PGR Festival 2026: connect, discover, develop and celebrate
21 Oct 2026
Registration is now open for a week of activities bringing our postgraduate research community together from Monday, 23 to Friday, 27 November.
Postgraduate researchers (PGRs) are invited to come together for PGR Festival 2026, taking place from Monday, 23 November to Friday, 27 November.
Created by PGRs, for PGRs, the Festival offers a varied programme of events and activities designed to help our postgraduate research community connect, discover new ideas, develop skills and celebrate the contribution PGRs make across the University.
The Festival supports our Research Delivery Plan priority, ensure a successful and inclusive postgraduate researcher community. The priority recognises PGRs as integral to our research culture and aims to support an innovative, collaborative and diverse community, while enhancing the PGR experience and employability.
What’s happening?
The Festival opens with a keynote from Professor Sam Illingworth, Professor of Critical AI Literacy at Edinburgh Napier University. Sam writes Slow AI, a newsletter read in 179 countries and is the author of the book of the same name.
You can also start the week with Happy Monday: Focus & Reset, a welcoming session using guided reflection, light goal-setting and practical activities to help you identify priorities, regain momentum and create a manageable plan for the week ahead.
For those looking for a creative break from research, there will be plenty of opportunities to switch off and try something different, including an Arts & Crafts session, Paint Your Lab Coat and candle-making workshop. No previous experience is needed, with materials provided.
Most importantly, the week is a chance to meet fellow postgraduate researchers, make new connections and celebrate our PGR community.
Discover more – and register now
Places are limited, so please only register for sessions you know you’ll be able to attend. This will help make sure as many PGRs as possible can take part.