Research Environment for International Research Students (REFIRS)

1. Research Environment for International Research Students (REFIRS) Dr Linda Hui Yang & Dr Lowry McComb Centre for Academic and Researcher Development Durham University 3 July 2013 HEA Annual Conference

2. Summary • Durham context; • Aims of the REFIRS project; • Methodology; • Key findings.

3. Durham University • Founded in 1832. • Third oldest university in England (after Oxford and Cambridge). • Two campus locations. • Located in the North East of England. • UNESCO World heritage site.

4. The City of Durham

5. Rankings • 4th position in the Sunday Times University Guide 2013; • 5th position overall in the Complete University Guide 2012/13; • 5th position overall in the Times Good University Guide 2012/13; • 80th position in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2013.

6. Student Profile • Summary • 12,087 Undergraduate Students . • 3,028 Taught Postgraduate Students. • 1,548 Research Postgraduate Students (PGRs). • 15,273 Total Student Numbers. • PGRs • FT PGRs. • 407 PT PGRs.48% of total FT PGRs are from outside the UK.60% of total PT PGRs are from outside the UK.

7. Three Faculties • Arts and Humanities;7 departments/schools. • Science; 7 departments/schools. • Social Science and Health;10 departments/schools.

8. Sixteen Colleges • People;Students (FT & PT) and staff. • Multidisciplinary community; Accommodation, facilities, academic and social events. • Support;Pastoral and welfare.

9. REFIRS Project • HEA-funded (Individual Teaching Development Grant); • One-year; • Case study (Durham).

10. Aims of REFIRS Project • An evaluation of the extent to which various different research environments meet international PGRs’expectations and needs; • Recommendations for best practice for ensuring research environments are suitable for international PGRs; • A methodology which is applicable to other institutions wishing to evaluate their research environments.

11. Research Method: Participatory approach • Co-enquirers;Final-stage overseas full-time PGRs;East Asia and Middle East regions;All three faculties. • Qualitative data collection;Semi-structured interviews;Focus Group. • Thematic data analysis.

12. MREEMethodology for Research Environment Evaluation

13. Supervisor • Internal PGRs & staff • External PGR & academics • Research • Language • Publication • Teaching • Funding application • Transferable skills • Emotional • Mental health • Staff in department • PGRs with families • Office & social space • Library • Computing support • Technical support • Equipment necessary for research • Application of research & skills • Career in academia and industry • Support for Ovs PGRs • Employment-related skills

14. Research Community • Supervisor;Regular meetings; prompt and constructive feedback; tailored supervision; contact point for networking; employment and career; emotional support; monitoring progress; prompt arrangement of new supervisor. • Internal PGRs and staff;Feedback on research; belonging to active research group; interactions with senior PGRs; integration with UK PGRs; opportunities to interact with PGRs (different research area & disciplines); support for interdisciplinary PGRs; suitable working/social space. • External PGRs and academics;Access to completed research projects by external PGRs; external researchers; regional/international research community & collaboration; financial support.

15. Knowledge and skills • Research skills;Subject/discipline-specific training; management of supervisor(s)/supervision; identifying and addressing training needs; • Language;Advanced-academic writing; subject-specific terminology; foreign language which is essential for research; speaking skills; • Publication;Subject-specific support for publication; journal rankings; • Teaching;Equal teaching opportunities; support for teaching(culturally specific needs; diversified classroom); • Funding applications;More opportunities; support on making funding applications; • Transferable skills;Popular courses; awareness of transferable skills; skills for cultural and academic transition.

16. Employment and Career • Application of research skills;Career choices (own research field and broader context); subject-specific & generic research skills. • Career paths in academic and industry in the global context;Interests & choices; beginning of PhD programme. • Application of research in non-academic context;Application in non-academic context & benefits to the society. • Support addressing the international PGRs’needs;Competitive advantages; UK and own context; visa. • Employment-related skills;Identifying skills; how to improve; job-application.

17. Facilities • Office and social space;Office (own PC, bit of privacy); social area (tea break; fridge, microwave;chair/sofa). • Library;Hot drinks; good collection of references; longer opening hours. • Computing support;PC quality; prompt response & assistance. • Technical support;Prompt, advanced & professional support; designated technicians. • Equipment necessary for research;Free (printing, photocopy, DDS stickers, data analysis software).

18. Pastoral Support • Emotional support;Supervisors; friends from same country; • Support on mental health;Stress (friends); Counseling service?; Nightline? • Support from staff in department;Support mechanism in department (noticing); friends, supervisor; • Support for PGRs with families;PGRs (work and family); family (cultural transition; language; school; social activities).

19. Supervisor • Internal PGRs & staff • External PGR & academics • Research • Language • Publication • Teaching • Funding application • Transferable skills • Emotional • Mental health • Staff in department • PGRs with families • Office & social space • Library • Computing support • Technical support • Equipment necessary for research • Application of research & skills • Career in academia and industry • Support for international PGRs • Employment-related skills