Polishing the PhD

“The GCALL has been designed around a simple idea: that doctoral graduates from The University of Melbourne will make a significant contribution to shaping the world’s future,” says Professor Dick Strugnell, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Graduate Research), who has responsibility for the program.

“Doctoral training equips you with knowledge, research ethics and integrity. The GCALL polishes, broadens, and applies these attributes, preparing you to play a leadership role in your chosen field.”

One GCALL Research Project this year is examining University Leadership, and at the conclusion of the 2011 Festival of Ideas, a number of project participants met for lunch.

“The leadership lunch involved the meeting of the minds between young, upcoming academics and a group of senior community leaders,” says Dr. Brendan Moloney, PhD (Education), and Director of consultancy Darlo | Learning

“Leaders came from diverse sectors: non-profit, university, and business and the GCALL group had many questions for leaders.”

Dr Moloney says that among the unique insights he gained was the advice of Jeremy Elias, Senior Executive of “One Just World” at World Vision, that “leadership is essentially about values – follow your passion and that’s when results follow.”

Emily Brennan, a PhD Candidate in Psychological Sciences says her experience of interviewing academic leaders, she has really come to recognise the importance of mentoring relationships, whether they are formal or informal.

“Many of the academics that I interviewed spoke of the role that mentors had played both in their progression to positions of leadership, and in their development within these roles,” she says.

“They spoke of how they had never necessarily intended to end up in positions of leadership, but rather, found that their mentors would nominate them or suggest they apply for a position of leadership. This was a great insight for a young academic to receive.”

For Alex Delbridge, a PhD student at the Molecular Genetics of Cancer Division of The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, his interviews conducted for the project demonstrated an overwhelming sense of the strong and robust culture of leadership within the University.

“Diversity was valued among the participants, recognising that there isn’t just one way of being a leader, there isn’t a single model,” he says.

“Values of collegiality and respect were identified as paramount for academic leaders and it was frequently acknowledged that central to these values was a continued involvement in teaching and research.”

“Participating in the GCALL has taught me much about the different types of leadership styles, and the key characteristics to being an ethical leader,” says Dr Sina Babazadeh, a final year PhD student in orthopaedic surgery at St Vincent’s Hospital.

“The leader’s luncheon during the Festival of Ideas highlighted the importance of identity in leadership and the significance of understanding my own past and upbringing when reflecting on my leadership style.

“It brought to the forefront the importance of being honest with my team and how denying my identity and trying to emulate someone else would ultimately lead to a break-down of trust and communication and consequently lead to failure of the team.”

Marthe D’Ombrain, PhD, is a senior research officer leading an inflammatory disease drug target discovery program at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.

“An interesting insight that I gained into modern leadership is that in order for big business to succeed in the current global climate, company leaders must take a long-term view,” she says.

“What this ultimately translates into is that no matter how selfish the motives of a company or its directors may be, they must work with and give back to communities in order to create a sustainable business.

“Gone are the days where big business can walk into a community, take what they want and leave. Although one might argue that companies who provide health services or infrastructure to communities make more money than they give back, the most important thing in my mind is that communities in need are being given access to essential services that will improve their quality of life. I was heartened to hear that these types of initiatives must now form the basis of a successful business plan.”

http://www.gradresearch.unimelb.edu.au/gcall/