my studies, all the academics are really looking deeper into preparing us for the accountability that is…
…bition of Research flash presentation sessions were held both online and in-person on 6th and 7th, and the participants who were not presenting had a chance to interact with a few DTA alumni as a part of the online sessions. The afternoon sessions included ‘Creative Techniques for Academic Writing’ by Katharine D’Souza for in-person participants, and ‘Project Management for PGRs’ with DTA alumnus Dr Eleftherios Nomikos for online participants. Bot…
…Innovation Ecosystem, I lead a specialist team dedicated to supporting pre-commercial and early-stage innovation. Working together with experienced research and academic colleagues across the Group, we focus on delivering support for business, Intellectual Property (IP) realisation and commercialisation, industrial research, and support and advice for SMEs. This represents a significant growth area for the Group and, by building strategic partner…
…ugh these they can then create the informal connections to receive the peer-to-peer support that may become vital for their wellbeing. Develop strong representation systems While it is great that Student Unions (SUs) cover postgraduate representation, I know from my own experience that undergraduate-focused SUs are not the best place for PhD issues to be actively listened to. PhD students need dedicated representation systems and the issues they r…
…sk Force, the Research & Development (R&D) Road Map consultation, Innovate UK, the BEIS Committee, Science and Technology committee, and the Education Committee. 12. Our core recommendation to government on care leavers, featured in a comment piece in the Guardian, is now the subject of a feasibility study commissioned by OfS. 13. We contributed to the OfS’s review of digital teaching and learning by holding an interactive session with Sir Michael…
