This a just "out of interest" posting. I was wondering if anyone had encountered any problems, during their PhD, which was related, or caused by University politics?

As an undergrad I was completely oblivious to the politics in the department, and was glad to be naive, now, unfortunately, they are all too apparent now.

what? like one professor hating another professor? or one group being jealous that another group has loads more money? or a lecturer kissing ass so he can get a promotion? :D

Jewel - pretty much all of them really. Really just wondered if anyone had had any problems. The whole reason for this thread is due to the fact that myself and a postdoc were having coffee early this morning when one of the new lecturers sat down and opened the flood gates to the problems he's having at the moment with one Professor trying to stab another in the back, another moan about another lecturer who is rapidly running out of money and one final whinge about a Professor whose Science is solid, has loads of money but is such an twat that no one can work for him yet he has a lot of sway in the department.

There are loads of politics in industry too. Once one of the heads of departments gets it in his head that a target is going to work he allocates loads of resource to it and refuses to admit it's not working.

I guess this is the problem with many academics. They have big egos and their research is always correct!

all life is about politics, academia is not exception:)

And the politics involved in giving female employees a promotion... did she get one because she is female or did she not get one because she is female.