To all our new postgraduate researchers joining us for the first time this autumn, I would like to wish you a very warm welcome to York Graduate Research School and the University of York. I hope that your time with us is a productive and fulfilling one, whether you are here for a year on a master’s by research or as a visiting student, or for longer on a full PhD. This regular newsletter is where you can find out about what is going on across YGRS and the University, with events, opportunities and features about postgraduate research life. I very much look forward to meeting many of you at the YGRS induction on Wednesday 30 September - see below for more details, and look out for our separate message too. To all our returning PGRs, welcome back, or, if you haven’t been anywhere, ‘hello’!

I am very pleased to report that the University of York has been shortlisted in two categories of the Times Higher Education Awards 2026, both of which have a strong PGR flavour. The SAINTS Centre for Doctoral Training (EPSRC), which focuses on safe autonomous systems and AI, has been shortlisted in the category of Outstanding Contribution to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. The Yorkshire Consortium for Equity in Doctoral Education (YCEDE), ably led by my predecessor as Dean, Prof Kate Arnold and involving a collaboration of colleagues across five Yorkshire universities, has been shortlisted as Widening Participation Initiative of the Year. Winners will be announced at the award ceremony on 26 November in Birmingham.

Finally, in this edition, we hear from two sets of York PGRs about their experiences organising and leading to very well-received conferences last month: Teaching in the Inbetween; and the Global China Studies Early Career Network Annual Conference. Organising an academic conference is a great way to meet people from your field, develop your leadership, organisational, promotional and networking skills and can be a lot of fun too. Read on to get some first hand advice and reflections on the experience.

Best wishes, 
Paul
Dean of the York Graduate Research School

Whether you’re a brand new PhD or Masters by Research student, or you missed our previous induction events, you are warmly welcomed to the upcoming University of York Induction for new Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs)! Meet your fellow PGRs, learn about key information and support available to you, hear practical advice from current PGRs and join us afterwards for refreshments and networking. Please book your place for catering purposes.

Respect at York underpins everything that we do. Our Together York community declaration outlines how we behave towards one another at the University. This encompasses our code of conduct on Free Speech and our Personal Relationship Policy. 

The University takes incidents of harassment and sexual misconduct seriously. In line with changes to OfS regulation and the Worker Protection Act we have taken steps to strengthen our approach to preventing harassment and sexual misconduct and providing support to our staff and students.

Postgraduate researchers must complete the Respect at York training on ‘Understanding consent and being an active bystander’ on the VLE. This module supports everyone to better understand what sexual consent is and how to have healthy, consensual relationships.

Effective communities are built on shared values and we invite all members of our community to join together in upholding them.

We are launching a University Assembly, to help us navigate conflict, ethics, research and education about current armed conflicts and examine the vital role universities play in responding to them. Attendance will be based on expressions of interest, so we can include a broad spectrum of perspectives. Find out more and express your interest by 30 September for a chance to take part. 

We are launching a new Research and Policy Institute at the University of York Mumbai with an event on Thursday 17 September, 10am to 11am (BST). We're inviting staff and PGRs at York to join us to watch the launch event online. Find out more about the event and register for your free place. 

As part of changes on campus to improve safety and security, from Monday 21 September all staff and students need to wear their University card visibly while on University premises. Throughout the following months, there will be changes to which parts of campus require card access, and all cards will be updated automatically. 

In addition to being part of our YGRS community, as a postgraduate researcher you are part of a wide staff and student collective here at York, and are welcomed and encouraged to take part in the full breadth of opportunities, activities and societies on offer - including the annual Welcome Week(s) activities! 

Whether you are a new PGR, or interested in trying something new for this academic year, you can explore the wealth of welcome activities on the York SU website, our student events page, your college’s social media and via the MyUoY app. From campus tours, to pub quizzes, to craft activities, all the way to the annual Welcome Fair showcasing our many student societies - there’s an event for every pace, preference and taste. 

The only official UoY welcome events are those hosted by the University of York Students’ Union (York SU), our colleges and our communities teams. Read on below for more.

The Postgraduate Communities Team are running a packed programme of Welcome events for postgraduate students new and old, offering opportunities to meet other PGs, get to know the city and campus, and settle into York. All events are free and open to all postgraduate researchers - explore the range of events on offer and register your interest in attending. 

