PGR Hub: Pop-up activities throughout the summer

The Brambles
The Brambles — one of the venues for our pop-up summer events.

The PGR Hub is closing its doors for the summer in Senate House for necessary and crucial building works to take place across the building. Its new home will be on the second floor of Senate House while the first floor becomes a construction buffer zone for work to continue throughout the 2019/20 calendar on the new Campus Heart atrium. 

But don’t worry – we understand that a physical space dedicated to cross-disciplinary research collaboration, and your general development and wellbeing, is an important part of being a PGR at Bristol. Also, we appreciate that research students don’t get whole summers off – research doesn’t always follow academic terms! 

We’ll be helping run some summer pop-up activities across campus from June through September for you to meet and mingle with one another, take a time-out, or work on your researcher development. Whether it’s time to focus on writing your thesis or a paper, an opportunity to chat over coffee and cake, or a space to unwind in our calming crafternoons, there is something for everyone to enjoy.  

See our schedule below – which will be regularly updated throughout the summer. All of our activities are open to all research students. 

Schedule of PGR Hub pop-up activities

ActivityDate & TimeLocationDescription
Spring-into-Summer Shindig4-6pm , Thursday 30 May PGR Hub, 1st floor Senate House Meet and mingle with your wider research community over light refreshments and snacks – there will be music, plants for the keeping, and a chance to leave your thoughts about the PGR Hub’s first year
Writers’ Retreat 9am-5pm, Tuesday, 11 June Room 2.26, 35 Berkeley Square Supportive and structured days designed to help you focus on your word count and pick up some tips on distraction-free writing
Coffee & Cake Hour11am-12pm Tuesday, 18 June The BramblesTake a break from your work, meet other PGRs, and enjoy some *free* sweet treats
Thesis Bootcamp: Veterans' Day9am-5pm, Wednesday 19 JuneTBCA day for our Thesis Bootcamp attendees to come and check back-in on their progress and write in peace
Board Game Café2-4pm, Thursday 4th July The BramblesEnjoy a classic like chess, Scrabble or Monopoly — or bring in your own game. It's your move.
Coffee & Cake Hour11am-12pm, Tuesday 16 July The BramblesTake a break from your work, meet other PGRs, and enjoy some *free* sweet treats
Writers’ Retreat 9am-5pm, Friday 19 July Helen Wodehouse Building, 35 Berkeley SquareSupportive and structured days designed to help you focus on your word count and pick up some tips on distraction-free writing
Writers’ Retreat 9am-5pm, Monday 5 August TBCSupportive and structured days designed to help you focus on your word count and pick up some tips on distraction-free writing
TA Talk Series: with Academic Staff Development 2-4pm, Wednesday 14 August The BramblesAre you a doctoral researcher who teaches? Come along to a relaxed informal talk for those balancing research and teaching.
Coffee & Cake Hour11am-12pm, Tuesday 20 August The BramblesTake a break from your work, meet other PGRs, and enjoy some *free* sweet treats

Would you like to run an event or session yourself?  

PGRs will have access to the Brambles space (in the Hawthorns) throughout the summer. 

If you would like to run an event or activity for PGRs during the months of June – September, please get in touch with us with your idea and we endeavour to book you into the Brambles space. 

Please note that we will be unable to offer bookings between 12 and 2pm, during which time the space is used as a relaxation lounge by all staff across the University. 

When does the PGR Hub open again? 

The PGR Hub opens its doors once again on 23rd September. To find out more about the changes taking place in Senate House and the Campus Heart programme, visit their website. 

Take notice tips with Jiahe Lu

A man meditating | 'Take Notice' caption

Our ‘5 Weeks of Wellbeing’ theme for the upcoming week is take notice. We invited 2nd year PhD student in the School of Cellular and Molecular Science, Jiahe Lu, to share her advice and insights on why taking notice has helped her throughout her research.

