PGR Experience: Supporting researchers to explore careers outside of academia 9.15-12noon, 28 February 2019
PGR Experience: Supporting researchers to explore careers outside of academia 9.15-12noon, 28 February 2019
Researcher Development
Date: Thursday 28 February 2019
Time: 09:15 - 12:00
Venue: The Senate Room
Category: Conferences, Academic events, Student events, Courses
Speaker: Various - this event will involve panel and small group discussions
Website: event.bookitbee.com/20572/pgr-experience-supporting-researchers-to-explore-c
Over half of the respondents to the 2017 UofG PGR survey (PRES) indicated that they aspire to a career in academia. Within the University, we want to support that aspiration. At the same time, we know that only a small proportion will remain in HE in the longer term and that there are a huge range of other exciting opportunities out there for researchers to use their skills, talents and enthusiasm.
When we tell new students this at Induction, does it sound like an invitation to explore or a depressing suggestion that they might be ‘wasting’ the next three years of their lives in a highly competitive environment with a low chance of success? And what about when someone talks about ‘leaving’ academia. Is this perceived as a failure? By themselves, their peers and supervisors? There is increasingly a demand from funders that the PGR experience ‘trains’ researchers to work in a variety of careers and yet Supervisors often don’t feel equipped or supported to provide alternative careers advice.
So how do we balance these tensions as an Institution? What can we do to change the way in which we communicate and share the opportunities that are out there? This discussion event will share ideas and invite suggestions from the community at UofG and beyond, in order to shape future institutional plans and activity.
Format: The event will include talks, film, panel and small group discussions, with a focus on sharing of ideas and formulating practical actions.