Ai Tam P. Le
PhD student
Thesis
The academic profession from the perspectives of aspiring academics
Supervisors
Professor Leo Goedegebuure and Dr Peter Woelert
Additional information
Ai Tam's PhD draws on the sociology of profession, academic cultures, and studies in higher education to examine the academic profession from the perspectives of doctoral candidates from four disciplines in Australia. Her thesis contributes to theoretical development in higher education research and provides insights into academic training in Australia. Her current research interests include the interprofessional dynamics in the university context, the making of university engagement, cross-countries analysis of research training systems, and academic training and development for graduate researchers.
Ai Tam is a contributor and former editorial member of the Early Career Higher Education Researcher (ECHER) Blog. She is currently leading and developing a professional development project to facilitate graduate researchers' engagement activities through blogs and podcasts. The project is supported by the Researcher Development Unit at the University of Melbourne.
Prior to the PhD, Ai Tam was awarded an Erasmus Mundus+ Scholarship by the European Commission to pursue a master's degree in Educational policies for global development (GLOBED). Her master's thesis investigated the contributions of community learning centres in Myanmar using social capital theory, which was later published in an article. In her previous professional role, Ai Tam worked as a coordinator for an educational NGO with a mission to promote higher education through sports.