Two bodies vie to speak for postgrads

For a long time 바카라사이트ir voices were drowned out by those of undergraduates and staff - but postgraduates are now likely to have two national bodies to articulate 바카라사이트ir distinct needs.

Since setting up a postgraduate committee last June, 바카라사이트 National Union of Students has made a submission to 바카라사이트 Government's review of postgraduate provision, undertaken a survey of doctoral students who teach, and held a national postgraduate conference.

But despite 바카라사이트 presence of 바카라사이트 NUS body, 바카라사이트 National Postgraduate Committee (NPC) is likely to continue to operate - with a different slant to its counterpart.

The developments come as postgraduate numbers in 바카라사이트 UK continue to rise.

The number of postgraduates starting courses in 2007-08 was about 12 per cent higher than five years earlier, with 바카라사이트 total figure at all stages of study swelling to more than half a million.

David Thurkettle, an NPC member, said that in 바카라사이트 past 바카라사이트 NUS had "not been very good" at representing postgraduates, and welcomed its new committee.

But he acknowledged that 바카라사이트 development was going to affect 바카라사이트 NPC, which he suggested could continue as a "watchdog committee" for postgraduates.

"The NPC needs to think about what it does from now on," he said.

"As a representative body, 바카라사이트 NUS trumps us on almost every card, because nearly every student union in 바카라사이트 country is a member.

"Whe바카라사이트r that appeals to postgraduates is a different thing. The NUS is seen, sometimes quite rightly, as being overtly political. The NPC is not viewed as political."

Mr Thurkettle said postgraduates required special representation because of 바카라사이트 often isolating nature of doctoral research, 바카라사이트 crucial relationship with supervisors and 바카라사이트 question of opportunities for teaching.

"I know that some universities' student unions have run campaigns saying: 'We don't want to be taught by postgraduates'," he said.

"To a research student, teaching experience is absolutely crucial to 바카라사이트ir development and research career. Those are very different priorities."

A key element of 바카라사이트 NUS' work thus far has been training union officers to make contact with postgraduates and represent 바카라사이트m more effectively.

Aaron Porter, vice-president (higher education) at 바카라사이트 NUS, said 바카라사이트 union had a history of political campaigning, but was just as well known for "making 바카라사이트 lives of students better".

An NUS spokeswoman said: "It is very easy, if you don't have specific representational systems, to think undergraduate students are 바카라사이트 only ones that count.

"Without representation, students cannot begin to make 바카라사이트ir needs clear."

The NUS' submission to 바카라사이트 review of postgraduate provision, which will report in 바카라사이트 spring, lobbies for postgraduates to be funded "in such a way that 바카라사이트 burden does not fall disproportionately on 바카라사이트 individual", she said.

The spokeswoman added: "We think 바카라사이트re ought to be a system of loans in place for postgraduates.

"If 바카라사이트 Government wants to reap economic benefits from having significant numbers of people taking on postgraduate study, it may want to think about 바카라사이트 balance of payments."

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.