At the centre of our vision for the Postgraduate Forum is increasing opportunities for networking, aiding and supporting research development, and building community. These three primary goals are outlined in more detail below:  

1. Networking and Exchange:

We understand that we are a part of a growing, international field of scholars dedicating our research (in the broadest sense) to the life and works of Gustav Mahler. However, we realise there is an urgent need for the development of a network to allow scholars to connect with one another, share research, and work collaboratively. The GMRC Postgraduate Forum aims to enable PGRs and ECRs an opportunity for such interaction with like-minded Mahler scholars at similar stages of their academic development, as well as offering a platform for members to regularly connect with the members of the GMRC Executive and Advisory Board, offering both academic and social connections with the distinguished Mahler scholars.

2. Research Development: 

The study of Gustav Mahler remains to be one of the more popular areas of musicological study, and yet there is still a great need for a rethinking of the approaches to Mahler scholarship. The members of the GMRC Postgraduate Forum are establishing themselves as the next generation of Mahler scholars that endeavour to rethink current scholarship and develop new and innovative areas of study. One of our goals is to help students not only develop their ideas and research interests, but to help share these more broadly within the academic community. To do so, we will regularly engage with conferences and workshops by organising themed panels, roundtables, and also putting forward proposals for themed journal editions, to give early career researchers an opportunity to build their publications and reputation in the field. Equally, we hope to help scholars develop their research by offering study days that allow PGRs and ECRs to share their research and gain feedback from their peers and colleagues to help develop their work.

3. Community: 

In addition to providing support for research, academic, and professional development, we endeavour to provide a series of platforms for scholars to develop a social research community. This will be implemented through a series of actions, including discussion forums and social media platforms to help create a digital, online community. In future, we hope that these online communities will be able to be realised in person, through organising PGR / ECR specific academic and social events at the annual GMRC conference, as well as smaller, local meet-ups to help connect scholars in their own area. We strive to provide an opportunity for exchange and feedback at every stage of research, offering both personal and professional support for our community members, in a safe and compassionate environment.