PGRs organising conference 2023

Join the UCU PGRs as Staff campaign for our first annual PGRs organising conference at Friends House, Euston Road, London and online on 31 January 2023, 11am - 4pm.

Register
today

• Share knowledge and experiences with PGRs from around the country and the world.
• Learn and practice organising skills.
• Help determine the future of the PGRs As Staff campaign.

The conference will be hybrid, so you can choose to attend in person or online. All of the workshop sessions will be available to attend online. Most will be run by facilitators in person on the day, but we have some slots for online only workshops available. We will work as hard as we can to facilitate participation in workshops for online attendees, although some may not be as interactive as for in-person attendees.

We are able to reimburse travel expenses for UCU members if you need to claim them. You can join UCU either as a student member or a full member if you are also employed by your university in a teaching, research or other role, through our website. The first year of full UCU membership is free for PGRs.

We're inviting expressions of interest for up to three workshops, presentations and discussion sessions run by you. Sessions will be 45 minutes long. You can submit your ideas using this form.

Provisional programme (speakers tbc):

11am - 11.45: Opening plenary & Q+A12pm - 12.45: Skills & knowledge workshops from UCU staff and others12.45 - 13.30: Lunch13.30 - 14.15: The future of PhDs: panel session14.30 - 15.15: Workshops proposed and run by PGRs15.30 - 16.00: Closing discussion - the future of the PGRs as Staff campaign

Register today

Equality statement

We are committed to providing an event in the spirit of equity and accessibility for all, including those with protected and other characteristics or combinations thereof.

Travel: Travel expenses can be reimbursed if you are a UCU member. Please contact Ellie Munro if you have any particular questions regarding this.

Venue accessibility: There are 0 (zero) steps at the main entrance, with lift access from the lobby to the first floor meeting rooms. The door widths of the event rooms are as follows: Marjorie Sykes and Darby are 1.5 m, Lonsdale and Bradshaw are 0.8 m. There is basic seating, a nearby accessible toilet, a hearing loop, general car parking, and three blue badge parking spots. There is a BSL interpreter. For more information about the venue, please see: www.friendshouse.co.uk/accessibility/

Online accessibility: The virtual component of the event will be provided via video conference software Zoom to allow for hybrid participation. The BSL interpreter will be visible on the call.

If you have any questions or access concerns please contact Ellie Munro or Alex Kirby-Reynolds, co-leads for the PGRs As Staff campaign.