Vision
Our vision for the University Graduate School is to be recognised internationally as a trailblazer in delivering excellence in the postgraduate experience, employability support, and research environment. We will act as a gateway for postgraduates to access the wide range of advice, events, and training available across the University, that goes beyond the subject specialist activities delivered by Colleges and Schools. We will also foster a sense of shared postgraduate community across all modes of postgraduate study, and enhance the opportunities for postgraduates to become confident, creative, intellectually curious and resilient, with a commitment to lifelong learning.
Goals
The University of Birmingham aims to establish itself in the top 50 of the world’s leading universities by 2030. The University Graduate School has a vital role to play in helping the University achieve this ambition. It will foster a thriving, inclusive and global postgraduate community by focusing on three primary goals:
- Delivering an outstanding postgraduate experience;
- Delivering a sector-leading approach to postgraduate employability;
- Contributing to a world-class research environment.
Context
We have a very diverse postgraduate community, comprising full-time, part-time, international, Distance Learners, degree apprenticeships, CPD, and Transnational Education, including postgraduates at our Dubai campus. The University Graduate School has a vital role to play in supporting this growth through its coordinating function, operating as a central hub for the provision of support, skills and training to research and taught postgraduates alike, and to home and international postgraduates on all modes of study. By bringing research and taught postgraduates together, and home and international, the Graduate School will enable all cohorts to benefit from enhanced peer networks and support, academic community, and training and career development opportunities.
The Graduate School provides strategic direction to Colleges and Schools, working closely with Colleges through PGR and PGT Leads, and Graduate Research and Taught Boards. Joint activities include an annual PGT student experience Away Day. To provide overall coherence the Graduate School collaborates closely with the Guild of Students and Academic Services (including the Careers Network, BIA, Academic Skills Centre, Research Skills, Student Communications, and the Wellbeing Service) to coordinate activities and ensure that the postgraduate voice is heard. The University Graduate School signposts postgraduates to key services via its webpages, as well as working collaboratively with these services to deliver joint activities.
Goal 1: Delivering an outstanding postgraduate experience
Key priorities are to:
- Celebrate and enhance the work of our postgraduates by hosting high-profile, institution-wide events and training;
- Foster staff and student engagement with relevant internal and external networks;
- Improve postgraduate health and wellbeing;
- Champion equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) for postgraduates.
Goal 2: Delivering a sector-leading approach to postgraduate employability
Key priorities are to:
- Create opportunities for all postgraduates to engage with external organisations;
- Enhance opportunities for multidisciplinary working;
- Engage a wider range of public audiences with our postgraduates’ research.
Goal 3: Contributing to a world-class research environment
Key priorities are to:
- Embed all PGRs in disciplinary or interdisciplinary research groups from the outset of their programmes;
- Deliver core research skills programmes;
- Support postgraduate engagement with early career research networks.