Doctoral education in Europe: Trends and challenges

1. Doctoral education in Europe: Trends and challenges Alexandra Bitusikova, Kamila Borsekova Matej BelUniversity, Banska Bystrica, Slovakia MARDS training Vienna, 27.6. 2019

2. STRUCTURE Doctoral education in contexts(academic, European and global) Important developments and documents Key trends in doctoral education in Europe New challenges for doctoral education

3. Setting the scene • Theworldischanging – knowledge society and ecomomyhas becomethekeydriver (forscientists, educationists, politicians, businesses...) • Focus on knowledge society has a seriousimpact on academia: • Rapidgrowthofstudents in HE incl. doctoralstudents • Differentiationofprofiles, functions, roles and tasksofuniversitiesaswellasofacademicprofession • Growingcompetitionamonguniversities and obsessionwithreputation, rankings, leagetablesand excellence • Pressure on accountability (auditing, evaluations, accreditations, monitioring, controlling) • Academicfreedom? Trust?

4. Impact on doctoral education • Knowledge society requires a new set of competences and skills. • Academiccareer of doctoralgraduatesis no longertheonlycareerpath (thoughmanysupervisersstillpreparedoctoralstudentsforacademiccareeronly) – motifs to do thePhDdiffer. • Thegeneration of knowledge, thedevelopment of epistemological and methodologicalexpertiseisnotenough, alsoorganisation, management and dissemination of knowledge and withit a muchwidertransferableskills base isneeded. Wordssuch as employability, adaptability, flexibility, innovation, creativity, criticalthinkingdescribewhatisexpectedfrom a new doctoralholder.

5. Doctoral education in the changing world • Doctoraleducation – on the top ofthe agenda ofuniversityleadersworldwide • Massiveincreaseofdoctoralstudents (and graduates), in Europe 50% on averagesince 2004 • Globalwarfor talent • Triple i-: international, interdisciplinary, intersectoral • Shiftfromindividual „exercise“ to collaborativeresearch • Increasedfocus on research (less on teaching) • New organisationof DE as a consequence

6. Doctoral Education in the European context • Doctoraleducation = bridgebetweenEuropeanHigherEducation and ResearchAreas (EHEA and ERA) • Major transformationofdoctoraleducationsince mid-2000: a silentrevolution • Diversity (differentnational and regionaladademic/ researchtraditions and cultures) • Highpoliticalattention: • Bologna Process(doctoraleducationincludedin 2003) • EU policies: Lisbon objectives, ERA Green Paper, Modernisation Agenda for universities, Grand challenges,InnovationUnion: A Europe 2020 Initiative, Principles for Innovative Doctoral Training, Report of Mapping Exercise on Doctoral Training, A New Skills Agenda forEurope) • Nationalpolicies and legislation

7. EUA Council for Doctoral Education (EUA-CDE) Thekeyactor in doctoraleducationinEurope Established in 2008 as a membershipserviceoftheEuropeanUniversityAssociation A forum for cooperation and exchange of good practices among doctoral programmes/schools across universities in Europe and worldwide 240 universitymembersfrom 33 countries Collaborationwithotheruniversityassociations (UNICA, LERU, COIMBRA, CGS) Main documents: Salzburg Principles I (2005), Salzburg recommendations II (2010), Taking Salzburg Forward (2016), SurveyDoctoraleducation in Europetoday: approaches and institutionalstructures (2019)

8. Salzburg Principles I (2005) • The core component of doctoral training is the advancement of knowledge through original research. • Embedding in institutional strategies and policies • The importance of diversity • Doctoral candidates as early stage researchers • The crucial role of supervision and assessment • Achieving critical mass • Duration • The promotion of innovative structures • Increasing mobility • Ensuring appropriate funding

9. Salzburg II Recommendations (2010) • Based on consultation with CDE members (workshops, focusgroups and annualmeeting) and focused on implementationofreforms • Results: large consensus about the research basis of the doctorate • Original research as the basis ofthedoctorateand asthe difference from the other twocycles • Spacefor and focus on individualdevelopment • Insitutionalautonomy to choose themission and strategyand to set up the appropriate structures …9…

10. Key trends:I. Structured programmes/ schools • Trend towards structured programmes and doctoral/ research/ graduate schools • The rise of the doctoral/ graduate/ research school (30% of institutions had them in 2007, 65% 2009, 82% 2011) • Diversity of models (usuallycoveringonlyPhDs), butmovetowards a 2-layered model of faculty/programme level schools or disciplinaryschools, and centralstrategicunits • Aim: to create a criticalmass, stimulate research environment, enhance interdisciplinarity and inter-institutional collaboration, improve time to degree and completionrates, improve quality while keeping diversity • One goal, different routes

11. II. Supervision and assessment • Supervision - – a major topic of the debate and an important aspect of quality assurance • It is one of the most complex of academic activities. • Despite the fact we abandoned the apprenticeship (Master-slave) model of the doctorate, the supervisor-supervisee relationship remains the cornerstone of the process leading to the doctorate. • The demands on the supervisor have increased in the „new“ doctoral education, and require continuing professional development (opportunities) for supervisors.

