Head of Research and Impact Office, University of Edinburgh
Shona Thompson holds a strategic role within Edinburgh Law School, where she leads the Research and Impact Office and coordinates a wide range of research-related activities. From pre- and post-award support to doctoral supervision, communications, events, and research culture development, her position is broad and diverse. She decided to take part in the Live My Life programme out of a desire to see how her profession is practiced in other academic settings. Having never participated in such an initiative before, she found the experience incredibly enriching—an opportunity for genuine professional growth and development.
One of the most interesting aspects of the exchange, for Shona, was realising just how many similarities exist between the two institutions. Despite different systems and structures, she found many common approaches to research support at the University of Bologna. It was reassuring, she noted, to see that even in different contexts, similar practices often emerge. The exchange with Italian colleagues offered valuable insight and new perspectives that she plans to take back with her to Edinburgh.
While in Bologna, Shona reflected on the structural differences between the two universities. At Edinburgh, research support is largely decentralised: each area manages both pre- and post-award activities independently, as well as the entire lifecycle of doctoral candidates—from application to graduation. In Bologna, on the other hand, certain functions, such as pre-award support, are managed more centrally, and doctoral support is organised differently. These are structural rather than procedural differences, but they prompted her to consider the effectiveness of various organisational models and how institutional priorities shape their implementation. In particular, she observed the growing focus on research culture in the UK, a theme that is gaining traction and could soon become central across other European contexts as well.
At the same time, the experience gave her a new way of seeing Bologna. While she had previously visited the city as a tourist, this was her first time experiencing it through a professional lens. The daily interactions, direct contact with the local academic environment, and exchange with peers offered her a deeper and more meaningful understanding of the city. She described it as one of the most useful and inspiring training experiences of her career.
At the end of her mobility, Shona had no hesitation in recommending the experience to others. She found it extremely valuable and is committed to promoting it actively within her university. The chance to engage in peer-to-peer exchange, explore new systems, and take time to reflect and share knowledge makes this type of mobility something that, in her view, every university professional should experience at least once.