Surrey Black Scholars – Opportunity Timeline

A Timeline of Opportunities for Surrey Black Scholars PGRs

Across the years of your PHD you will be offered a range of opportunities which we enrich your experience here at Surrey. Below you will read a further explanation of each opportunity which is available. If you have any further questions, please contact doctoralcollege@surrey.ac.uk.

Preregistration:

We offer you the chance to come on campus to gain a feel of what life as a PGR will be like. Through your summer school you’ll meet other PGR’s and connect with them as well as gain insight into your programme. You will also be provided with details of various opportunities which are available to you as a PGR.

Anytime:

Many of the opportunities which we offer are flexible which will enable you to engage at the times which are most suitable for you and your journey as a PGR. These include:

Writing for the Surrey Black Scholars blog: for some of you may be your first opportunity to share your research. It is also an opportunity to enhance your writing skills and gaining experiencing in peer- reviewing. This blog will be collaborative and will have insights from you our scholars and in addition staff at Surrey and influential industry professionals.

Seek tailored career advice from employability team: A time where you can seek counsel from our employability team to discuss your career opportunities. Financial support is also available.

Mentor undergraduate students: An invaluable opportunity to lead and guide an undergraduate student on their potential journey as a PGR. This will support our work in increasing the number of undergraduate students that progress from undergraduate study to postgraduate taught.

Attend Black academic speaker events: This is a chance to engage directly with the work of world class expertise on campus. Through these events you will be able to network with a range of people but also build on your own research.

Year 1:

Receive Transition Mentoring from a PGR – Year 1 Q1 – Q4. The chance to be mentored by a PGR student, who will attempt to guide you based on their own experiences. Our hope is that this will help you to adjust to life as a doctorate well as build networks with experienced PGR’s.

Year 2:

Reverse mentoring (subject to availability): An invaluable programme which gives you the opportunity to mentor a senior lecturer or professor at the university (or EB, TBC). This will also be a chance to explore your own interests and to be able to contribute to a change.

Study for a PGCert training qualification: Benefit from teaching experience while achieving qualification simultaneously. You will also be able to improve your communication skills and public speaking too.

External placement: get paid to gain experience outside of the university. You’ll also be able to build connections within the industry through ongoing collaboration. Learn skills outside of traditional academic research.

Co-organise Black in industry networking events and conferences: develop your organisational skills as well as project management expertise. Support Surrey in brining new research onto campus to exchange ideas with university researchers.

Year 3+:

A three- month funded employability boost: our provision of financial support at the end of your doctorate. We can assist you in finding an academic or industry job. Our hope that this will reassure you and give you confidence in the skills you developed throughout time at Surrey as a PGR.

To find out more, contact doctoralcollege@surrey.ac.uk