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Postgraduate Training Programme 2010 - 2011

High quality training is an integral part of career development. It provides a valuable opportunity to reflect on our own practices, to discuss these with others, and to share experiences. The Department of Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London , has long recognised the importance of such training, and has developed an integrated package of training for all postgraduates. In line with the requirements of Research Councils and other funding bodies, this includes both compulsory and optional elements. The package is designed to provide a nested framework of training, from that done by supervisors, through Research Group and Departmental activities, to training provided at the College level and externally. Do remember that all training requirements should be discussed and agreed with supervisors, and then entered into the training logs that need to be submitted with annual review papers.

The formal programme consists of the following elements:

1. Induction (Compulsory)
2. Departmental Training (Compulsory)
3. College Training (Research Development Programme) (Compulsory)
4. College Certificate in Teaching Skills (Required if you intend to do any teaching within the Department)
5. Information Technology and Sources (strongly recommended)
6. MA and MSc Research Training
7. Language Skills
8. Seminar Participation (compulsory)
9. Research Group training

There are also many other research training opportunities available for postgraduate students, some of which are listed at the end of this document.

We very much hope that you will find this training helpful for the undertaking of your postgraduate research, and that it will also be useful for your career development. Second and Third Year students are welcome to attend First Year training where they have been unable to do so in previous years. Please feel free to provide feedback on any elements of the course, either directly to the member of staff undertaking the training, or to the Director of Graduate Studies. The annual review process provides a more formal opportunity for such feedback.

Professor Tim Cresswell
Director of Graduate Studies
September 2009

Induction: 21st -24th September 2010 (compulsory)

There is a Departmental and College induction programme during the first week of the academic year. This is designed to provide all postgraduate students with basic information on the institutional requirements of undertaking research at Royal Holloway, University of London , as well as of the resources available to them within the institution, and of important health and safety issues. It also gives an introduction to the Department's research groupings, and the Postgraduate Symposium on Wednesday 25th September gives an opportunity for new students to learn more about ongoing postgraduate research in the Department. A separate document provides full details of the induction programme.

Departmental Training (compulsory)

Departmental postgraduate training is workshop-based, and is designed to provide an opportunity to reflect on a range of practices and skills of relevance to the undertaking of successful geographical research. It is compulsory for all First Year postgraduates, and complements the wider programme on research training made available centrally by the College.

Research Training Course
International Building, Room 028 (1500-1700)

» Wednesday 6 October: Time management (Scott Elias)
 
» Wednesday 20 October: Writing Skills (Scott Elias)

» Wednesday 3 November: Presenting papers (Scott Elias)
 
» Wednesday 17 November: Interpreting your data/information (Simon Blockley)
 
» Wednesday 19 January: Fieldwork (Rupert Housley and another PostDoc)

» Wednesday 2 February: Ethics (Tim Unwin)
 
» Wednesday 16 February: Publishing (Tim Creswell)
 
» Wednesday 2 March: Dealing with your supervisor (Speaker TBA)

College Training (compulsory)

Full details of the College training programme for postgraduate students (known as the Research Skills Programme) are provided separately (available at http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Graduate-School/Pages/rsp-details.html), but it includes the following elements:

» First Year students

• Introduction to Information Services
• Managing your research

» Second Year students

• Communicating your research
• Creativity, motivation and personal effectiveness

» Third Year students

• Preparing for the viva
• Academia, research and beyond - preparing for your future career

» Optional courses provided by the College include

• Managing your stress levels
• Directing creativity
• Facing the media

College will notify all students in more detail about these courses, and students will be responsible for ensuring that they book places and attend. Since these are compulsory, you are advised to book for them as early as possible.

College Certificate in Teaching Skills in Higher Education

The College's Educational Development Centre provides an opportunity for all postgraduates to learn about teaching in higher education and to gain a Postgraduate Certificate in Skills of Teaching to Inspire Learning (InSTIL). This Certificate is required for all postgraduates doing any teaching (including demonstrating, seminars, tutorials or lectures) within the Department, but students are permitted to begin teaching while they are doing the course. It is a very useful experience for anyone intending to teach in their future careers. The course is taught by Nancy Turner (Professional Development Officer, Bedford Library Room 207, nancy.turner@rhul.ac.uk ) from whom further information is available. For full details see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/registry/educational-development/index.html .

Information Technology and Information Sources

Royal Holloway's Information Services Department runs a range of courses, for training in word processing, data management, statistics, graphics, presentational and web-design skills. Full details are available at http://www.rhul.ac.uk/information-services/computer-centre/training/isis/students/index.asp . Completing a minimum of four General and/or Advanced sessions will enable you to receive an IT Skills certificate. It is strongly recommended that all postgraduates avail themselves of the opportunity to upgrade their information technology skills at an early stage in their research. For further information, contact Chris Horton (Tel: x 4025) in the College's Computer Centre (Room 108).

