Postgraduate Research Student Induction - October 2023

It’s been a month since we welcomed our autumn 2023 cohort of postgraduate research students (PGRS) to the University. 76 enthusiastic researchers joined us for two days, in-person, at the beautiful Princess Royal Gallery located within the Historic Dockyard. In addition, a further 35 distance learning students participated in an evening online induction the following week.

Our In-Person Induction

The in-person two-day event began with registration and a tea and coffee reception where the students had the opportunity to connect with their new peers. Host Dr Vincent Adams (Graduate School Doctoral Development Manager) then kicked the event off with an introduction to the nature of doctoral study before introducing the first speakers of the day.

Throughout the course of the day our students listened to and engaged with presentations on key aspects of studying for a PhD. The sessions were delivered by numerous staff from across the University who kindly volunteer to come along each year to help students settle in and find everything they need to succeed.

As day one drew to a close, we invited the students to a social evening at The Dolphin pub. Approximately 25 students joined the Graduate School staff for an enjoyable evening of refreshments and networking in a relaxed environment.

For day two of the induction we awoke to another lovely sunny day in Portsmouth. A slightly shorter day than the first but still plenty of time to cover a large range of topics including wellbeing, researcher development and a brief introduction to the Students’ Union and the newly formed PGR Society.

Having heard all about the training and development sessions on offer, students then worked in groups to think about the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to succeed. Using the Ketso (action) materials developed by Dr Joanne Tippett, the groups built up a tree diagram by putting their ideas on leaves and connecting them via branches. This enabled everyone to spot the gaps they needed to fill and plan ahead for the training they would need at each phase of their research degree. The room became a forest of personal development!

The two-day induction was rounded off with an engaging Q&A panel featuring current PGR students hailing from various faculties across the University. The conversation offered the new PGR students valuable insights and firsthand experiences from those who have already embarked on their academic journeys, paving the way for an informed start to their own PhD adventures.

Our Online Induction

The online induction session, led by Dr Vincent Adams and Emma Cripps (Graduate School eLearning Coordinator), covered a similar range of topics as the in-person induction but was tailored to the online learning environment. Many of our students work partly or fully at a distance, so there are key things we can do to make sure they can still access the facilities and people they need to help them in their research.

During this engaging and informative online event, participants were organised into smaller groups and placed into breakout rooms, to encourage interaction and dialogue. In these breakout rooms, the participants had the opportunity to connect with their peers, share their individual PhD research topics and discuss the potential impact these studies could have on their respective fields.

This collaborative approach not only encouraged meaningful networking but also provided an environment where students could exchange ideas, forge connections, and gain a deeper understanding of the broader implications of their research.