Connecting and Interconnecting: Encouraging Communities of Practice Among Doctoral Scholars

Abstract

This keynote focuses on how to encourage ‘communities of practice’ among postgraduate researchers. The talk begins with an explanation of the concept of ‘communities of practice’ and the benefits of connecting and interconnecting with others on postgraduate researchers’ academic development and personal wellbeing. Drawing upon relevant research, theories, and personal experiences of working with doctoral scholars, I then describe creative approaches we used to support a community of practice among postgraduate researchers as we transitioned from largely in-person to fully online social interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following this is a discussion of the new flexible ways of engaging in both person and online and the benefits and challenges of this hybrid model on postgraduate researchers’ social connectedness. The talk concludes with recommendations for how postgraduate researchers can develop meaningful professional interrelationships with others within this new hybrid model of working in academia.

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http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/276490/