Research career stories: forging a research career outside academia
The range of careers for researchers outside academia are wide and varied, with the benefits of research skills required far beyond the world of higher education.
Made in Wales: Researcher Career Stories is a programme run for early career researchers by the Wales Concordat Network. The Network includes representatives from all Wales’ universities, working in partnership with the Learned Society of Wales. Its role is to support the career development of researchers, improving the support they receive as well as their prospects for employment.
This summer, the Wales Concordat Network is running a series of on-line events to explore the diverse range of careers open to researchers. They are aimed at postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers in Welsh higher education institutes (HEIs) and beyond (though all are welcome to attend).
The online sessions all explore different research career stories. Two of them will involve Fellows of the Learned Society, as we continue to use their lived experience to inspire the next generation of researchers.
“Many of our Fellows come from outside academia, using their research backgrounds within industry, the arts, commerce and the professions,” said Dr Barbara Ibinarriaga Soltero, Programme Manager for Researcher Development with the LSW.
“That explains why we value the diverse career pathways open to researchers and are so enthusiastic in our support of initiatives like this.”
- Thursday, 21st May, 12:00-13:00, featuring Professor Wisia Furmaniak FLSW (Honorary Visiting Professor, Cardiff University School of Medicine). Book now.
- Thursday, 18th June, 12:00-13:00. Booking will open shortly.
- Thursday, 9th July, 12:00-13:00, featuring Professor Robert Deaves FLSW (Product Manager, Oxa; Honorary Professor, University of Birmingham). Booking will open shortly.
The sessions will offer insights into the wide variety of career options available to researchers alongside the “traditional” academic route. They will celebrate diverse individual career stories, as well as showcase the ways in which Welsh HEIs contribute to the development of a skilled and talented workforce in Wales, the UK and beyond.