Postgraduate Association
What is it?
The Association of Christian Postgraduate Groups allows self-led groups for Christian postgraduate students in Europe to gain the profile and support which results from deliberately associating together around a shared mission and common values.
We are introducing the Association in response to requests over recent years from independent local groups who have sought such a shared platform, and have seen IFES as its natural home.
The Association is co-ordinated by Martin Herdegen, who is an associate professor of financial mathematics. He has experience of ministry across three European countries. As an undergraduate he studied in Munich in his native Germany. As a doctoral student in Zurich he helped to found a local postgraduate group in conjunction with the German-speaking Swiss IFES movement. On moving to his current role at the University of Warwick, he started a postgrad and staff fellowship.
Association mentors work alongside Martin in support and encouragement of group leaders, and they are all supported administratively by Jon Savage. A growing number of mentors include Tom Rizzo, a Professor of Chemistry at EPFL, Switzerland, and Susie G, a junior academic in disaster risk reduction.
Why join?
The Association seeks to provide:
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Encouragement and envisioning – to those starting or leading groups.
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Resources for groups – based on ideas that have been fruitful across the Continent.
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Training for leaders – both through our annual leaders gatherings, hosted around the Forming a Christian Mind conferences, and through the possibility of mentoring.
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Profile and publicity – through our forthcoming list of associated groups.
Association Groups
Next Steps
If you're interested in joining the Association with your group, planning to start a new group in your city or looking to contact a specific postgraduate group, we would love to hear from you. Please fill in the form below, and your message will be sent to the group you select.