Summary

Facilitators: Nuala Murray (University of Cambridge), Rebecca Speakman (Imperial College London), Paul Wakeling (University of York)

Delegates in this workshop discussed:

• The need to clearly communicate the benefits of postgraduate education to potential applicants by developing a coherent narrative around the knowledge, skills and experience that can be developed and how these are relevant to a range of careers both in academia and industry.

• Real-life examples and case studies of the diverse pathways into postgraduate education and careers post-graduation as an effective strategy for engaging those who may not have considered a postgraduate degree.

• Placements as a tool for engaging those who may not have considered a postgraduate degree and offering opportunities to develop relevant knowledge, skills and experience that can strengthen applications to postgraduate degree programmes

• The benefit of context-specific early intervention to raise awareness around postgraduate study and research by embedding information in undergraduate degree programmes.

• The need to unify and enhance data capture across the sector to enhance our understanding of the postgraduate access and participation landscape, and the role governing and regulatory bodies might play in achieving this through formalised expectations and reporting mechanisms.

• The role governing and regulatory bodies might play in enhancing access to postgraduate study and research by clarifying and formalising expectations and introducing the requirement for institutions to report on postgraduate access strategies with shared definitions.

Facilitators: Iman Federico Awi (University of Leeds), Cherryl Jones (University of Warwick), Emma Paulus (University of Cambridge)

Delegates in this workshop discussed:

• The benefits of clarifying and standardising expectations for academic personal tutors and doctoral supervisors at the sector level and providing relevant support and training opportunities.

• The need for greater guidance and training for academic personal tutors and doctoral supervisors on how to best support students from minoritised groups by acknowledging and appreciating the different ways that identity, culture and personal circumstances might affect ways of working.

• The potential benefits of non-academic progress review through regular touchpoints to identify and address pastoral issues that may impact performance.

• The need to clarify what ‘belonging’ actually means to different groups (e.g. Home and International students) so that we might more effectively promote a sense of belonging among and across different cohorts.

• The barriers to academic success and personal wellbeing arising from the ‘hidden curriculum.’

• The need to better understand barriers to completion and the similarities and differences between different student groups so that we might more effectively address them.

• The value of creating ‘safe spaces’ for minoritised students to share their concerns and experiences (including as part of complaints processes) and communicating the results and outcomes of student voice gathering exercises.

Facilitators: Dr Owen Gower (UKCGE), Lydia Wakefield (London Business School)

Delegates in this workshop discussed:

• The value of work-based learning opportunities embedded in postgraduate degree programmes as a strategy for promoting professional development and successful progression to careers.

• The potential to enhance progression through an increased emphases on the value of interdisciplinarity of part of institutional research culture, providing students with the opportunity to explore a more diverse range of career options.

• The potential to enhance progression by strengthening links with employers and creating opportunities for meaningful knowledge exchange with students.

• The potential of part-time and more flexible study models to allow those who are currently in work to develop knowledge, skills and experience that can help them to progress in their careers.

• The potential professional development and career readiness benefits of institutions aligning the experience of postgraduate study (particularly postgraduate research) more closely with employment.

• The need to standardise expectations and reporting around postgraduate outcomes at the sector level to inform programme design.