PhD Thriving

For Universities

,

PhD Thriving For Universities

A quiet university corridor leading to graduate offices, with smooth concrete floors, tall glass panels revealing rows of bookshelves, and a single unoccupied bench made of pale wood and brushed metal. On the bench rests a neatly packed canvas backpack, a closed laptop in a slim case, and a small, well-worn research notebook with a fabric bookmark peeking out. Cool, even lighting from overhead LED panels mixes with faint daylight from distant windows, creating a calm, contemplative ambience. Photographic realism from a low, slightly off-center angle emphasizes depth and perspective down the hallway. The mood is introspective yet stable, suggesting transitions, boundaries, and the idea of moving through the PhD journey with intention and care.

We All Want PhDs to Thrive

The founder of PhD Thriving, Stephen Morris, is in a privileged position. He has spent much of the last two decades working with students, professionally and personally. He has contributed to consultation projects about student health and wellbeing, managed funded postgraduate meditation groups and provided Specialist Neurodivergent and Mental Health Support to UG and PG students.

Individually and collectively, PhDs are the future of academia as we know it. A decline in the quality and/or quantity of postdocs means a decline in universities and all that that entails for society. To go to the effort and expense of running PhD training and not making the experience as positive as possible makes no sense. When institutions accept PhD survival as the norm, the mindset creates a lose-lose-lose mentality in which students, institutions, and society all underachieve. The evidence suggests that shifting most PhD candidates from surviving to thriving is relatively simple. Research has indicated that if institutions had more understanding, made greater use of compassionate approaches and provided more effective technical support, major shifts in PhD happiness, wellbeing and success could be achieved. The issue is much greater than the number of candidates who don’t reach the Viva stage. Students who simply survive their PhD journey are less likely to want to stay in academia, and if they do, any negative view of the institution that helped train them will shape organisational culture for decades.

There is a growing but partially hidden crisis among PhD cohorts. There is evidence that many students are struggling as a result of challenges linked to neurodivergence and poor mental health. For several factors, many students who find themselves in difficulty during the PhD journey are invisible. Universities need to respond to changes among students and society more broadly. Providing support for individual students is highly beneficial. However, universities need to address the ‘hidden crisis’to understand the main challenges facing students and to put in place appropriate solutions, rather than simply addressing problems when they become critical or toxic. Click here to find out how PhD Thriving can help your university.