Барри Дженна

Jenna Barry (BA, HDip, PgD, MA) is a doctoral researcher investigating social and intellectual isolation as a global challenge in research education. Her work examines how isolation affects postgraduate researchers’ academic engagement, well-being, and retention, with a particular focus on international students.

Research Aims

-Investigate the prevalence and drivers of social and intellectual isolation among postgraduate researchers.

-Explore links between isolation, attrition, and disengagement in doctoral education.

-Identify structural, cultural, and relational factors shaping research student experiences.

-Develop strategies to reduce isolation and improve the postgraduate research environment.

Research Objectives

-Conduct large-scale international surveys of postgraduate researchers to capture lived experiences.

-Apply mixed qualitative and quantitative methods, including phenomenology and thematic analysis.

-Produce global reports synthesising findings and offering evidence-based recommendations.

-Inform universities, student bodies, higher education institutions, and policymakers about gaps in research education and propose reforms to strengthen postgraduate support.