{"id":400,"date":"2020-11-17T16:01:07","date_gmt":"2020-11-17T16:01:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.kcl.ac.uk\/doctoralstudies\/?p=400"},"modified":"2020-11-17T16:02:01","modified_gmt":"2020-11-17T16:02:01","slug":"international-pgr-buddy-scheme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kcl.ac.uk\/doctoralstudies\/2020\/11\/17\/international-pgr-buddy-scheme\/","title":{"rendered":"International PGR Buddy Scheme"},"content":{"rendered":"

Would you like a buddy to help you settle in to your studies at King’s and life in London? <\/strong>Are you a current international student who would like to help new PGR students?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Centre for Doctoral Studies\u00a0(CDS)\u00a0aims to support\u00a0early stage\u00a0Postgraduate\u00a0Research (PGR)\u00a0students, helping them integrate into the PGR community and launch their research career successfully.<\/p>\n

Starting a PGR degree can be daunting, perhaps more so if you are an international student moving to a new country. It is particularly challenging this year with the Covid-19 pandemic, restrictions to being on campus\u00a0and\u00a0difficulty forging new connections and networks. It can be highly beneficial to make connections with peers who may have been through similar experiences and navigated the early stages of their doctorate successfully.<\/p>\n

The International PGR Student Buddy Scheme\u00a0(iPGR\u00a0Buddy Scheme)\u00a0seeks to\u00a0connect\u00a0new international PGR students\u00a0(pre-upgrade)\u00a0with current international PGR students who have completed their upgrade from MPhil to PhD (usually after 12-18 months, or part-time (PT) equivalent) and can act as a buddy or mentor.<\/p>\n

Terminology\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Buddy =\u00a0current\u00a0PGR student, who has passed their upgrade viva and helps a new student transition into their PGR degree at King\u2019s College.<\/p>\n

Starting Student = a new student, who has not yet passed their upgrade viva, seeking a Buddy to provide informal advice and support as they start their PGR degree at King\u2019s College\u00a0London.<\/p>\n

Remit and topics\u00a0of discussion<\/strong><\/p>\n

The scheme is informal, and primarily led by the needs of the Starting Student. The Buddies offer a\u00a0friendly connection, acting as a\u00a0sounding board\u00a0and\/or\u00a0sharing\u00a0their own experiences and lessons learned. They might\u00a0help signpost\u00a0a Starting Student\u00a0to other services and support available, although they are not expected to know all the answers.<\/p>\n

Topics of discussion that might be covered between Buddies and Starting Students:<\/p>\n