Aim of the programme:

The aim of this programme is to provide a space to support researchers in developing leadership and influencing capabilities, providing a focus to identify and address issues and challenges in managing research, and influencing others.

The leadership groups adopt the notion of an emergence studio. A definition of an ‘emergence studio’ is provided by Barefield (2023):

An emergence studio is a space where individuals can come together to imagine potential futures. While the specifics will differ, emergence studios share an orientation towards embracing complexity and interconnectivity for the betterment of our world. Emergence studios bring individuals, along with each individual’s unique set of experiences and knowledges, together to imagine futures and create plans of action for working towards their vision. (Ibid, p.166)

Working in small groups (up to a maximum of eight participants) studio participants will meet each week over an eight-week period, each term. The meetings are participant-led, supported by a facilitator. By joining a studio, participants commit to actively progress their roles, responsibilities, and concerns as leaders and managers beyond the studio space.

The studios are designed to be dynamic, comprising different participants at different stages to bring fresh perspectives and new ideas.

Staff are invited to engage with this new and innovative approach to leadership and management development in the spirit of cooperation and collaboration.

Further Reading:

Barefield, T. (2023) ‘Emergence studios: bringing collaboration and iteration into the social sciences’, International Journal of Lifelong Education, 42(2), pp. 165–176. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/02601370.2023.2173324.

Pendleton-Jullian, Ann.M. and Brown, J.S. (2018) Design Unbound: Designing for Emergence in a White Water World. Massachusetts: The MIT Press.

What will I learn?

The programme will enable participants to:

Identify and address common research leadership concerns.

Collaborate with colleagues from a broad range of academic disciplines, in identifying mutually beneficial and creative approaches to shared concerns.

Reflect on and identify priorities for own professional development as managers and leaders.

Is it right for me?

This programme is aimed at research managers, including researchers, those on teaching contracts who are research active, research technicians, and research enablers, who may be at the early stages of their research careers, who are at the mid/later stages of their research careers interested in identifying and resolving shared issues in research management and leadership, in a mutually supportive and proactive environment.

Less useful if…

This is less useful for those interested in directed training in management and leadership skills, or management techniques.

Learning Hours:

This programme takes approximately 21 learning hours. This includes any pre-course/programme work, attendance at workshops, experiential (‘on-the’job’) learning, coaching and post-course/programme work.