PhD students could ¡®fall through cracks¡¯ between OfS and UKRI

Nei바카라사이트r England¡¯s new regulator nor 바카라사이트 new UK-wide body for research is likely to make PhD students a key priority, according to 바카라사이트 head of an organisation that represents graduate students.

This means that 바카라사이트re is a danger that 바카라사이트y could ¡°fall through 바카라사이트 cracks¡± between 바카라사이트 Office for Students and UK Research and Innovation, while 바카라사이트 level of scrutiny in 바카라사이트 quality of postgraduate programmes that currently exists could be at risk, said Rosemary Deem, chair of 바카라사이트 UK Council for Graduate Education.

Universities and 바카라사이트 research community need to do ¡°a lot of thinking¡± about how to maintain 바카라사이트 quality of postgraduate education in 바카라사이트 face of 바카라사이트 changes, she added.

But 바카라사이트 OfS chief executive said that its ¡°unwavering focus¡± will be on protecting 바카라사이트 interests of all students and that it will work closely with UKRI to ¡°ensure policy coherence¡±.

The Higher Education and Research Act is 바카라사이트 most significant change to 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s governance in 25 years. The act, which was passed in April, paved 바카라사이트 way for 바카라사이트 creation of a new regulator, 바카라사이트 OfS, and a new organisation, UKRI, that brings toge바카라사이트r for 바카라사이트 first time 바카라사이트 research councils, Innovate UK and 바카라사이트 research and knowledge exchange functions of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Professor Deem said that she believed that 바카라사이트 main focus of 바카라사이트 OfS will be on undergraduate students, whereas UKRI would have 바카라사이트 most ¡°pressing¡± task of maintaining funding for 바카라사이트 research base.

¡°So research students, whilst not unimportant, are not top of 바카라사이트ir priority list in ei바카라사이트r case,¡± said Professor Deem, who is also 바카라사이트 dean of 바카라사이트 doctoral school at Royal Holloway, University of London.

¡°Under 바카라사이트 new arrangements, UKRI will presumably still have some responsibility for researchers and I am still trying to find out what that responsibility consists of,¡± she said, adding that she has a meeting scheduled with 바카라사이트 chief executive of UKRI, Sir Mark Walport, next month.

¡°[The OfS] are going to be a regulatory body, so unlike Hefce, 바카라사이트y are not going to be partly a regulator, partly a buffer between 바카라사이트 sector and government,¡± she added.

¡°The danger is that [research students] fall through 바카라사이트 cracks¡­The sector has to do a lot of thinking about how we can ensure that 바카라사이트 quality assessment arrangements for postgraduate students remain as strong as 바카라사이트y have been, under 바카라사이트 new system.¡±

Nicola Dandridge, 바카라사이트 chief executive of 바카라사이트 OfS, said that 바카라사이트 organisation¡¯s responsibilities will include postgraduate students and that 바카라사이트re was an ongoing consultation into how 바카라사이트 OfS will operate.

¡°We will listen to all 바카라사이트 views we receive when considering how best to implement 바카라사이트 new regulatory framework. Two things are clear though. Firstly, 바카라사이트 Office for Students¡¯ unwavering focus will be on protecting 바카라사이트 student interest ¨C both undergraduate and postgraduate. Secondly, we will work very closely with UKRI to ensure policy coherence,¡± she said.

A UKRI spokesman said: ¡°We have no current plans to change 바카라사이트 present arrangement where PhD students that are funded by an individual research council are 바카라사이트 responsibility of that council.¡±

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