Changing Academic Practice: Implications for Future Academics in Philosophical and Religious Studies

1
Changing Academic Practice Implications for
Future Academics in Philosophical and Religious
Studies
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Introduction to the Subject Centre for
Philosophical Religious Studies

• Mission statement
• To support and promote philosophical, theological
  and religious studies higher education in the UK
• We work with and for academics and students, to
  provide subject specific support for the learning
  and teaching of
• Philosophy
• History Philosophy of Science, Technology
  Medicine
• Theology
• Religious Studies
• Biblical Studies

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Subject Centre for PRS who are we?

• The Subject Centre for Philosophical Religious
  Studies (PRS) is part of a UK network of 24
  Subject Centres, each of which provides
  subject-specific support to their own
  disciplines.
• The Subject Centre (SC) network is part of the
  Higher Education Academy http//www.heacademy.ac.
  uk/
• Subject Centre staff are PRS academics with a
  range of research and teaching experience

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and what do we do?

• Facilitate the sharing of expertise
• Via events (e.g.)
• Workshop for aspiring academics (19 May, London)
• Beyond the Ordinary Creative Approaches to
  Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religious
  Studies (24 June, York)
• A Level Above? Progression to Undergraduate
  Studies in Philosophy (2-3 July, Oxford)
• colloquia (e.g. practical theology metaphysics
  aesthetics)
• departmental workshops, contributions to other
  events
• ... publications (e.g.)
• Journal Discourse
• Guides e.g. employability ethics faith guides
• and our website http//prs.heacademy.ac.uk

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what else do we do?

• Support new developments (e.g.)
• Employability Working with Values project
• Education for sustainable development
• SC-funded research development projects (e.g.)
• Doctoral training and professional development
  (currently supporting 5 regional/national
  projects)
• Progression
• E-learning
• Provide a voice for PRS disciplines in HE
  policy developments

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Summary of current Subject Centre support for
aspiring academics

• Workshop for Aspiring Academics (19 May, London)
• SC-funded professional development projects
• Midlands Philosophy Research Training Network
• British Postgraduate Philosophy Association
  Masterclass Series training and continuation
• Theological Texts Reading Group
• Abstracta in Concreta engaging museum
  collections in philosophical and religious
  studies research
• One-day event, 21 May, Glasgow
• Developing Advanced Research Methods Training in
  the Study of Religion building capacity for a
  postgraduate training network for London and the
  South-East