UCL in the News: Why PhD students need a helping hand from their supervisors

Suzanne Lynch, 'Times Higher Education' UCL is one institution that has embraced changes in their policy of research student supervision.

PhD students at UCL are assigned a primary and secondary supervisor, and all students are required to keep an electronic log-book which has to be validated by their supervisor.

The university has also capped the number of students PhD supervisors are permitted to supervise. …

According to Professor Michael Worton [UCL Vice-Provost (Academic & International)], these changes are hugely important. …

"Our main focus is to ensure that our PhD students have the best possible research experience, but having a clear and transparent system in place also has enormous benefits for the supervisors," he says.

"The relationship between supervisor and PhD student can potentially be one of the most rewarding academic partnerships. Working with PhD students helps keep academics invigorated and in touch with new developments in their research field. PhDs are our colleagues of the future." …