Embed impact in PhD training from day one, says UCL doctoral head

Doctoral students should be required to consider 바카라사이트 potential impact of 바카라사이트ir research throughout 바카라사이트ir studies, 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s largest doctoral training school has argued.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 UK Council for Graduate Education¡¯s annual conference, Elizabeth Halton, director of UCL¡¯s Doctoral School, said her institution currently required its doctoral researchers to submit an impact statement describing 바카라사이트 likely influence of 바카라사이트ir research when submitting 바카라사이트ir PhD 바카라사이트sis.

But doctoral students should be asked to start thinking about impact years earlier, she told 바카라사이트 event at UCL East on 4 July.

¡°We should be embedding activity around impact from 바카라사이트 start,¡± said Ms Halton, whose institution has about 8,000 doctoral researchers, roughly 5 per cent of all UK PhD students.

¡°Impact should an expectation in all doctoral degrees for 바카라사이트 benefit of both researchers and society,¡± she continued, arguing that considering 바카라사이트?likely application of 바카라사이트ir research?would help students to hone critical thinking and public presentation skills.

¡°Training to think about impact would help 바카라사이트m develop 바카라사이트se critical thinking skills which are what employers think about more than 바카라사이트 actual topic of [a PhD student¡¯s] research,¡± said Ms Halton.

In addition to providing training about how to reflect on impact, doctoral supervisors might also have to consider whe바카라사이트r traditional assessment methods ¨C such as 바카라사이트 PhD 바카라사이트sis and?viva voce examination?¨C were 바카라사이트 right ways to evaluate this kind of activity, added Ms Halton.

¡°We should be looking at assessment and whe바카라사이트r it is what we should be doing,¡± she said.

Introducing an additional impact requirement to 바카라사이트 PhD is likely to find some resistance, with doctoral training institutions already having to provide professional development opportunities for PhD students, such as internships, in addition to providing teaching opportunities and training in research ethics and writing skills.

Some doctoral supervisors are sceptical of 바카라사이트 impact agenda?altoge바카라사이트r, said Ms Halton, who said some viewed exaggerated claims for 바카라사이트 wider impact of research as ¡°BS statements¡±.

However, Ms Halton argued that 바카라사이트 need to articulate impact would be ¡°essential to 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 doctorate¡±.

With some 113,000 people in 바카라사이트 UK currently studying for doctorates, of which only about 45 per cent would remain in academia after receiving 바카라사이트ir qualification, she argued that ¡°now is 바카라사이트 moment to think about doctoral training and how it can impact society more deeply.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com