Last year, QMSU continued its Postgraduate Consultation Groups, giving postgraduate research students a dedicated space to talk about their experiences as a PGR at Queen Mary.
Last year, Queen Mary Students’ Union continued its Postgraduate Consultation Groups (PGCGs), giving postgraduate research students a dedicated space to talk about their experiences as a PGR at Queen Mary. PGCGs are anonymous focus groups where PGR students can speak honestly about research, wellbeing, funding, community, and the everyday parts of doctoral study that do not always show up in formal meetings. The aim is simple: to build a clearer evidence base so QMSU can represent PGR students more effectively and raise recurring issues with the university.
PGCG attendance in numbers
In 2025/26, the PGCG sign-up form received 186 unique responses. Of these, 57 students were eligible to take part because they were registered as PGR students. 84% of the eligible students engaged with the PGCG and we paid over £2,000 in compensation to students for their contributions in the PGCG. Attendance in PGCGs were 10% higher year-on-year.
Who took part?
Across the year, we held seven themed focus groups. These were identified through a mixture of speaking to PGR subject reps, the VP Liberation, International, and Postgraduates' priorities, and preferences expressed by PGR students during the sign-up.
Seven sessions, seven PGR priorities
What students raised
The PGCGs showed how varied the PGR experience can be. Some discussions focused on funding and stipends, especially the impact of London living costs and differences between funding arrangements. Others turned to work opportunities, teaching, demonstrating, and the difficulty of finding clear information about paid roles alongside a PhD.
Community came up again and again. PGR students told us they wanted more chances to meet one another beyond their immediate department, more visible PGR representation, and more activities designed around the realities of doctoral study.
Wellbeing, supervision, and work-life boundaries also ran through the year. Many PGRs described the pressure of independent research, unclear expectations about working hours, and the need for support that recognises the specific relationship between doctoral students, supervisors, departments, and funders.
For international PGR students, the discussions covered arrival, settlement, housing, visas, banking, healthcare, and the challenge of finding community while navigating a new country and university system. Induction was another major theme, with students asking for information to be shared at the right time, not only in one intense block at the start of the PhD.
What students said about taking part
What students told us about the PGCG
This year, we also introduced an anonymous evaluation form for attendees. The feedback was encouraging. 11 out of 12 students were in agreement that it was easy to sign up , that the theme was relevant to issues faced by PGR students, that they felt able to share their views, and that they were satisfied overall. The student who was in disagreement left positive free-text comments about the session so their response, if counted as an error, means that the PGCGs received mostly positive feedback across the board.
What students said about taking part
The feedback also gave us clear ways to improve. Some students wanted more time for discussion, earlier sharing of themes or questions, and clearer explanation of how PGCG feedback leads to action. These points have been received by the team and will share how PGCGs are promoted, scheduled and structured next year.
What happens next
PGCGs work because PGR students are willing to share their experiences honestly. This year's discussions helped QMSU identify recurring issues, escalate concerns, and make changes to how we communicate with and involve postgraduate researchers.
Thank you to every student who signed up, attended a session, or completed the evaluation form. Your insight helps make postgraduate representation more specific, more evidence-based, and more connected to the realities of research life at Queen Mary.
PGCGs will return again this academic year with a new recruitment cycle, new themes, and more opportunities for PGR students to make their voices heard.