Membership of the UK Council for Graduate Education
Council members have been creating and sharing good-practice on the governance and development of UK postgraduate education for over 25 years.
The UK Council for Graduate Education is a membership organisation comprised predominately of UK Higher Education Institutions. Any staff member at a subscribing institution is eligible to benefit from institutional membership.
In addition, many funders and sector organisations are also involved with the Council as Associate Members.
Individual membership is also available for international colleagues, and those without an institutional affiliation.
The Voice of the Postgraduate Community
The Council is an independent educational charity which relies on voluntary contributions from individuals and institutions in the postgraduate sector.
We are governed by elected representatives of the postgraduate sector, who serve for a 3‑year term. We raise funds through membership subscriptions, event registration fees, research grants, and commercial sponsorship.
With members drawn from across the world, including over 90% of UK Higher Education Institutions, all UKCGE events, each of our professional networks and working groups, and all our publications are developed and delivered by our membership.
The UKCGE plays a crucial role in postgraduate research in the UK. During the pandemic, in particular, we have needed to be agile – thinking flexibly and responding quickly. UKCGE has provided numerous opportunities for staff from across UK to connect and discuss the pressing issues. In addition, UKCGE has provided stimulus materials and guidance documents, drawn from across the sector, which have been hugely helpful in developing local policy and practice. The UKCGE’s outputs are clear, concise and evidence-based – just what you need when time is at a premium, and a great resource for our supervisory community.Dr Nigel Eady Director of Research Talent, Centre for Doctoral Studies & Centre for Research Staff Development, King’s College London
Run by the Community. for the Community
We have a community of practice ethos, which is captured in our motto:“by the sector, for the sector”.
Our core principle is that we are run by and for the postgraduate sector.
Whether your institution has been a long-standing provider of postgraduate education and research or is just establishing its provision, becoming an active member of the UKCGE’s professional networks will benefit you.
Our networks are forums for sharing of practice, ideas and experience between colleagues, across institutions, with the goal of improving individual’s practice and institution’s provision.
We engage our community through consultative processes – gathering intelligence and survey data, and importantly – visiting our member institutions and facilitating free-to-attend forums and meetings alongside our formal events programme.
UKCGE has also supported my work in a number of unexpected ways. Not only does membership connect me to colleagues in the sector, it has allowed me to be part of a community of practice – a place to trade experiences, share ideas, and perhaps most importantly of all, to join conversations about the future of doctoral education.Professor Julie Sheldon | Liverpool John Moores University