As a physics graduate student in Scotland, you are a SUPA student. This gives you the benefit of being part of a grouping of eight physics departments/schools, and the additional opportunities provided by the SUPA Graduate School. Our goal is to help you to become the best physics graduate students in the world.
The SUPA Graduate School provides you with video conferenced lectures – in the newly upgraded rooms at each university – bringing the expertise of eight universities to your doorstep. Please read through the SUPA Graduate School Student Brochure which contains details of all the courses, what you are expected to complete, and all the information you need to know about being SUPA.
You will most likely be attending several induction events around this time – your local physics department/school, college, university, possibly CDT, and more. These events will provide you with a wealth of information that is designed to help you get the most out of your time as a post-graduate student.
SUPA also has an introductory event – our Welcome Event, and it is mandatory for new students to attend this if possible. We are well aware of the inductions you will have received, and so we have designed our event to offer something different and not to repeat what you have already heard. We are delighted to announce that this year we will have talks from the Chief Scientific Advisor to the Scottish Government, Professor Sheila Rowan, and renowned physicist and public speaker Professor Wilson Poon – a full programme will be circulated via the SUPA mailing list very soon. The Welcome Event will be held in Our Dynamic Earth on Friday 28th October and we very much look forward to seeing you there.
You may or may not be already thinking further ahead, and we have a careers event planning for 6th December, also at Our Dynamic Earth, which you are welcome to attend – we plan to hold annual events like this, so keep this in mind if your career beyond your studies still seems far away.
Beyond this, check your emails for other ways to benefit from being part of the SUPA Graduate School – we offer competitions for funding for short-term visits to broaden you experience, and to assist with the funding of events. There is also the opportunity to join our student representative body and influence the direction of SUPA (this is being formed right now!).
If you have any questions, you have a local SUPA Graduate School Committee member at your university who can help – they are listed in the brochure. Do also feel free to get in touch with us directly, all our details are also provided in brochure – the font of all SUPA Graduate School wisdom!