Hello Bristol! I’m Jiahe, a PhD student working on T cells and cancer. In my day-to-day research, I do a lot of imaging of cells –  and that has helped me embrace being an amateur photographer. I always take notice of colours and movement and am ready to capture the moment. So, it seems like I am one of those who has a lot to share about how “taking notice” has had a positive impact on my wellbeing.

As a researcher in the early stage of my career, pressure from my project and too many repeat experiments means I have sometimes felt isolated and depressed. My low mood at these times further prevented me from making progress in my project and my wider life, which ended up as a vicious circle. Therefore, I think it’s beneficial for young researchers to keep up a dynamic communication with the environment around them, and drive towards an active status of noticing the world, both mentally and physically.

Instagram

I’m an Instagrammer myself so maybe that’s why I found Instagram a good way to appreciate the world around me. By following some of the Bristol local Instagram accounts like @visitbristol and @bitsofbristol, people new to Bristol could be busy enough for a whole year —- Bristol looks awesome everywhere and you’ll want to pay a visit yourself to all of its neighbourhoods and parks! For people like me who have been in Bristol for many years, it’s a delightful experience to look through others’ eyes and rediscover the place you’ve become so used to –  and maybe even bored with. Sometimes, when I take a lower view of a familiar sight, or stand behind fences, the world is different and inspiration sparkles.

 

Also, I’m a fan of plants, so I visit @uobroyalfortgardens very often. Royal Fort Garden is the mystery garden closest to you and don’t assume you know everything about it. For example, I never knew there is a loquat tree and its flowers smell sweet! Go and have lunch with your colleagues at Royal Fort Garden, spring is around the corner –first daffodils, now crocuses, and then next up is the cherry blossom, we’re really spoiled…

I post my all my lab work’s live cell imaging experiments on my Instagram, as they make incredible art. In my experiments, the cell signals bloom like fireworks; and watching T cells hunting for cancer cells beneath the microscope really is a hunger game!

I love the hashtag my colleague Grace posts, #mypolaroidPhD, as my PhD is indeed a visually enjoyable project and on top of that, I’m a polaroid fan!

Photography

If following others’ views means to take in information, then photography means to put out your own. Take pictures of the blue sky and balloons, take picture of people’s smiles, take pictures of children hand in hand with their parents, take pictures of old couples cuddling each other…

You don’t need to be an expert or have a good camera. Catching the world’s beautiful moment is a present to yourself, and you can revisit your pictures from time to time to remind yourself how lovely the world is, and what a tender person you are. In Japanese the word “tender (優しい)” is commonly used, and I believe having a peaceful mind saves us from low self-esteem. If you’re stuck in your research project and you feel blue, move your sight away from your desktop for a while. Maybe there’s a rainbow in the sky, or maybe there’s a seagull who wants to come in and do some science!

Enough talking about pictures, you may never notice what a remarkable view your workplace has. I’m proudly claiming that our lab has the best birds-eye view of Bristol at night. But I admit that Queens Building has a better view of sunset since it has the Wills Memorial Building in its frame. I strongly miss the library of the old Biological Building, as you can see the best autumn foliage from there.

The view outside my desk (and we can see rainbows every month from our lab!)

I always said to myself that “this is a world worth living (in Chinese, 人间值得)” on my way home, when I noticed how clear the dark sky was and how the diamond stars twinkled there, and then the early dark in winter is forgivable!

At the end of this blog I really want to say you don’t have to force yourself to pay attention to everything happening around you. But when you sniff the danger of sinking into loneliness and indifference during your academic life, remember you can recharge your battery by noticing the beauty of nature and the community right around you.

