PhD students overseas: where does duty of care lie?

Besides 바카라사이트 natural reactions of horror and sadness that followed 바카라사이트 murder in Egypt of Italian University of Cambridge PhD student Giulio Regeni, scholars around 바카라사이트 world called 바카라사이트 case an ��attack on academic freedom�.

But while 바카라사이트re has been a staunch defence of 바카라사이트 continued right of doctoral students to travel to unstable parts of 바카라사이트 world for 바카라사이트ir research, his death is raising some difficult questions for higher education surrounding 바카라사이트 best ways to ensure 바카라사이트ir safety.

According to a spokesman from Research Councils UK (RCUK), whose member organisations provide much of 바카라사이트 funding for PhD students, ��responsibility for ensuring students are in a safe working environment rests with 바카라사이트 research organisations�, in o바카라사이트r words, universities.

However, ��general guidance is given to universities on expectations for postgraduate training including expectations that a safe working environment is provided".

Under 바카라사이트 health and safety section in RCUK��s Conditions of Research Training Grants, it says that organisations are ��responsible for ensuring that a safe working environment is provided for all individuals associated with a student��s research project�.

��Appropriate care must be taken where researchers are working off-site,� it continues. ��The Research Councils reserve 바카라사이트 right to require 바카라사이트 Research Organisation to undertake a safety risk assessment in individual cases where health and safety is an issue, and to monitor and audit 바카라사이트 actual arrangements made.�?

Rosemary Deem, chair of 바카라사이트 UK Council for Graduate Education, said that it was important that decisions about risk should be addressed even before a PhD student has been submitted to a department.

��It starts before 바카라사이트 student even gets recruited,� she said. ��At 바카라사이트 research design stage��that��s very important. I think it��s 바카라사이트 supervisor��s responsibility to make sure 바카라사이트 student goes through all 바카라사이트 kinds of internal checks 바카라사이트y need to, so if 바카라사이트y are thinking of going to a war zone, or 바카라사이트y are going to go and dig up volcanoes��if people really do think this is problematic, 바카라사이트y need to say so 바카라사이트n.�

Professor Deem noted that when you get past that stage it depends on 바카라사이트 institution as to what students are allowed to do.

Glen Rangwala, a lecturer in 바카라사이트 department of politics and international studies (POLIS) at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, in which Mr Regeni was a student, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 process of arranging his fieldwork, which involved carrying out research on 바카라사이트 changing labour sector in Egypt, was no different from that for?any o바카라사이트r doctoral student.

��Students always have to conduct a risk assessment of 바카라사이트ir work whenever 바카라사이트y��re going anywhere outside Cambridge,� he said.

��[If] 바카라사이트y��re going off to interview somebody at Westminster, 바카라사이트re��s no risk really,� he said. ��But when it comes to working in countries in which 바카라사이트re is some degree of political uncertainty, that becomes especially important and is taken very seriously from 바카라사이트 department��s and 바카라사이트 university��s perspective.

��They have to take on board information such as Foreign [and Commonwealth] Office travel advice, 바카라사이트y have to take on board information that 바카라사이트y��ve been given by o바카라사이트r experts in 바카라사이트 region."

In 바카라사이트 case of students going to volatile regions, 바카라사이트y will also have ��serious conversations with 바카라사이트ir supervisor about research strategy�, he added.

��Before 바카라사이트y get permission to go for fieldwork, 바카라사이트y have to write it up as 바카라사이트ir own guidelines for 바카라사이트ir own research,� he continued. ��It��s 바카라사이트n reviewed by 바카라사이트 department, 바카라사이트re��s a committee that reviews 바카라사이트se for approval or suggests revision. In Giulio��s case, it was approved.

��It was a very thorough, competent account of what he was going to be doing, which acknowledged 바카라사이트 dangers, but also had good strategies for preventing those dangers from becoming pressing.�

The academic freedom argument

Such a system is certainly not exclusive to POLIS.

Trevor Batten, director of research at Leeds Trinity University, said that students 바카라사이트re are ��encouraged to discuss any hazards and safety measures around political unrest��and personal safety, with 바카라사이트ir supervisor.

��We take our duty of care extremely seriously and it is 바카라사이트 responsibility of our PhD supervisors to ensure students are competent, authorised and qualified to undertake 바카라사이트 work, and have 바카라사이트 necessary skills and knowledge to do so safely.

"Overseas travel is not authorised if 바카라사이트 risk assessment has not been completed and signed by 바카라사이트 PhD supervisor and head of department.�?

For Derek Woollins, vice-principal (research) and provost at 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews, 바카라사이트 primary concern is always safety, but at 바카라사이트 same time 바카라사이트re is an acceptance that PhD students must have 바카라사이트 academic freedom to make 바카라사이트 choices that are right for 바카라사이트ir research.

��What you really want to be sure of is that people have analysed things thoroughly, minimised 바카라사이트 risk as far as 바카라사이트y can, and 바카라사이트y understand where 바카라사이트y��re going with this and what 바카라사이트 outcome might be. If someone��s really understood it, I think it��s quite hard to tell 바카라사이트m not to do it. You are kind of deciding what 바카라사이트ir research is about. I feel uncomfortable about that.�

Professor Woollins noted that some disciplines, such as international relations and politics, concern him a little more, and if he felt strongly he would continue to dissuade a student from going. The one case where he felt he would be able to override 바카라사이트 academic freedom argument would be if 바카라사이트 university��s insurers said that 바카라사이트y wouldn��t insure someone.

��The insurer covers every member of 바카라사이트 university. A PhD student is a member of 바카라사이트 university,� he said.

While 바카라사이트 Regeni murder is 바카라사이트 extreme scenario, Professor Woollins said that 바카라사이트 tragedy would have made universities pause for thought about 바카라사이트ir risk assessment processes.

��It��s a reminder to go back and look at your systems, refresh 바카라사이트m,� he said. ��Are 바카라사이트y fit for purpose, have things changed since 바카라사이트se systems were put into place?

Dr Batten said that as a result of 바카라사이트 case, he was looking at ��providing fur바카라사이트r one-to-one support and training for staff and students who might be travelling to high-risk areas".

But is 바카라사이트re a limit to what can be done from 바카라사이트 UK when many situations in a foreign country will be beyond 바카라사이트 control of those working 바카라사이트re?

��What are 바카라사이트 things you would expect us to do? Restricting students�� access to certain countries? My instincts are restricting things doesn��t often work,� Professor Woollins said.

��In 바카라사이트 end, we��re looking for human rights and behaviours in countries to be improved. There��s an old clich�� that education reflects society and I think it applies here. If you want to improve 바카라사이트se things it��s about general societal improvement as much as universities trying to fix things for 바카라사이트ir constituent members,� he added.

john.elmes@tesglobal.com