…arning approaches, best practice, and evaluation; Access to a national peer-to-peer network and a space to share ideas for measuring and evidencing student learning gain, engagement and feedback; National opportunities to present, facilitate and support teaching and learning enhancement; for example we may be able to offer leadership roles for staff seeking to move into more senior leadership positions. Opportunities to generate academic outputs o…
…TA3 programme and supported two researchers to secure the new UKRI Global Talent Visa. 18. We established a DTA3 ESR/Student representative committee to allow the postgraduate doctoral student voice to be amplified and integral to the development of the programme. 19. We engaged closely with DfE on the higher technical education consultation through membership of the HE stakeholder group and meetings with key officials. This resulted in an improve…
…ernment is challenging educators to demonstrate thorough child- and student-centred safeguarding measures. For example, in June Ofsted published the Review of Sexual Abuse in Schools and Colleges where they ask how student voice is facilitated and reporting of sexual abuse enabled, wherever it occurs. The Department for Education revised Keeping Children Safe in Education in 2021 with more than 60 updates and published September 2021 guidelines fo…
…in the first place? During the first year of my PhD, I encountered many challenges, including moving to a new continent, redesigning my research project and establishing fully remote working arrangements in light of Covid-19. What I have learnt, however, is that a PhD does not have to be a lonely journey. Reflecting on my career to date as an advocate and social worker, I wanted to join the DTA Reps to work towards ensuring that no one feels alon…
…d down the country, the early days of the pandemic were given over to large-scale digital reform and innovation, as teaching and student support moved online. Six months later, universities are welcoming 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 ha…
…ting disease and managing outbreaks, and this application of research to real-world problems is something Arantza wants to work on. She says the ability to work with an organisation like Pirbright is one of the main advantages of the DTA programme; “The most beneficial element of the programme is that students are encouraged to do placements. This means you learn new things and meet more people- people who can help you in your future career.” She…
…s to both excellence and fair distribution. Those of us championing a place-based agenda need to find new arguments to navigate these complex issues, while avoiding simplistic interpretations such as the north-south divide and cities vs towns. These ignore the poverty in parts of London and the southwest and the affluence of some towns. The other divide in this election was, of course, between Leave and Remain. Will a landslide victory give the pr…
…s efforts. For example, we know that public support for arts and humanities-based subjects historically poll lower than other subjects. When asked which subjects universities should prioritise within the recovery, respondents within this survey polled social sciences at 24%, with 13% for languages and 12% for the arts. Despite this, we remain committed to defending the value of these subjects. We have to acknowledge and recognise that there is wor…
…ere the networks created by Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) and equivalent structures have a role to play – and here are my three recommendations for them. Create cohesive online cohorts Fostering cohesive cohorts amongst PhD students is recognised as an important factor in countering the isolation that worsens mental health issues. But when access to labs and offices are limited, this becomes even more challenging. There are, however, strat…
…ers structured PhD training opportunities to attract and nurture research talent across Alliance universities and partner institutions. Annual Summer Schools are at the centre of DTA’s three programmes dedicated to Applied Biosciences for Health, Energy and Social Policy. For the first time, the 2021 Summer School brought together around 100 PhD researchers and supervisors from across the programmes to showcase the breadth of topics represented wi…