My Instagram:  @jiahe_lu


 

For this week’s theme, join us for any of the following activities designed to help you take notice within your wider research community. All activities take place in the PGR Hub, 1st floor of Senate house, unless otherwise stated:

  • Mindfulness mural – colour in the walls!: All week
  • Tai Chi: Wednesday, 20 February, 7:30-9:30pm
  • Guided meditation: 22 February, 1-1:45pm
  • *Virtual activity*: share a mindful moment on social media and tag the Bristol Doctoral College. All entries receive a free bookmark or coaster in exchange, available to collect from the PGR Hub

Pick up a free 5 Weeks of Wellbeing ‘Zine from the PGR Hub – collect a sticker for an activity each week, and you’ll be entered into a prize draw for a wellness hamper worth up to £100!

Putting the pieces back, together

Two faces on jigsaw pieces

Our ‘5 Weeks of Wellbeing’ theme for the upcoming week is connect. We invited 1st year PhD student in English, Surangama Datta, to share her thoughts on what the theme of connect means to her and her research.

Research, as I see it, is like a package deal. “Pushing the boundaries in your field” comes with having to push internal boundaries. There are days when I feel like a super productive PGR ninja, smashing away at my keyboard with high levels of passion (and caffeine), clearing my email inbox like a pro, and totally nailing deadlines. And then there are days when all I have is a blank page. And lots and lots of funny cat videos.

After an entire vicious cycle of blank page, funny cats and anxiety, the white page continues to be just as daunting. The more I stare, the larger it seems to get. Meanwhile, “I am not good enough” starts playing on loop in my head.

Slowly but steadily, I shatter into pieces and begin to fall apart.

As a first year fresh-into-the-research-oven PhD student, I have days when I feel absolutely paralysed by the fear of this huge mountain called my PhD. I feel lost, confused and one hundred percent like an impostor.

I have always had the tendency to keep my struggles to myself and it is only recently, after a few moments of letting go and finding surprising results, that I have finally started to realise that sometimes, reaching out can be the antidote you convince yourself you don’t need, but which you positively do.

So here are three things I highly recommend for days days we can’t, just can’t:

1. Connecting to people you know
This could be friends, family, or anyone else that is close. Just call, meet, email or text. This is a safe space where you can be yourself and vent, vent vent away! These people are often the best qualified to remind you of your worth, how you need to take it easy, and know you well enough to understand your struggles. This is the most personalised help you will get. And sometimes, you will find that your friend, or sibling, or even your fellow researcher, is going through a similar crisis as you.

And you will get support, comfort, hacks and solidarity.

Like this one time I went to the gym in my accommodation to blow off some steam after a series of bad days, and struck up a conversation with a friend to kill time while waiting for my turn at the treadmill. Suffice it to say, that conversation lasted two hours, and I walked in with chaos, and came out with at least five different solutions and a very light heart.

2. Connecting with people who know

There is also an entire community of people out there who know. They know what you are going through, have perhaps gone through similar things themselves, and they know how to help. Sometimes, all you need is to reach out to them. These people may be your supervisors, your fellow PGRs, or perhaps your wellbeing advisors. The point is, they understand your experiences and are willing to listen, and provide specific advice.
Sometimes, I spend weeks feeling like there’s no progress. When I finally get around to meeting my supervisors, they tell me that what I am doing is good enough. And sometimes, that’s all that’s needed.

3. Getting to know new people

I have been surprised over and over again at how much connecting can help in contextualising problems, bringing comfort, and providing practical solutions, or the courage to find them. And sometimes, this involves connecting to new people. New people bring new ideas and experiences. They can bring out parts of you you didn’t know existed, and apart from adding fresh layers to your sense of self, they may even add to your project. This can be particularly refreshing especially when you feel stuck.

So I make it a point to socialise whenever I can. Besides, it can be extremely relaxing just to hang out with new people, have some good laughs, and put your problems aside for a while.

***

A nod in the right direction, a few compassionate exchanges and knowing that you don’t have to do this alone.

I walk into the PGR Hub after an awful writers’ block. I find an insanely difficult 1000-piece puzzle lying around. The pieces are tiny and the puzzle is giant. I fumble at it for a while, and am about to give up.

