the European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers

the European Council the European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchersof Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers

