New Head for Graduate School

Professor Bogle said: "The Graduate School is here to look after the interests of all graduate students, to develop strategy for postgraduate study with the UCL Senior Management, and to oversee the regulation of postgraduate programmes. We aim to equip research students at UCL for a successful future in the following ways:"

• our Skills Development Programme, which provides students with the opportunity to expand their generic research skills base to enhance life skills and employability;
• the Research Student eLog which underlines the importance of personal and professional development and academic progression during students' research programmes;
• maintaining graduate regulatory standards through Codes of Practice and UCL's committee structure;
• providing financial support in the form of scholarships and funds for research trips, and physical facilities such as the computer clusters and a common room specifically for graduate students.

Professor Bogle also wants to ensure that part-time students are supported as much as full-time students throughout their studies: "The regulatory measures are there and but I want to enforce the message of support. It is very easy to feel isolated."

Promoting International Activity at Graduate Level
Professor Bogle said: "Research is a global business and our students need a global confidence. Their work may take them all over the world, so they need a technical awareness of international research issues. UCL is a global player and students should expect that experience from us. The study leave system can facilitate this and I'm planning to develop this area. Research collaborations and relationships already exist departmentally and encourage students to build experience-led confidence. The Graduate School's role is to ensure the environment is right to promote this."

A Facilitating Role
In his academic role as Deputy Director of UCL and ICL's Centre for Process Systems Engineering, Professor Bogle has always seen himself as a facilitator for colleagues and students alike. "I would like to support faculties and departments in their needs. For example, I am developing our footprint of financial support in comparison to our competitors. Our internal scholarship issues are high on the Campaign for UCL agenda and on mine. We need more support for excellent students. UCL needs to be in line with its external supporters and I'm in discussion with Research Councils to see what their future agendas are so that we remain their one of preferred providers for postgraduate studies. I also aim to support the Deans in progressing the postgraduate components of their faculty strategies."

Graduate School Skills Development Programme
Skills development is also high on Professor Bogle's list of priorities for both taught and research students. "Masters students study for one year and usually have their sights set on a career or job. Research students are here for three years and believe that they have all the time in the world, but it passes very quickly. Communication and project management skills cannot be underestimated and students now need to be more entrepreneurial. The commercial world expects these skills - some are better developed through project work, or through our skills development workshops, but students need to recognise that they are developing these skills and sell this to their prospective employers. I'm exploring how to develop further our skills training portfolio and identify new areas with departments."

Promoting a Sense of Community
The Graduate School aims to create a sense of community, which is a difficult feat when one considers that UCL has a graduate student population of over 7,000 across 70 departments and eight faculties. Professor Bogle said: "Our regular events, such as the 'Poster/Review Competition' and 'Research Images as Art/Art Images as Research Competition' are tremendously successful and provide an invaluable opportunity for students to meet peers outside their own disciplines. It is easy to get into a habit of only conversing with departmental colleagues, and it is a huge challenge not to isolate the satellite campuses. Academically, so much research is done at the boundaries of disciplines; graduates can use UCL's diversity to their advantage. It is how we facilitate this that's important and I'm keen to support more interdisciplinary seminars, organised by the postgraduate student societies and encourage more student-driven activities."

"It is a very interesting time to be coming into a position like this, as we are working to increase graduate student numbers within the whole student body. We need to meet the needs of students in line with the Bologna Process and UCL is in a strong position in the way we operate our graduate degrees."

To find out more about the UCL Graduate School, use the link at the top of this article.

Image: Professor Bogle

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• UCL Graduate School