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We have a very vibrant research culture here.
A large RHD contingent of students doing
Research Higher Degrees, MA's by research and PhD's.
We regard this as synchronous, as absolutely bound up with
the research that we as scholars produce.
Increasingly as the student progresses through the PhD program,
they think of themselves less as students and more as emerging scholars
and that's very much the ethos we seek to propagate
in how students are supervised.
It's really stimulating to have professionals who are
experts on the subjects that I'm interested in
that I can ask questions of.
They've got great academic knowledge on their subjects,
they also have vocational advice and
they have a lot of contacts so there's a lot of networking.
Students come here and some will come with an academic career track
and seek to become lecturers and use the PhD that way.
While as others will use a RHD period of study
at RHD level, to prepare a specialism in a particular industry
or business or a vocational track, which gives them added advantage.
Again this is all very much wrapped up into this notion
that the theoretical approach that many Universities have
is only really as good as your capacity to test it in the real world.
So our RHD students will engage in abstract theoretical debates but
the focus is on how one applies those outside of the University environment.
I was awarded the Amy Gaye Cowper Tennent Memorial Scholarship
by the Faculty of Arts this year and I used it
to go on a research trip to London.
So whilst I was there I presented my work at two conferences,
I did some research at a couple of archives,
the Science Museum was one of them
and I attended the University of London,
Birkbeck Colleges, London Critical Theory Summer School.
Whilst presenting my work I managed to meet a whole
bunch of people who are involved in the field that I am
which is invaluable, my peers as well as academics that I look up to.
Meeting theorists, talking about theories
actually kind of primary research for me and it really
allowed me to go to London and see what people are up to,
see what the state of the art was so to speak.
Make some more connections overseas.
We like to think of ourselves as an interface between
the world of academia and the world of work.
Both of those in body are of remarkable diversity.
We think and the Graduate School particularly is structured in such a way
to give students the tools to bridge that gap.
To be strong academically, to master a subject,
to the writing of a substantial piece of work,
a thesis, a dissertation
and the ability to use the skills accrued there by
in a practical every day work experience
and that's very much how research functions here
at the University of Melbourne.