12. II. Supervision and assessmenttrends • Supervision • Acollective effort with clearly defined responsibilities of PhD candidate, supervisor and institution (a contract signed by 3 parties) • Multiple supervision encouraged (in internationalsupervision: community of supervisors) • Providingprofessional development to supervisors (training)isan institutional responsibility (different formats depending on academic culture) • Monitoring of supervisors(carrots and sticks) • Priority: to develop a common supervision culture

13. III. Outcomes • Themain outcome of doctoral education: theearly stage researcherwith specific research related and transferable skills, competences and experiences, which can be used in a wide range of careers • Theoutcome of doctoral research: the dissertation (a publishable monograph, several peer reviewed papers or a consistent artistic workwith a theoreticalpublication)– defended in publicinthepresenceofanexaminingboard and opponents

14. IV. Career development • Career support for doctoral candidates: focus on individual goals and motivations and on a wide range of careers for doctoral holders. • It is the institutional responsibility to provide support for professional development (e.g. by offering transferable skills training, career services) and responsibility of supervisors to encourage doc. candidates to take part in these courses • The aim: to raise awareness among doctoral candidates of the importance of recognising and enhancing the skills that they develop and acquire through research, as a means of improving their employment/ career prospects inside & outside academia. • Only about 4% of PhD grads end up working in academia!

16. V. Quality and accountability • Important to develop specific internalsystems for quality assurance(based on institutional mission/ strategy). • Assessment of academic/ researchquality of DE should be based on peer review and besensitive to disciplinary differences. • Qualityassurancebodies are increasinglyinterested in assessment/ evaluation/ accreditationofdoctoraleducation (output-based: staffqualifications, publicationsofPhDs, numberofPhDs, TTD, completionrates, employability, guidelines...) • In order to be accountable, institutions should develop indicators based on institutional priorities (individual progression monitoring, completion rate, career tracking, dissemination of research results). • But: Avoidover-regulation

17. VI. Internationalisation and mobility • Global problems require global solutions – not possible without international cooperation • Theneedforglobalcompetencesof doctoralcandidates: • Ability to workacrosscountries • Communicationacrosscultures • Knowledge of globalorganisations and contexts • Personal adaptability to diverseculture • Internationalisation in DE means diverse approaches: • Internationalisation at home (recruitment of internat. students and staff; organising internat. events; involving doctoral candidates in internat. projects; inviting guest lecturers from abroad; networking, online coursesincl. MOOCS, etc.) • Internationalisation abroad (internat. exhanges, study periods abroad, collaborative and joint programmes, etc.)

18. Internationalisation and mobility (cont.) • Internationalisation has to be embedded in institutional strategy • It should take into account capacity building in all involved institutions and include mechanisms that facilitate the return of scholars to their home country (brain circulation) • The aim: building an inclusive global research community that covers different countries, disciplines, contexts and that encourages research benefitial for humanity

19. VII. Intersectorial collaboration and mobility • Mobility between academia and business/ industry can help to improve the prospects for employability, especially outside academia • Doctoral candidates should be taught that moving from academia to industry is not a second choice, but a legitimate first choice • Behind the formal procedures such as joint supervision or placements in industry, successful long-term university-industry cooperation is holistic: a continuous and long-term face-to-face experience is crucial for building trust and durable partnerships (often bottom-up) • EUA DOC-CAREERS project I and II

20. VIII. Development of new Doctorates • A range of innovative doctoral programmes emerge as a response to changes of a fast-growing global labour market(joint programmes, professional doctorates, industrial doctorates – supported by the EU programmes, European doctorates etc.) • Diversity of doctoral programmes and doctorates reflects diversity of European HEIs that have autonomy to decide on their programmes • Consensus:original researchhas to remain the main component of all doctorates • No consensus on professional doctorates in Europe (not well accepted in continental Europe - further debate on new doctorates as well as on a new vision and role of the doctorate is needed)

21. Professionalisation of doctoral education governance • Growingchallenges in doctoraleducationrequirehiring (or training) new staffthatspecialises in doctoraleducation – a new job profile • Tasks: • Draftingpolicypapersforthe management • Collectingdata on PhDs, TTD, completionrates, publications... • Monitoring and qualitycontrol • Organisingtraining in transferableskillsfordoctoralstudents • Organisingprofessionaldevelopmentforaforsupervisors (and awards • Providingcareeradvice, organisingeventswithemployers • EU PRIDE project: Professionals in DoctoralEducation, handbook at: http://phaidra.univie.ac.at/o:454303

22. New challenges: CDE Taking Salzburg Forward policy initiative • Science 2.0 (Open sience, open big data, openeducation – e.g. onlinecourses) • Research integrity and ethics (plagiarism, publishing in predatoryjournals, big data, dataprotection, IP rights) • Capacitybuilding and wideningparticipation (connectingperipheralregions in the EU withprosperiousones – new possibilitiesfortwinning and teaming) • Outreach – collaborationwithotherstakeholderssuchasregional/localauthorities and NGOs

23. Final quote • „All the changes are hard won; none of them occur easily, none of them occur through just doing one thing, none of them occur through a policy, and none of them occur through setting up an activity. They’ve got to be continually reinforced.…Whoever is in the positionof authority can’t do it all; no one person can do it all. The great success of the initiatives… has been the diversity of people involved.“ (AngelaBrew, David Boud & JanneMalfroy (2016): The role of research education coordinators in building research cultures in doctoral education, Higher Education Research & Development, DOI: 10.1080/07294360.2016.1177812)

24. Thank you for your attention