In mid-July, the Institute was asked to host students from the Generating Genius programme. The students had spent a fantastic morning with our colleagues at Napp Pharmaceuticals, so once they arrived at the Institute, we gave them a whistle-stop tour of our laboratories before they sat down for a chat with some current PhD students.  Here, Emma Minihane and Richard Odle from the Cook Research Group talk about their encounter with the students.
 
Generating Genius is a fantastic programme that provides academically talented students from challenging backgrounds the opportunity to develop their learning and meet like-minded students that also share a passion for science and education. We, along with our fellow PhD students met with students from this programme to discuss our journeys in academia so far, what PhD life is like, and to answer any questions the students had. Throughout the discussion the students were enthusiastic, eager to learn, and it was lovely to hear about their own ambitions and goals. Career aspirations included biomedical science, dentistry, medicine, and engineering.

 

The questions the students asked were mainly focused around next steps after A-levels, UCAS applications, and what to expect at university. Choosing a career path is a difficult decision but it was refreshing to hear such positivity and hopefulness from the students. One recurring theme was the concern that their choice of university degree dictated their career path. However, we were able to reassure the students that there is a great deal of flexibility after university and this was exemplified by the variation of undergraduate degrees between the PhD students at the session. We also discussed key skills that universities look out for and the benefits of work experience in their field of interest. Overall it was a highly enjoyable and informative experience, and something that we would definitely get involved with again. We wish the very best of luck to the students with their A-levels and future careers!

 

The Babraham Institute tries to provide opportunities as far as possible for school and community groups to visit its laboratories and scientific facilities.  If you’re interested in arranging a visit please email: pe@babraham.ac.uk