As Postgraduate Student Experience Officer in the College of Arts and Law (CAL) I enjoy challenging people’s perceptions of the students that I work with. My favourite opening gambit is a single statistic: “Did you know [I pause for a fraction of a second] that around sixty five percent of people beginning a masters degree … Continue reading “Who will be studying for postgraduate degrees in the arts and humanities in 2026? (Josh Allen)”
Category: Research
Research-Intensive Teaching: the way forward? (Ella Mortlock)
As a Russell Group University, we frequently define ourselves by the quality of our research. But how often do we pride ourselves in the quality of our research-intensive teaching? You may have read Caroline Hetherington’s recent blog post highlighting the student perspective on research-intensive teaching. She reflects on how little exposure or connection to research … Continue reading “Research-Intensive Teaching: the way forward? (Ella Mortlock)”
Part-Time, Full-Time, All-the-Time… (Charlotte Hempel)
I was delighted to overhear another big conversation about serving part-time as a senior member of the judiciary recently. In my role as Director of the Arts and Law Graduate School I spend a lot of my time thinking about how we can support Part-Time Researchers. The Part-Time route to completing a research degree is … Continue reading “Part-Time, Full-Time, All-the-Time… (Charlotte Hempel)”
Structure and organisation of research intensive universities (Institute of Clinical Sciences led workshop: discussion responses)
Students come to a Russell Group institution because of expertise/access to research staff. There is something unique about this contact with experts who can immerse students in research/talk about the field as it develops – it is a major advantage for universities such as Birmingham and the structure and organisation of the university needs to … Continue reading “Structure and organisation of research intensive universities (Institute of Clinical Sciences led workshop: discussion responses)”
‘What do you want to do when you leave university?’
When I go home after a term at University there is one question that I will unequivocally be asked: ‘what do you want to do when you leave university?’ This is typically met with a disinterested ‘I don’t know’ and the conversation stops there. However, recently I was asked ‘what do you want to change … Continue reading “‘What do you want to do when you leave university?’”
Developing a “Research-Active” Curriculum
It is clear that a research-intensive university should be structured and organised around a strong emphasis on developing a “research-active” curriculum that socialises students into inquiry-based learning from day one. By 2026, students’ successful transition from university to professional life will require the ability to resolve problems in an analytic manner, to evaluate evidence and … Continue reading “Developing a “Research-Active” Curriculum”