MA and MSc Research Training

All PhD students are invited to attend relevant aspects of the training provided as part of the Master's Programmes taught within the Department (MA Cultural Geography (Research); MSc Practising Sustainable Development; MSc Sustainability and relevant Management; MSc Quaternary Science) subject to the agreement of the Programme Directors. This is particularly valuable for students who may not already have undertaken a Master's degree, or who wish to gain particular additional skills.

Language Skills

The College's Language Centre ( http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Language-Centre/ ) provides a wealth of opportunity to develop your language skills. For overseas students there are intensive pre-sessional English language courses in August and September, either over four or eight weeks (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Language-Centre/Pages/elprogs.html ). Intensive French, German, Spanish and Japanese courses are also available for those students who wish to improve their ability to communicate in these languages (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Language-Centre/Pages/flprogs.html). Specialist training in other languages can also be arranged through the Department's links with other parts of London University , such as the School of Oriental and African Studies and the School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies. In the first instance, such needs are best discussed with your supervisor.

Seminar Participation (compulsory)

There are numerous seminars organised within the Department, both centrally and by specific Research Groupings. It is very strongly recommended that postgraduate students attend all seminars of relevance to their research areas. These provide an opportunity to engage with leading researchers from across the world, and thereby to develop critical skills and understanding. It is compulsory for all research students to present seminars during their time within the Department, at least one of which should be in the annual Postgraduate Symposium.

Research Group training

Training in specific areas of research practice is also provided by Research Groups.

The Social and Cultural Group organises a seminar/workshop for PhD students, called 'landscape surgery', which meets fortnightly on Tuesday afternoons in the College's premises in Bedford Square, Bloomsbury, throughout the academic year. Students at various stages of their research present work in progress, usually pre-circulated to the group. There is also an informal link with the equivalent group at UCLA. Visiting students from overseas may also be invited to participate. Occasionally the group invites an outside speaker to talk on some aspect of their research or practice.

The Centre for Developing Areas Research convenes a reading group on aspects of development geography which is open to all relevant staff and postgraduates in London university, and the ICT4D cluster runs a monthly peer supervisory meeting as well as an on-line discussion forum (http://discussion.rhul.ac.uk/viewforum.php?f=127).

Other Sources of Training Available

Training requirements are best discussed in the first instance with your supervisor, who will have detailed knowledge of the many further training possibilities open to you. The following list nevertheless provides an outline of some of the training that recent postgraduates have found to be of particular use.

» Research Councils

The Research Councils' Graduate Schools Programme provides residential courses that are free for Research Council funded students in their second or third year of research. For details see www.gradschools.ac.uk.

» For those undertaking research in Human Geography

•  London Postgraduate Training Workshops in Human Geography (Compulsory) . All Human Geography PhD students are required to participate in the inter-collegiate London Postgraduate Training Workshops in Human Geography that are led by a consortium of Departments in the London area and the South-East. Royal Holloway ran the workshops in 2003-4, and the Open University in 2004-5. There are two one-day meetings of formal presentations, workshops and small group discussions (one in each of the first two terms) involving staff and first year research postgraduates from across the participating Departments. The informal atmosphere offers a supportive environment for postgraduates to develop research contacts with students and staff from other institutions.

•  Royal Geographical Society (with The Institute of British Geographers . Research Groups within the RGS-IBG provide a range of training opportunities (see full list of groups at www.rgs.org).

•  Historical Geography Research Group: annual conference on Practising Historical Geography held in different locations

•  Institute of Historical Research . The Institute offers a range of training courses in historical research methods. For full details see http://www.history.ac.uk/training/index.html.

» For those undertaking research in Physical Geography

•  Quaternary Research Association Annual Postgraduate Symposium . This 2-3 day symposium usually takes place in September, and is designed for all PhD students with interests in, or that are allied to, Quaternary Science. It provides a good opportunity to gain practice at presenting posters and papers to a mixed audience, as well as the chance to talk about common experiences relating to research and thesis preparation. See http://qra.org.uk/ for more detail.

•  Royal Geographical Society (with The Institute of British Geographers . Research Groups within the RGS-IBG provide a range of training opportunities (see full list of groups at www.rgs.org).

• British Geomorphological Research Group: annual Postgraduate Research Training Workshop on recognised by NERC and available to all students beginning research in Geomorphology, held at Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park

Funding for Geography Postgraduates

If you are looking for potential funding for your research, do look at our funding site http://www.gg.rhul.ac.uk/postgrads/PG-funding.html.