Beyond lab walls: strategies for empowering postgraduates to create positive social change through sea turtle conservation

Abstract

Postgraduate education often confines graduates to academic roles. However, postgraduates have the potential to offer innovative solutions beyond lab confines. The "Beyond Lab Walls" program aims to provide postgraduates with the skills, perspectives, and mindsets needed for societal engagement. The program encourages participants to view research as a conduit for societal betterment by fostering impactful communication, catalysing interdisciplinary fusion, and igniting transformative shifts. This article highlights the impact of a visit to Chagar Hutang Turtle Sanctuary, which immerses postgraduates in research-driven conservation that intersects with livelihoods and local development. Expected outcomes include skilled communicators bridging knowledge gaps, interdisciplinary synergy spawning innovations, researchers serving as change agents, and broader stakeholder engagement. These findings reshape postgraduate education by bridging the gap between research and its tangible societal consequences. Success metrics assess research impact beyond academia, the depth of interdisciplinary collaborations and track participant attitudes toward societal impact shifts. This article advocates for rethinking postgraduate roles and positions postgraduates as agents of societal change.