Date and time
November 24^th, at 15.00-16.00 CET / 14.00-15.00 UK.

Place
Webinar, online on Zoom

Chaired by Søren S.E. Bengtsen, Co-Director of CHEF

Project abstract
This paper explores how doctoral supervisor development programmes (SDPs) in UK universities engage with inclusion, particularly in supporting migrant academics—those who earned their PhDs outside the UK. Drawing on a qualitative study, data were collected through observations and interviews with nine supervisors and four academic developers across three institutions. Findings show that while developers aim to create inclusive, dialogic spaces, supervisors often hesitate to share concerns shaped by different doctoral cultures. Supervisors reported needing more explicit guidance on UK PhD norms to align their diverse academic experiences largely unacknowledged. It is found that institutional norms often limited the integration of global perspectives. The study argues for a shift from viewing migrant supervisors through a deficit lens to recognising the pedagogical value of their diverse backgrounds.

Dr Bing Lu is a higher education scholar based at University of Warwick and Nottingham Trent University.  Bing’s research centres around academic mobility, inclusive admission, postgraduate community, and supervisor development. Bing is currently guest editing a Special Issue on Taboos in Doctoral Education Across Cultures hosted by Higher Education Quarterly.

The Doctoral Education and Academia Research Centre (DEAR) is a Research Centre focusing on the linked topics of doctoral education and the academic profession, and hosted at the University of Warwick, UK.

Web link: www.warwick.ac.uk/DEAR