PGR Network

The UKALTA PGR (Postgraduate Researcher) Network aims to bring together UKALTA members who are in the process of completing their master’s or doctoral studies in language testing, as well as early-career researchers (ECRs) who have completed their studies within the past five years. PGR Network’s aims and objectives are:

  • to offer an accessible opportunity for UKALTA PG and ECR members to network.
  • to further build an online and face-to-face community of practice of UKALTA PG and ECR members.
  • to support the language testing research community and new and emerging researchers working in the field of language testing.
  • to encourage greater partnership between postgraduate students and early-career researchers to exchange information and research as well as to encourage discussions on language assessment on a broad range of languages in the UK.

*At present, activities are being conducted through the Microsoft Teams online platform, but in future, we envisage offering both online Microsoft Teams-based events and face-to-face events. Go to the PGR Network Events page for details of upcoming plans.

UKALTA PGR Coordinators 2025-2026

Petra Smelak is the Test Product Delivery Manager at the British Council, Her responsibilities are to manage the test delivery platform, authoring of test content and implement improvements to the assessment development within the Global Assessments and the Quality Assurance teams as well as supporting and contribute to the management of EDI and Aptis test accommodations provided to test takers globally. Additionally, She is currently enrolled in the second year of an MA in Language Testing at Lancaster University. Throughout the years 2023 and 2024, She became a regular attendee at important language testing conferences such as LTF in London, EALTA in Belfast and LTRC in Innsbruck.

She is bringing experience from her current job role as well as previous roles to add to the UKALTA committee, such as operations and test delivery knowledge, quality assurance processes, social media marketing support, experience with the preparation and presentation of data and reports, and improving and leading on changes to existing processes.

Ozlem Terzioglu is a language assessment specialist with extensive experience in high-stakes language assessment and in tertiary-level English language teaching. She is currently working at the British Council as a Test Production Manager, where she is responsible for managing the item-writing team and overseeing the quality assurance of item development.

She is pursuing her PhD at Lancaster University, focusing on item writers’ long-term development as language assessment professionals. She also holds a Master’s degree in Management in Education.