The Third Degree

Webinar Alert | PhD Pathway Series At The Third Degree, we are all about empowering research students and enhancing the student journey. We've been through it ourselves, and we know just how tough it is. We also know how rewarding it is too! Our mission is to share knowledge. Our specialty, research methodology . Whilst we are running pilot programmes with universities, and getting our platform up-and-running (watch this space over the coming months) during the remainder of 2020, we will also be running a weekly webinar series, the PhD Pathway Series.  Our Principal and invited specialists will offer insights into different aspects of the PhD journey, as well as discuss issues and challenges with select research methods. Whilst we encourage in-person online attendance (oxymoronic, almost), a recording of each webinar will be posted here on our blog. Our aim is to give a balance of interesting discussion topics, which will continue every Wednesday from 14 October onwards. If you hav

Just how many research students should we be supervising?   This was part of a conversation I had last weekend with a senior academic. We were discussing various approaches to rationalising an answer, but also the perspectives and approach different Universities take in establishing guidelines.   Between research, lecturing, departmental and faculty obligations (committees, etc), there isn’t really a lot of time remaining for supervision. An educated guestimate by both of us that 5 research students in a year would be considered a healthy contribution to the future of academia, accounting for approximately 25% of ones’ time – we agreed that such a proportion would not be unheard of.   Fast forward until yesterday. Change location and context to Malaysia. And what did I see, a local private university advertising for a supervisory-based senior position – to work with research students as a supervisor at post graduate levels.   The expectation: supervise up to twelve (12)