My fellow researchers join me. We circle around and scramble through the numerous, exhausting pieces. And slowly but steadily, we put the pieces back, together.


For this week’s theme, join us for any of the following activities designed to help you connect to your wider research community. All activities take place in the PGR Hub, 1st floor of Senate house, unless otherwise stated:

Pick up a free 5 Weeks of Wellbeing ‘Zine from the PGR Hub – collect a sticker for an activity each week, and you’ll be entered into a prize draw for a wellness hamper worth up to £100!

Five weeks of wellbeing

Cartoon woman with '5 Weeks of Wellbeing' caption

Looking out for our research student community’s wellbeing is a big priority for us.

Taking on a research degree is no easy feat: studies conducted across Universities in the UK have demonstrated that all postgraduate researchers find their degree to be “a stressful experience” at some point. A “stressful experience” looks and feels different to everybody, and is often hard to identify, hard to talk about, and hard to admit – whether in yourself, your friends, or your wider community.

Our wellness campaign celebrates 5 whole weeks of wellbeing amongst our postgraduate researchers, based on the NHS guidelines for Five ways to mental wellbeing. This research-backed set of evidence-based actions has been shown to improve personal, holistic wellbeing. The idea behind the “5 Ways” format is that when individuals engage in modest activities focused on their mental wellbeing, their general wellbeing will improve. We also hope it will provide a safe space for everyone to consider their own wellbeing, others’ wellbeing, and what “being well” means to you.

Each week of our campaign centres on a different theme:

  • Connect
  • Take notice
  • Stay active
  • Keep learning
  • Give

These themes are centred around finding ways to build connections to others through shared activity and healthy relationship-building; to better understand ourselves through self-reflection and mindfulness; and to embrace positive habits such as physical activity and mental stimulation. The “5 Ways” approach views wellbeing as a state of being that incorporates mental health, physical health and emotional health, rather than viewing – and therefore treating – each one as separate and not interdependent on the others.

The Bristol Doctoral College will be hosting a series of short activities themed around each week. All activities are free, and we have tried to offer a range of opportunities for those based on and off-campus, whether you are full-time or part-time.

Of course, wellbeing is something that lasts beyond 5 short weeks. Our PGR Hub offers a range of activities to support PGR development and wellbeing needs, so be sure to look at our calendar of activities. Do you have an activity you’d like to see, host, or share with us during the 5 Weeks of Wellbeing? Fill out this form or get in touch with us directly.

There are also a range of support services available to students who are experiencing more specific difficulties and/or require more direct support. Talk to a Student Wellbeing Adviser based in your faculty if you would like to find out more, either for yourself or on behalf of a friend.

See our schedule below – which will be update continuously throughout the 5 weeks. All of our activities take place in the PGR Hub, located on the 1st floor of Senate House:

(more…)

Being well this winter: wellbeing support and resources

A sketch of a woman wearing a hat and scarf

December has arrived: the nights are drawing in, the winter months rapidly approach (yes, that’s right – despite what the gritted roads and frosty mornings might suggest, it’s not even officially winter yet), and the University’s closure over the New Year period looms. Of course, it’s a festive time of the year, with Park Street’s warm streetlights twinkling over the misted traffic and sparkle adorning all the shopfront and café windows.

December is also a colder, darker time of year – and we’re not talking about the earlier sunsets and longer evenings. Mental health and wellbeing have been huge topics on the University’s agenda this year, and it’s a topic that is here to stay. While the media’s attention has been primarily focused on undergraduates and taught student wellbeing, we at the Bristol Doctoral College are thinking about our postgraduate research (PGR) community. We’re taking this December to reflect, regroup, and reach out to our PGRs, and to remind you that there are places you can visit, helplines you can call, and small comforts you can find for both yourself and those around you.

The needs of our PGR students are varied and numerous. This year, we’re trying to offer more activities and events that will help our community feel better supported. Is there an initiative or activity you’d like to see take place? Do you have ideas for how we can run activities to support PGR students? Get in touch with us about it.

