Central Training Programmes for Research Students

While the College training programmes should be at the heart of all research students' training plans, other centrally run programmes are also available. Research students are encouraged to make use of these central training programmes in order to ensure their training plan covers a full range of transferable skills - such as presentation skills, communication skills, IT skills, etc.

Academic Practice Unit - Researcher Development Programmes

The Academic Practice Unit provides initial and continuing professional development opportunities for all members of the University's research community, including research students:

• Postgradute Researcher Development Workshops
• Skills for the Professional Researcher
• The Intrepid Researcher Series

Places on all programmes are subject to availability and early registration is encouraged.

University Library - Information Literacy Support

The University of Leicester Library offers number of workshops for students and postgraduates covering key information literacy skills such as:

• Referencing
• Information sourcing and retrieval 
• Using new resources - such as eBooks
• Copyright and research

Research students with specialist needs are encouraged to enquire about the Library's customised training sessions.

For more information on information literacy training, please contact your College's Research Information Advisor.

Graduate School Networked Researcher

Are you a networked researcher? The Graduate School Networked Researcher is designed to support you in acquiring the skills to become a 21st century researcher. Visit the Graduate School Reading Room on weekday afternoons to discover new technologies for every stage of the research process.

• Get advice on how to keep up-to-date and publicize your research in the Web environment
• Try out the iPad and eBook readers available
• Come along to one of the workshops on how to use technology in your research
• Build your network at Leicester by joining the thesis forum

To learn more, visit the Graduate School Networked Researcher Website.

English Language Teaching Unit - English Language Skills Courses

The English Language Teaching Unit is British Council accredited and offers a number of in-sessional English language courses for international students and postgraduates who want to improve their English language skills. There is a strong emphasis on Engliah language skills for academic communication and there is a specialist course for those on postgraduate and research degree programmes.

• English Language Teaching Unit In-Sessional Courses

Languages @ Leicester - Learn a Foreign Language

Languages @ Leicester is the University's programme of modern foreign language courses for students and postgraduates. Courses are available in most major European languages as well as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian.

The ability to communicate with international collaborators and funders is an essential skills for the modern researcher and in recognition of this, the Graduate School funds a number of subsidised places for research students and research staff. Subsidised places are available subject to availaility and fill up fast, so early registration is encouraged.

• Languages @ Leicester 2012-13 Courses

IT Skills Training - Develop Your IT Skills

IT Services together with the Academic Practice Unit offer a number of workshops and training sessions covering a range of IT skills areas from use of the main MS Office packages through to more advanced courses in specialist software packages such as SPSS and NVivo.

All sessions are free to University of Leicester research students. 

• IT Skills Training 2012-13 Courses

Other Events for Research Students

Alongside the formal training programmes above, the Graduate School also hosts a number of specialist events designed to contribute to the vitality of the University's postgraduate community and provide participants with further opportunities to demonstrate and enhance their capabilities.

Regular events for research students include Cafe Research - a series of informal evening get-togethers where research students can get together to socialise and listen to short presentations on each others' work.

We also host our annual series of Doctoral Inaugural Lectures and the prestigious Festival of Postgraduate Research at which invited research students have the opportunity to present themselves and their work to the wider University and the general public.

All events will be posted to the Graduate School Diary as they are announced.