Services and facilities
Resources
We consider research students to be a central part of SED. This is why we provide excellent facilities during the three years (six years part-time) that our doctoral candidates are with us:
- All new students are provided with access to a personal desktop computer
- SED research students are also allocated dedicated study space in the Arthur Lewis Building
- Lockable and open storage facilities are also available, as is wireless networking
- All students are entitled to claim up to £600 over their period of study with the School to cover expenses associate with their programme of study
- Students are also given printing and photocopying privileges in the Arthur Lewis Building
- All the furniture and IT facilities for PhD students are brand new, as part of the £27 million spent on the Arthur Lewis Building.
Student Participation
PhD students are strongly encouraged to attend the many research seminars, workshops and symposia organised by SED staff and SED research centres each year.
Additionally, all research students are affiliated to one of the many research groups in SED. This provides them with insights into the conduct, profiling and management of research. There is a Discipline Coordinator (DisCo) for each of the four subject areas of SED, who serves as a local point of contact for students. Additionally, students are encouraged to volunteer as reps on the School's Postgraduate Research Committee.
Annual PGR Conference - May 2011
The School of Environment and Development’s annual Postgraduate Research Conference takes place on Monday 16 May 2011. The conference is an opportunity for all of the School’s research students to present their work to a diverse audience.
Students find the conference very beneficial:
- First, the necessity of standing up and presenting to an audience often serves to clarify thinking;
- Secondly, students become aware of the range of perspectives on their discipline and often gain helpful insights for their research design;
- Thirdly, the experience of fielding questions under pressure helps develop presentation and debating skills more generally;
- Fourthly, attending the seminars of other colleagues in different discipline provokes thought, provides exposure to work in progress, and provides practice in formulating articulate questions.
In year one (or part time equivalent) all SED PGR students are required to create and present a poster outlining their research and in year two (or three) students are required to give a 10-20 minute seminar presentation on their research and take questions from the audience.
Lunch and refreshments are provided and there is usually a closing talk followed by a drinks reception which gives staff and students the opportunity to meet and socialise.
Follow this link for the 2011 draft conference programme (PDF, 321Kb).