About the Doctoral College
The University of Exeter is committed to developing the next generation of researchers, bringing together postgraduate researchers (PGRs) from across the globe and different cultures and backgrounds to deliver world-class and world-changing research.
The Doctoral College is a world-class research hub that brings together institution-wide support, training, and administration for all our PGRs. We are committed to delivering a dynamic and inclusive research culture to foster research innovation, inspire creativity and generate impactful, cutting-edge research. To do so, we foster a healthy and supportive research environment for our PGRs, with dedicated researcher development, international student, postgraduate support and postgraduate welfare teams. We offer sector-leading training and development, and provide outstanding facilities and resources.
The development of our postgraduate research, and the success of our PGRs, is supported by our Doctoral College Strategy 2030, which was developed in collaboration with our PGRs.
Doctoral College Strategy 2030
At the University of Exeter, postgraduate researchers (PGRs) are a vital part of our interdisciplinary academic community and our Strategy 2030 ambitions for delivering world-leading research to create healthier, greener and fairer societies. PGRs play an essential role in advancing our research and our global reputation, and in fostering a vibrant and inclusive research culture, as demonstrated by the impact of their research and contributions to society. Additionally, within departments and research groups, PGRs enrich our academic communities, often serving as teaching assistants, and bring valuable international and diverse cultural perspectives to our campuses.
The development of our postgraduate research, and success of our PGRs, is supported by the Doctoral College Strategy 2030. PGR voice shaped this strategy through consultations, liaison forums, and representative input, but also incorporating feedback from Annual Monitoring Review, PRES, Researcher Development training, and PGR Support teams. Under this strategy, a new ‘Connected Doctoral College’ model brings together academic and professional services staff across the university’s faculties and divisions, to collectively deliver core strategic objectives for PGRs:
- A high-quality student experience
- A diverse and inclusive research culture
- An effective and supportive training and professional development environment
Our Connected Doctoral College team supports our PGRs from their initial applications, through their research and training, to the completion of their studies and future career plans both within and beyond academia. We are committed to building a dynamic and inclusive research culture to foster research innovation, inspire creativity and bring people together tackle local, national and global challenges, generating impactful and cutting-edge research. To do so, we aim to create a healthy and supportive research environment for our postgraduate students, with dedicated researcher development, international student, postgraduate support and postgraduate welfare teams. We will constantly strive to improve both the research opportunities and the support available to our PGRs, to help them achieve their research and career goals.
The below outlines our vision for how we will deliver this. Our performance against these aims will be assessed against various indicators, sector benchmarks, and PGR feedback, including PRES, Annual Monitoring Review, and Training Needs Analysis.
Our PGR Vision
- Our postgraduate researchers will have access to a high-quality student experience, enabling them to thrive and ensure their success throughout their academic studies.
- Our postgraduate researchers will be a vital part of our vibrant and inclusive university research culture and community, now and in the future.
- Our postgraduate researchers will thrive in a rich, inclusive and enabling training and development environment that will prepare them for their future careers, whether in academia or beyond.
- Our postgraduate research community will be grown sustainably through diversifying and aligning to our research strengths, recognising the need for diverse pathways and flexible degree options to suit varying needs.
- Our Connected Doctoral College will bring together academic and professional services colleagues from across the university to support our postgraduate researcher community and deliver on these strategic objectives
Download in full as a pdf: Doctoral College Strategy
