RSS Feeds

Email a Friend Printer Friendly

New home and new era for education think-tank

October 01, 2002

A national think-tank which champions the development of postgraduate education throughout the UK is embarking on a new and exciting phase of its development following a fundamental review of its activity.

Founded in 1994 by Professor Bob Burgess - and currently led by Chair Professor Howard Green of Staffordshire University - the UK Council for Graduate Education (UKCGE) has reviewed and strengthened its portfolio of activities for the next five years.

During recent years the Council has helped influence the development of postgraduate education in the UK in a variety of ways.

Its specialist working groups, which bring together experts to consider and report on specific concerns, have produced influential papers such as those on research training in the humanities and the current state of professional doctorates in the UK.

Its workshops and conferences have supported colleagues in learning about and sharing good practice on a wide range of postgraduate matters.

The Council is now able to move to a more proactive period providing additional services to its members. One outcome of the review has been a relocation of office and a strengthening of council staff.

The Council has relocated to new premises at Staffordshire University's Lichfield Centre - centrally located, this facility will provide a base for some of the council's workshops and seminars.

The Council has also just appointed two new full-time staff members, Administrator Elizabeth Long and Events Officer Lucy Cross.

Elizabeth will be responsible for the overall administration of the Council and the enhancing of its service to members, while Lucy will take on the development and management of the Council's programme of workshops and conferences.

Top of Lucy's agenda is the major European conference which the Council is hosting in London in March 2003.

Elizabeth Long said the Council had always been quick to respond to the fast-changing needs of postgraduate education - success which has been reflected in the organisation's boom in membership to include virtually the whole higher education sector.

"As we now have a responsibility to the whole sector we plan to develop our research activities so that we can better proactively discover the trends and issues facing postgraduate education which can then be fed back to our members," said Elizabeth.

"This is an exciting time for the council as we clearly enter a new phase of our development. We would very much like to hear from our members and listen to their comments and suggestions about how they would like to see our service develop."

The council is chaired by Professor Howard Green, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Director of Planning and Innovation at Staffordshire University.

Professor Green said that notwithstanding the tremendous growth and change in postgraduate education, there remained major challenges, not least in ensuring that postgraduate provision responded to the needs demanded by lifelong learning.

He added: "More students than ever, not least those from overseas, are taking up postgraduate programmes and therefore it is becoming an ever increasingly important area of learning for universities throughout the sector, both modern and traditional.

"The UK Council for Graduate Education will play a pivotal role in supporting the sector as it develops its learning and research opportunities for a diverse range of graduate students.

"This is an exciting time and we are very much looking forward to playing our role in this increasingly important area."

Staffordshire University