NEW INITIATIVE TO REACH POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS IN THE UK

In the last few decades the number of postgraduate students has grown dramatically, a trend which is only expected to accelerate. A minority of these students treat their postgraduate university as a 9 to 5 job, but a growing fraction continue a student life-style, in communities largely separated from the town in which they live. This is particularly true of international students. These trends bring new opportunities and challenges that don't fit the older "wineskins" of more established undergraduate work. A focused outreach to postgraduate students is needed.

We are excited to announce a new initiative, under the auspices of Friends International, and with the encouragement of UCCF, to help foster more effective outreach to postgraduates. Remi Tobler, who has worked with IVCF reaching postgraduate students in Canada for the last 6 years, is coming to the UK this summer to help pioneer this new ministry.

We hope to emulate the success of our development officer, whose excellent networking has helped release much latent potential within the CiS membership for groups, meetings etc... In fact, there may be significant overlap, because many of you are, or were (or will be) postgraduate students. Your input will be key and we are keen to hear back from you about any ideas, contacts etc. that you may have.

For example, many postgraduate groups suffer from the rapid turnover of student leadership. Faculty or other permanent residents can help provide input and stability. Here in Cambridge Prof John Lister was converted as a postgraduate student, and when, in 1991, he came back as a faculty member in applied mathematics, he and his wife, with the blessing of his church, Eden Baptist, came alongside the small postgraduate Christian group, and helped provide the continuity and nuture that has allowed it to grow and flourish over the last 15 years. In Nottingham, CiS member Dr Mike Clifford, a lecturer in Engineering, has been instrumental in running a small national conference for postgraduate students (www.christianpostgrad.org.uk ). We are hoping to see much more of this!

WHAT CAN YOU DO:

1) Support us in prayer

2) Support us with ideas, contacts, and your time

3) Support us with money (We still need to raise the majority of Remi's finances)

For more information, please see the enclosed flier and

http://www-theor.ch.cam.ac.uk/people/ardlouis/postgrad/

or contact me at aal20@cam.ac.uk, 01223-763872

Ard Louis, CiS International Secretary

Taken from the Christians in Science newsletter PreCiS June 2006