WHEA Annual Report 2025 Final Digital with links v3 - Flipbook - Page 7
Sophie Bourne
Yanyan Li
WIHEA STUDENT FELLOW AND PROJECT OFFICER
WIHEA STUDENT FELLOW AND PROJECT OFFICER
Centre for the Study of the Renaissance
Applied Linguistics
I have had opportunities to get
involved with two different WIHEA
Small Fund projects, as a focus
group lead and as a student cochair. Being part of the project
design and having input into the
aims and methodology of the
project was really beneficial for seeing inside a smallscale research project. It has also been excellent
experience undertaking a different type of research,
focusing on data collection through surveys and focus
groups, skills I would not have developed otherwise
coming from a humanities background. My advice for
incoming Fellows would be to choose one aspect you
are interested in and stick with it. There are so many
opportunities that it is easy to get overwhelmed, so
choosing one or two projects in which to really invest
your time and energy is a great way to make sure you
have something tangible to show at the end of your
Fellowship.
Being a WIHEA Fellow is an honour
that has broadened my academic,
professional, and social networks. It
has given me the opportunity to lead
a strategic fund project on a timely
and important topic promoting
ethical and inclusive practices
in use of AI for writing within the University. Through
this role, I have connected with colleagues beyond
my own discipline, opening doors to interdisciplinary
dialogue and collaboration. More than just a title, being
a WIHEA Fellow is a source of pride and a reflection
of my commitment to driving positive change in UK
higher education. It also highlights my expertise in
higher education research. The Fellowship is a mark of
recognition both within Warwick and beyond.
Linta Nasim
WIHEA STUDENT FELLOW AND PROJECT OFFICER
FINAL (4TH) YEAR MEDICAL STUDENT
Warwick Medical School
Josh Davies
WIHEA STUDENT FELLOW AND PROJECT OFFICER
Department of Chemistry
The Doctoral Values project
was developed to enhance the
voices of Warwick’s postgraduate
researchers (PGRs) and centre
their lived experiences within
institutional strategy and our PGR
ecosystem. As a student, coleading this project, I ran seven focus groups held online
and across multiple campus locations. The creation of
five co-defined Doctoral Values (Learning and Personal
Growth, Supportive and Effective Practice, Community
and Belonging, Equity and Fairness, and Research with
a Purpose) provided a space to discuss the core needs,
aspirations, and lived realities of our PGR community. By
putting co-creation at its heart, this project ensures that
Warwick’s evolving research culture genuinely reflects
and responds to the priorities of its postgraduate
researchers.
I had the privilege of expanding an
existing project originally focused
on enhancing inclusivity for Muslim
students in medical education,
broadening its scope to support
Muslim students across higher
education more generally.
As part of this initiative, supported by WIHEA, my
colleagues at WMS and I delivered a hybrid WIHEA
Masterclass entitled ‘Enhancing the Education and
Student Experience for Muslim Students’.
Building on this work, we are now adapting our Medical
Muslim Student Guide to serve the wider Muslim student
community at Warwick. This is being developed in
collaboration with WIHEA Fellows and undergraduate
Muslim students, particularly through the Islamic Society.
We aim to launch the updated guide in time for Freshers’
Week this autumn, so stay tuned!
As part of WIHEA, I have had opportunities to attend
Learning Circles and workshops, as well as expand my
network outside of WMS with staff and students across
the University. It truly has been a great experience, and I
hope to continue to make the most of these connections
in the year I have left at Warwick.
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