Presented at the UKCGE "Enhancing the Student Experience for International Doctoral Students" event, Glasgow November 29th 2017

1. Supporting international research students
Some pieces of the puzzle!
Dr Rob Daley
Academic Developer
Heriot-Watt University
r.a.daley@hw.ac.uk
@RD531
UKCGE Enhancing the Student Experience for International Doctoral Students
Glasgow, November 28th 2017

2. Good Student Support for All!
• All PGRs should be well supported through all stages of
their research degree. Not just the majority or certain
groups.
• Best if we can mainstream “International Student Support”
and not treat them as a special case
• Ensure support mechanisms are designed with the diversity
of the PGR population in mind.
• It is unlikely that one approach will work for all!
• We need to be Inclusive, Creative and Considerate!
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Good PGR outcomes are good university outcomes!

3. Good Students Support for All!
To achieve this we need to ensure we:
1. have a good awareness of all the challenges that
different groups of students face, and
2. design our support mechanisms to provide appropriate
support for students facing these challenges.
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4. How do we identify the needs of
International PGRs?
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5. Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES)
PRES 2015
Respondents
UK 62.6%
Other EU 9.9%
Overseas 27.5%
Total 52, 361
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National Report https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/system/files/pres_2015.pdf
National Data Set https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/system/files/pres2015_data_annexe.xlsx
Organised by the HEA!

6. Overall Satisfaction
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More analysis of 2015 PRES data on International PGRs can be found at:
https://www.slideshare.net/RobDaley2/supporting-international-research-students

7. How do we identify the specific needs of
International PGRs?
• PRES does not provide much insight!
• Need to dig deep into the literature and consider
carefully if the literature findings will be applicable in our
local contexts,
• There is still much research needed to better understand
the experiences of International PGRs in the UK.
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8. Will the QAA Enhancement Theme help?
• QAA Scotland Enhancement Theme:
–Evidence for Enhancement: Improving the Student
Experience
• Institutions have just submitted their overall Theme aims and
Year 1 plans
• Call open for expressions of interest in leading or
participating in Collaborative clusters
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For further details, see: http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/enhancement-
themes/current-enhancement-theme

9. Dimensions of Student Support
University
Structures
Dept. or CDT
Structures
Supervisors
Students &
Peers
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10. Some Institutional Level Considerations
• All policy in line with visa restrictions and visa costs!
• Accommodation processes and support
• Central events timed with religious and national holidays in
mind
• Clear guidance on aspects such as setting up a bank
account, registering with a doctor etc.
• Clear guidance on aspects such as schools, places of
religious wordship, local cultural groups etc.
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11. Some more Institutional Level Considerations
• Knowledge of PGR issues amongst international office
staff
• Appropriate English Language and Academic Writing
Support
• Access to facilities during UK holiday periods
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12. Induction(s)
• International Students may arrive late due to visa issues
so repeats or online equivalents are very helpful!
• Do our PGR Inductions include elements to support
students understanding of the UK/HEI research cultural?
• Do our PGR Inductions include elements to support
students understanding of the wider UK/HEI cultural?
• To be successful at their research, our students need the
rest of their life to be settled and working well!
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See Wonkhe blog: http://wonkhe.com/blogs/supporting-international-students/

13. Supervisors
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14. 14
Supporting research students is an
institutional responsibility that all too
often falls mainly (or entirely) on
supervisors.

15. Supervisory considerations…
• Supervisors cultural awareness and knowledge
• Supervisors approach to supporting individual students
• Raising supervisors awareness of unconscious bias
• Supervisors understanding of visa restrictions
(completion window, conferences etc.)
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My advice to supervisors!
• The supervisor is responsible for ensuring the student
receives the support they need, and not for providing all of
it themselves!

16. Stage Considerations
Settling In
Getting
Started
Doing
Research
Finishing
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What’s important is clarity of expectation!
Use of expectation questionnaire https://www.griffith.edu.au/higher-
degrees-research/current-research-students/supervision/expectations-in-supervision-questionnaire2

17. Wolverhampton Supervisor Development
• 12 sessions, one focussing on Supporting International
Students
• 2 hours long
• Covers:
•English Language requirements
•Cultural Competency (UK HEI, Integration into UoW,
Cultural clashes)
•Visas and Immigration issues
•Registry process and expectations (Forms, process, fees
etc.)
17See http://www.wlv.ac.uk/research/the-doctoral-college/research-supervisor-development-programme-rsdp/

18. Other Supervisor Development Considerations
• Supervisor as Mentor
• Supervisor as Coach
• Cultural Awareness
Also, how do we quality assure our supervision of PGRs?
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19. Student Level Support
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20. Researcher Development
• Specific 1st year workshops for international students
• Specific elements focusing on Academic Writing
• Specific Viva preparation workshops
• Taking account of different career expectations or needs
• Ensure that facilitators are well placed to support international
students in their sessions!
We need to balance between specific support for international
students and supporting integration into the wider research
student community!
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21. Other Support Elements
• Student advice offices
• Student Union support
• PGR Representatives
• Postgraduate Societies
• Research Student Coordinators or similar
• Research Student/Graduate School administrators
How good are these at supporting international PGRs?
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22. Peer Support
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23. Peer Support Considerations
• Appropriate Student Union or University support for PGR
Societies and International Student societies etc.
• Local funding support for Dept./CDT research student
activities (esp. social) that promote cultural awareness and
promote peer-support.
• Development of a PGR community that is international in it
outlook and has a high level of cultural awareness.
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24. Branch Campuses
• Policy and processes are generally designed by those
on the main campus who may have little understanding
of the challenges at branch campuses
• Specific challenges may exist at individual campuses
• For small number of PGRs, a bespoke approach is often
best
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25. Researcher Development at Branch Campuses
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26. Further Resources
1. Supervising International Research Students by Eunice Okorocha, SRHE, 2nd
Edition, 2007.
https://www.srhe.ac.uk/downloads/guides/guides_on_postgraduate_issues_4.pdf
2. International Students - Transitions into Scottish Higher Education: A Scoping Study
by Irene Bell, QAA Scotland, 2016.
http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/pages/docdetail/docs/publications/internationa
l-students-transitions-into-scottish-higher-education-2016
3. 53 Ways to Enhance Researcher Development, R.Daley, K.Guccione and
S.Hutchinson (Eds), Frontinus Ltd., 2017.
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27. THANK YOU!
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