Reflect

Distraction proves an easy feat this time of year. Don’t let a busy calendar of teaching duties, experiments to finish, exams to prepare, papers to write, and holiday events to attend stop you from checking in with yourself, your peers and your friends.

  • Take some time out during the day for a quiet break. There are a number of spaces on campus you can visit:
    • The PGR Hub, 1st floor of Senate House, is a neutral space designed to support PGR development and wellbeing
    • The new Bristol SU Living Room, on the 4th floor, is a space specifically designed for all students to “just go and chill”
    • If you are far flung from the central campus, step outside for a brisk walk over your lunch break so you can benefit from a change of scenery
  • Check in with yourself about how you relax. It might feel silly – relaxation is supposed to be easy, right? – but research shows that discovering daily tips and small ideas that work for your lifestyle can have profound effects on how you cope with stress. Check out charity Mind’s resources on relaxation and try a few new techniques out to see what works.
  • When we talk about wellbeing, we don’t often discuss what it specifically means to “be well”. The 5 Ways of Wellbeing are a scientifically-devised, empirically-researched, and useful measure for your mood and how you are feeling. Read more about them through the NHS.
  • Join the BDC for a calming Christmas “crafternoon”: a perfect mindfulness pitstop just before the winter break. Bring a friend, or just drop in – there is no need to book, and we’ll have board games, puzzles, colouring, and crafting for you. 19 December, 12-3pm in the PGR Hub.

Regroup

Gathering information, figuring out positive steps and making movements – no matter how small or gentle they are – towards looking after yourself, or helping someone else look after themselves, takes time and resources. Find out where you can go for help, and what resources are available to you:

Reach out

Need to reach out and talk to someone? A range of helplines, both broad and diagnosis-specific, are listed below:

You can also find information about peer support groups, local activities, and counselling services through the University, within the city of Bristol, and through national agencies and organisations:

 

LettUs Grow welcomes doctoral research student for indoor farming placement

Image credit: Lettus Grow

Bristol-based AgriTech company, LettUs Grow, recently welcomed Sam Brooks, a Bristol University PhD student, for a three-month placement in their organisation. Ben Crowther, LettUs Grow CTO and Bristol Graduate, shares his thoughts on the scheme. 

A new initiative launched by the Bristol Doctoral College is inviting organisations to participate in the Bristol Industrial PhD Placement scheme. This involves sending Doctoral Researchers on funded three-month science and engineering placements in a range of sectors – from startups and SMEs to larger companies, government bodies and policy organisations. 

As University of Bristol graduates, we were particularly keen to get involved. LettUs Grow was set up by the three founders – Jack Farmer, Charlie Guy and myself – whilst still at University. We wanted to tackle some of the biggest problems facing the planet: global warming and food security. By combining our backgrounds in engineering and biology, we found innovative ways of using aeroponics to help indoor farmers scale up their operations to compete with traditional agriculture.  

It has been a pleasure to travel full circle and support an internship after completing a number of them myself whilst studying at the University of Bristol. This internship programme has cemented the University as a key source of future talent and we look forward to working with more doctoral researchers in the future. 

This year we welcomed Sam Brooks, a doctoral researcher in the field of thermodynamics, onto the LettUs Grow team. Sam was a crucial member of staff during his time here. His wealth of experience, unique skills and fresh perspective were invaluable to a number of our projects. During his placement, he helped us build one of Europe’s first vertical aeroponic farms in central Bristol, an incredible achievement.  

The placement wasn’t just great for us, Sam had a fantastic time too. Here’s what Sam had to say about the experience: 

“Working for a small company meant that I was exposed to all areas of the business. LettUs Grow was keen that I should try everything from manufacturing products to harvesting crops, so I could understand all aspects of the business. The work was incredibly varied, and no two weeks were the same. One week I might be doing complex calculations and the next I could be building an indoor farm from the ground up. Academia often feels quite slow, but at LettUs Grow there was something new happening every week. 

