Global Majority PGR Belonging (GloBel) Programme
A programme bringing together Global Majority postgraduate researchers at Bristol to build community, connection and belonging.
What is the GloBel Programme?
The Global Majority PGR Belonging (GloBel) Programme is for home and international postgraduate researchers who identify as Global Majority (people racialised as non-white). Led by Dr Nilu Ahmed, the programme creates opportunities for PGRs to connect, share experiences, develop supportive networks and contribute to conversations about the experience of doctoral study at Bristol.
GloBel is shaped by the experiences, priorities and insights of Global Majority PGRs. Students are actively encouraged to help shape its activities, conversations and future direction, ensuring it remains responsive to their needs. Through this collaborative approach, the programme also aims to deepen understanding of what supports a sense of belonging for Global Majority PGRs, identify where barriers remain, and what Bristol can do to create a more inclusive PGR research culture.
The programme has four core areas of activity:
Community
Regular social and community events providing opportunities for Global Majority PGRs to come together, build relationships and strengthen networks.
Reflective Leadership
Dedicated reflective spaces and supervision are available for PGRs who lead Global Majority student networks, recognising the emotional labour involved in creating and sustaining supportive communities for others.
Conversations
The programme offers regular drop ins for students as well as structured talks and discussions that respond to the interests and priorities of Global Majority PGRs, covering topics such as doctoral supervision, publishing, funding, careers, wellbeing and academic life.
Storytelling
Through a dedicated podcast series, Global Majority PGRs, researchers and alumni share their experiences, research journeys and insights, creating a lasting resource and archive of Global Majority voices.
Who can take part?
The programme is open to home and international University of Bristol postgraduate researchers who identify as Global Majority (people racialised as non-white).
Creating a dedicated Global Majority PGR space recognises that racialised experiences of doctoral education can intersect with other aspects of identity and experience, including international student status, discipline, gender, class and stage of study.
How to get involved
You can take part in as much or as little of the programme as you would like – whether that means coming along to a social event, joining a conversation, contributing to the podcast, or helping shape future activities all input is welcome!
To hear about upcoming events, suggest an idea or find out more, contact globel-pgr-programme@bristol.ac.uk.
GloBel Events & Conversations bring Global Majority PGRs together to connect, share experiences and explore the issues that matter to them. Across the year, community events will create informal opportunities to meet other PGRs and build relationships beyond immediate research environments. Alongside these, conversations with academics, alumni, invited speakers and one another will explore topics such as supervision, publishing, funding, careers, wellbeing and navigating academic life. Events will be shaped by PGR priorities, creating spaces for connection, shared learning and conversations that might not otherwise happen.
You can find all our upcoming events on the BDC Events Calendar; select the GloBel tag at the top to filter events.
The GloBel Podcast creates space for conversations about the realities of doctoral life, research and belonging. Through conversations with Global Majority PGRs, academics, alumni and invited guests, episodes will explore research journeys, supervision, identity, careers, academic cultures and the experiences that shape a sense of belonging in higher education. The podcast will amplify Global Majority voices while creating an accessible and lasting archive of experiences, ideas and learning that can contribute to wider conversations about doctoral education.
Do you have an idea for a podcast? Please get in touch at globel-pgr-programme@bristol.ac.uk.
Writing Belonging is GloBel’s space for Global Majority PGRs, academics, and alumni to share ideas, experiences and perspectives on belonging, research and doctoral life.
Through short articles, reflections and conversations, the series explores what it means to belong within doctoral education, and the relationships, cultures and institutional practices that can strengthen, complicate or disrupt that belonging.
Writing Belonging creates space for perspectives that are not always heard within conventional academic publishing. Contributions might reflect on supervision, research identity, race and intersectionality, academic cultures, community, careers or the everyday experiences of navigating doctoral study.
Would you like to contribute a piece? Get in touch to discuss your idea at globel-pgr-programme@bristol.ac.uk.
Anonymous Experiences of Belonging is a space for Global Majority PGRs to share everyday experiences that have shaped their sense of belonging at Bristol. These might be wonderful moments of connection, recognition, and inclusion that have created a sense of belonging. Or, you may want to share moments of exclusion, microaggressions, discrimination or other encounters that have made belonging more difficult.
This is not an incident-reporting or complaints service, and submissions will not trigger an individual response or investigation. It is a space to share so that we can learn more about the many sides of belonging. PGRs who want support or action relating to a particular experience should use the University’s appropriate support or reporting routes.
Share as much or as little as you wish – your experiences can help us understand belonging differently.
Please click here to access the form.