news
campusreview.com.au
Survey into PhD graduates
Thousands of PhD graduates to be polled on
career pathway and degree satisfaction.
I
n an Australian-first, Group of Eight universities will investigate
and publish the extent to which PhD students contribute to
the nation.
The three year project, dubbed Understanding PhD Career
Pathways, will survey more than 200,000 PhD graduates and
provide information on their career outcomes at three, eight and
15 years after the completion of their degree.
Go8 chief executive Vicki Thomson said the universities would
partner with the Social Research Centre to complete the project.
“The project is exciting and long overdue,” she said. “Thousands
of Go8 PhD alumni – some as far back as 15 years after graduation
– are being contacted to participate in the online survey, and
I encourage them to do so.
“Most graduate outcome surveys focus on employment
outcomes only post-graduation. They have not focused on
careers over a 15-year span. Now we are drilling down into the
detail of the many and varied careers of our PhD graduates, how
their training assisted their accomplishments, and what this has
delivered for Australia.
“This Go8 survey is a first step in establishing the long-term
evidence base to ensure that Australia receives the best research
talent for a 21st century economy.”
The survey will ask a wide range of questions regarding short,
mid and long-term employment outcomes, career transitions, job
and degree satisfaction, and skill relevance.
The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) has
responded to the announcement with support.
“Doctoral students are a diverse group, with different
expectations and reasons for undertaking the PhD. We are
hopeful that the Go8 project will reflect this diversity and
illuminate the long-term outcomes of completing doctoral
study,” it said in a statement.
“We look forward to the existence of rich data on PhD career
outcomes, which may be useful to prospective students, as
well as to current students considering career paths to choose
post-graduation.” ■
Launch of ‘managed campus’
USC campus to specialise in
international student experience.
A
new facility unveiled in the heart
of Sydney will focus on improving
the higher education experience of
international students.
6
Co-created by the Australian Technical
and Management College (ATMC) and
the University of the Sunshine Coast, the
“managed campus” on Kent Street officially
opened in April.
ATMC chief academic officer Professor
Mike Clements said the new campus
would have a “unique system” designed
to engage students with Australian culture
and businesses.
“The concept of delivery is based
around a combination of academic
excellence and expertise, along with a
highly focused student-centred approach
where the student experience is
paramount,” he said.
“The managed campus approach means
that students are offered real-world skill
development and multiple pathways
through partner universities.
“We put great emphasis on employability
and meaningful outcomes for our
students, and that reflects well on the
universities that we partner with.
“In practical terms, that means
that students take home more than
just degrees – they take home an
understanding of Australian culture,
communication styles and an insight into
how we do business.”
A total of 592 students and faculty
staff are expected to attend the
Kent Street Campus, which will
act as a dedicated USC campus
“catering specifically for international
students” and with a focus on business
courses. ■