Officers and staff from HISA played key roles at the recent UHI ENGAGE 2026 Research and Knowledge Exchange Conference which took place on 7-9 January. The PGR day was students organised by students with help from HISA.
HISA Contributes to UHI’s Research Conference
Officers and staff from HISA played key roles at the recent UHI ENGAGE 2026 Research and Knowledge Exchange Conference which took place on 7-9 January.
As part of a day dedicated to UHI’s research student community, which students organised themselves with some help from HISA, Vice-President (Education) Holly Pearce was part of a panel exploring the student experience for postgraduate researchers (PGRs).
Elsewhere in the programme, HISA staff Aimee Cuthbert (Development Manager) and Simon Varwell (Director of Student Engagement and Representation) delivered a presentation on how UHI could bring unique stories to the growing global scholarship of student engagement, and our Local Coordinator for UHI Argyll and SAMS Annie Mason was on the conference organising committee and chaired a number of sessions.
Holly commented:
“Being invited to join the PGR Conference panel as a guest member was a genuine honour. Sitting online alongside such talented and passionate individuals gave me a completely new appreciation for the depth and diversity of the PGR community. Even though I’m not a PGR student myself I felt warmly welcomed, and having the opportunity to share a little about my own background and experiences was incredibly meaningful.
Listening to the panel talk about their research projects, the challenges they navigate, and their experiences of studying online was both inspiring and eye‑opening. Their commitment, resilience, and enthusiasm really stood out, and it reminded me just how much incredible work is happening across the university that often goes unseen.
The conversation left me with a much deeper understanding of the PGR journey and the unique pressures and opportunities that come with it. I’m genuinely looking forward to continuing these discussions, reconnecting with the students I met, and working together to help strengthen and improve the PGR student experience moving forward.”
This is all part of HISA’s wider work to support our PGR community across UHI, including advocating on various issues relating to the PGR experience, working in close partnership with the UHI Graduate School, and supporting the UHI PGR Society which brings together research students across UHI’s many campuses in a mutually supportive community. For more information, please contact Annie Mason (Annie.Mason@uhi.ac.uk), and you can find out more about the UHI PGR Society on our website.