“The placement opened my eyes to a whole new area of research and career opportunities that I would never have considered before. Even with a project so far removed from my field of research, it was impossible not to notice crossovers. It has given me confidence that I can adapt and be a useful asset to a company. Having work experience during your PhD is incredibly useful on your CV. It shows that you have the soft skills to succeed in all types of work.  

“University research can be very solitary, so it was great to be back working in a team. It was a pleasure working with everyone at LettUs Grow. They were all incredibly fun, supportive and welcoming. I would recommend it to anyone!”


Further information

[Updated 31 March 2019.]

Interested in boosting your own career prospects through a funded placement?

Our Industrial PhD Placement Fair (2 April 2019) is a chance to meet and mingle with representatives from start-ups, SMEs and large organisations. To book your free place, visit the Eventbrite page.

WriteFest 2018


text which reads "writefest"

What is WriteFest?

November is Academic Writing Month (#AcWriMo), an academic write-a-thon that happens every year, inspired by NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) but catering to the specific needs of academic writers. It’s hosted by PhD2Published, as an online space where the global academic community can pledge their writing projects, record progress, and share thousands of writing tips via the #AcWriMo hashtag on Twitter.

WriteFest (#AcWriFest18) is our local University of Bristol contribution, and will bring together academics and researchers from across the university to recognise and celebrate writing. Drawing on the format of the very popular academic writing retreatsWriteFest 2018 has some added workshops, a guide to crafting your own ideal writing soundtrack, a creative writing element, and lots of curated articles about academic writing. We encourage all academics, research staff, and research students to join us and write. 

WriteFest started at Sheffield University. This year, there are 11 partner universities contributing to the festival! ExeterBristolManchester, Kings College London, Keele, Sheffield Hallam, Liverpool, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Derby, and Adelaide! 


What is the University of Bristol doing for WriteFest 2018?

The Bristol Doctoral College Blog will be posting information and articles throughout the month to support you in all matters related to writing – and help you to take a break from writing!

Alongside Bristol Clear, who support Research Staff at the University, we have organised the following workshops and writing retreats. All BDC-run activities are free for postgraduate researchers to attend, and all Bristol Clear-run activities are free for academic and research staff to attend*. 

Look out for our upcoming blog posts and shared articles on social media throughout the month of November. 

All of our planned activities will take place in the PGR Hub, 1st Floor of Senate House, unless otherwise specified.

*Please note that all Bristol Clear offers are in italics. If you are an academic or research staff member, find out more about taking part on the Bristol Clear blog. 

Week 1 

  • Writers Retreat (in conjunction with a Bristol Clear Writing Day)– 1st November  

Week 2 

  • Bristol Clear: Writers’ Retreat – 5th November 
  • Thesis Bootcamp – 5th, 6th, 7th November 
  • Drop-in Writing Day, PGR Hub – 9th November

Week 3 

Week 4 

  • Bristol Clear: Regular Productive Academic Writing – 19th November 
  • Bristol Clear: How to Peer review research manuscripts for journals – 20th November 
  • Drop-in Writing Day, PGR Hub – 23rd November

Week 5 

  • Drop-in Writing Day, PGR Hub – 27th November
  • Take a break: relaxation afternoon – 28th November
  • Writers Retreat – 30th November

How else can I get involved?

The University of Bristol is aiming to write a collective total of 500,000 words* throughout the month, and you can help us to reach this ambitious target (and see our little chart change) by letting us know your word count!

You can share your tally every day, every week or at the end of the month — whatever works for you. To take part, just tell us your word count by using #AcWriFest18 and #BristolPGRs in your Twitter or Instagram post. You can also send us an email, contact us using Facebook Messenger or post a comment on this very blog.

