Beyond the Academy is a research study funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). In collaboration with our partner organization, Hikma Strategies, ALIVE Lab is investigating critical questions about professional agency and community. Through qualitative and quantitative methods, we are gathering insights from professional learners who know firsthand what it means to teach, be taught, and co-create knowledge: PhD students and graduates.

The lines of our professional landscape are being redrawn by the Great Resignation, the booming EdTech industry, and widespread discussions about the future of higher education. The goal of our research is to inform and improve the programs that organizations like Hikma Strategies offer to create effective learning experiences and co-creative spaces for emerging professionals across the knowledge ecosystem. This study has the potential to benefit learners, educators, and employers by exploring better practices to create dynamic learning experiences that engage diverse learners through cohorts and communities of practice.

RESEARCH DESIGN

We’ve designed this study to incorporate two lines of inquiry that work in parallel to explore our research questions. Our approach has been approved by the UBC Ethics Board (BREB H21-02669).

1. A quantitative survey for PhD graduates about their experiences of professional agency and community during their degree programs. [Complete].
2. Qualitative interviews with consenting participants from Hikma’s 2021 pilot course, Entrepreneurship for PhDs to understand their experiences of learning and community through the program and in their broader professional contexts. [Complete]