From the first two PhDs, awarded to botanist Lily Batten and physicist Leo Palmer in 1921, to the present day we have now awarded over 11,000 PhDs. We marked our centenary year by bringing together alumni, staff and postgraduate students to celebrate the achievements of our pat and current postgraduate researchers and to imagine what the next 100 years of postgraduate research might hold.  

The event was introduced by Professor Hugh Brady, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol, who announced a major strategic investment in postgraduate research of £4.2 million a year, an increase that will enable Bristol to offer at least 100 funded University of Bristol PhD Studentships to start this autumn, and in each of the three years following.

During the evening we screened three short films exploring 100 years of the PhD at Bristol developed through a year long collaborative research project. These films have been co-created by our current and graduated PGRs. The creative team; Surangama Datta, Lena Ferriday, Sophie Osbourne and James Watts who worked with artist Bryony Gillard shared their experiences with our audience via a short panel discussion and Q&A session. These short films are available to watch on our project page. 

We welcomed panellists; Keri Facer, Professor of Educational & Social Futures at the University of Bristol, Dr Jo Jenkinson, Director of the GW4 Alliance and Dr Ben Miles, CEO of Spin Up Science, to join us to explore the 'Future of the PhD' in a panel discussion led by Tim Cole, Director of the University’s Brigstow Institute to explore how research degrees are evolving to meet current research needs, and how they may look in the next 100 years in the context of our rapidly changing societies and changes in universities.

The story of research at the University across its history to date has very much been shaped by its postgraduate researchers. They shape the University itself, and their impact across the international research landscape, and across societies across the world has been profound. This event provided an opportunity to mark that impact, past, present and future.