*Our original target of 100,000 words was jettisoned after some outstanding word counts in week one. So the Bristol bar has been raised…

Meet your PGR Faculty Representatives

Your PGR Faculty Reps are elected student representatives who represent all the students in their faculty to the university.  There are three reps per faculty, one for each level of study: Undergraduate, Postgraduate Taught, and Postgraduate Research. They play a vital role in supporting, consulting with, and building a community amongst their course reps. Each rep chairs their own Faculty Student Staff Liaison Committee (FSSLC), spaces where students can air any faculty level academic issues with university staff and find solutions to them.

They attend meetings such as University Senate, the highest committee in the university, ensuring students’ views on educational issues are being heard.

Moreover, they’re a valuable voice in the Bristol SU democratic structures, sitting on Bristol SU Standing Committee, and being voting members of Student Council. Faculty reps make sure that SU policies and campaigns take into account the needs of students in thier faculty. They also work with the SU’s Full-time Education Officers by sitting on the Education Network committee, to improve students’ academic experience, and make sure that SU policies and campaigns take into account the needs of students in their faculty.

Meet your elected Postgraduate Research Faculty Representatives below!

William Hamilton, Faculty of Arts

My goals for the upcoming year will be to make progress in areas with recurring problems, not least work space, and balancing research with extracurricular projects. I want to grow our postgraduate research communities by supporting pre-existing networks, as well as facilitating the creation of new events and communication channels.

 

Joshua Mudie, Faculty of Engineering

I am hoping to work with the PGR Course reps to improve the welcome that new postgraduate researchers receive when joining the Faculty, and also making sure that every department and Centre for Doctoral Training has their own course rep who is linked into the Faculty network of course reps to make it easier for us to help each other and improve the quality of doing an Engineering PhD.

Edmund Moody, Faculty of Life Sciences

I want to focus on increasing mental health awareness for postgraduate research students and integration between all schools in the life sciences faculty. 

Chris Brasnett, Faculty of Science

My main priorities for the year ahead are to work on promoting representation of Science postgraduate researchers at all levels across the faculty, and developing training opportunities for doctoral teachers.

Shubham Singh, Postgraduate Education Officer

I want to ensure that there are efficient support-structures in place to enhance the well-being of postgraduate researchers.

 

Please note that Jessica Naylor, PGR Faculty rep for Health Sciences, and Jafia Naftali Camara, PGR Faculty rep for Social Sciences and Law, will be updated once they officially take post early in the academic year 2018-19. Please email Caitlin Flint, the Bristol SU Representation Co-ordinator, if you would like to get in touch with either of these reps.

If you would like to get in touch with any of your reps, you can email them directly.

Find out more about the various Bristol SU Networks, including the Education and the PG Networks, on their website.

Help us name your new PGR space

A banner collage of images, including two research students working together at a desk, a close up of a cup of tea held in someone's hands, and some laptops.We’re excited to announce the opening of a new space this October that is dedicated solely to the postgraduate research community. This new physical space in the refurbished Senate House (as part of the Campus Heart project) will offer a programme of events and activities designed to support, develop and connect our 3,000-strong body of postgraduate researchers, regardless of your faculty, funding, part-time or distance learner status.

Acting as a hub for all research students, this new space will offer:

  • Personal and professional development training
  • Bookable spaces for small research groups and cross-disciplinary meet-ups
  • Social activities
  • A quiet space to escape from the hubbub of campus life
  • Wellbeing support and resources

And more – we’d love to hear your suggestions about how we can make this valuable for you.

#MakeThisYours

The new PGR hub is a space dedicated to you and informed by you. Have your say and tell us how we can #MakeThisYours.

We invite you to #MakeThisYours before the space even opens by submitting a possible name for our new hub. Are there any famous research alumni who have inspired your journey? Could Hub-McHubFace be a serious contender? Send us your suggestions on social media or via email, and you’ll be entered into a random prize draw for one of two £25 Amazon vouchers!

We’ll put our favourite submissions to the vote in our next BDC Bulletin, due to land in inboxes September 14th.