As part of the NINE DTP supported Research in Practice placement scheme, I had the opportunity to undertake a placement at Royal Geographical Society [RGS] (with IBG). The part-time placement was spread across four months culminating to two months of full-time placement – October 2025 to February 2026. I specifically chose/identified RGS as the placement host institution in consideration of my interest in developing archival research and management skills.
I will offer my reflections on my experience of undertaking a placement in two parts –
- Support provided by NINE DTP
- Placement at RGS
Support provided by NINE DTP
While the Research in Practice placement scheme isn’t mandatory for PhD scholars from the 2022 cohort, the opportunity to undertake the placement has proved to be of exponential value for me. I was actively encouraged to find a placement host institution that was best suited for my needs and career development. The ‘best-fit-for-you’ approach personally pushed me to think critically and strategically in identifying a host institution that could provide me with a valuable placement experience for further career development. The administrative process required to apply for the placement was smooth, supportive, and encouraging. The integration of placement within NINE DTP supported PhD has provided me with a more grounded confidence and assurance in shaping potential career opportunities and life after PhD.
Placement at RGS (with IBG)
In consideration of RGS’ (with IBG) collection and engagement with colonial archival materials alongside community engagement and my interest in archival research and management, RGS seemed to be the perfect institution for me to approach them for a placement opportunity. The Research and Higher Education team at RGS was extremely kind, receptive and encouraging in offering me with a placement with their Archival and Collections team. As part of the placement, I engaged with and acquired archival management skills around — listing, cataloguing, and the use of archival software. Having made them aware of my interest in Himalaya-based archival research, I was also encouraged to explore the colonial Himalayan collections housed within the Society. Apart from acquiring archival management skills, my time at the RGS provided me with two important opportunities –
- Developing potential post-doctoral project idea
- Networking with relevant people
My mentor at RGS, Sarah Evans was extremely receptive and supportive of the ideas I had around critically engaging with the Himalaya-based archival materials in the Society and explored community engagement ideas through a critical lens. This placement gave me the opportunity to discuss such ideas and how they could potentially be materialised through a post-doctoral project with RGS as the potential host institution. Additionally, during the placement I was actively included in team meetings and relevant workshops hosted by RGS. This gave me a holistic experience of co-working/collaborating with other people. Overall, my experience at RGS has been of great value where I learnt relevant skills and connected/networked with people who share similar yet different experiences with me.