York SU has loads of exciting events coming up, just for Postgraduates! Head over to the York SU website events page to discover what’s on offer exclusively for masters and PhD students. 

And that’s not all! PGRs are welcome to join in wider welcome activities to meet students from different cohorts - explore the full calendar of SU events.

Join IT support for a range of additional drop-in support sessions during September and October. From questions about services to helping you set up a device on our campus wifi, the team is here to help!

Some symptoms of meningitis can be confused with flu-like symptoms. Although cases are very few, meningitis is potentially a very dangerous infection and can get worse very quickly. Make sure you know when you need to act with infectious illnesses. 

The Research Culture and Researcher Development Team (RC&RD) are proud to launch our 2026/27 programme! We deliver and coordinate a comprehensive programme of professional development, events and skills training, including bespoke workshops specifically tailored to PGRs. You can now easily view all of our upcoming workshops on our brand new Training Webpages - every session has its own events page, with a direct link to book your place via SkillsForge, and sessions split into training themes to help you easily navigate and discover new workshops to attend.

EXPLORE is a series of nine short online sessions (45 minutes each) introducing you to key fellowship topics - perfect if you’re considering an early career fellowship for your next career step. The series starts again in October 2026, with sessions running until the Winter break. See the full list of sessions on our Training Webpages.

We have replaced our previous combined Attendance & Feedback form - attendance will now be determined by Zoom Attendee Logs (for online sessions), and a paper register (for in-person sessions). There is a separate anonymous Feedback Form which you can use to give us feedback for any workshop. Please ensure you are easily identifiable by your Zoom username, and that you are in the Zoom call for the majority of the duration of the session, otherwise this may result in you being marked as absent. Please also make sure you sign the paper register at any in-person sessions.

Our online Writing Retreats give you time, peace, and space to fend off procrastination and beat writer's block. Each session will provide a friendly and constructive environment in which to meet like-minded peers, discuss challenges and work in a focused way using the established Pomodoro technique. Retreats are run by a network of Universities including York, but you can attend any session. See the full calendar of planned sessions (UoY login required).

Come and visit Careers and Placements in our new home on the first floor of the Harry Fairhurst Building (part of the Library). We’re open Monday to Thursday, 10am to 3pm.

Organised by the White Rose University Consortium, the fair creates a shared space for networking, career exploration and knowledge exchange, showcasing the breadth of opportunities open to PhD researchers both within and beyond academia. Confirmed employers are now listed on the website and include Leeds Museums and Galleries, Charity Horizons and the National Railway Museum. Travel costs up to £30 can be reimbursed.  Learn more about the event, including reimbursement rules. 

See all current Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) teaching opportunities on Handshake.

Are you a PGR student interested in teaching digital skills? We currently have an opportunity open for a Graduate Teaching Assistant role covering audio and creative media in the Library's Creativity Lab. You'll help support the design and delivery of digital skills workshops focussing on audio, podcasting, media editing, and creative technologies. Training and support provided. Contact lib-creativitylab@york.ac.uk for any questions about the role and apply by midday (12pm), Thursday 17 September 2026. 

If you're planning to teach as a GTA at York, you need to complete Introduction to Teaching and Learning training first. There are three different workshops; you should complete the one recommended by your department. For any queries, please contact the Academic Practice Team: academic-practice@york.ac.uk.

York SU has loads of exciting events coming up, just for Postgraduates! Head over to the York SU website events page to see what’s on offer. From pub quizzes, to karaoke - there’s something for everyone. 

“Our main advice is: do it! You don't need a huge budget or months of planning to create something worthwhile.”  ~ Kate Long and Grace Cooper

“...don't think you need to wait until you feel you have enough experience. Organising a conference is itself a learning process. There are many things you only learn how to deal with once you actually start doing them.” ~ Tonghua Li

Meet Tonghua Li, Kate Long and Grace Cooper - PhD researchers, current YGRS members and recent organisers of two successful PGR conferences respectively. For this month’s PGR spotlight, we caught up with the three of them to ask about their conference topics, highlights from being an organiser, and top tips for anyone interested in following in their stead! 

Could you be our next spotlight? Contact our newsletter team at student-communications@york.ac.uk for more information on taking part in upcoming ‘Meet The PGR’ features.

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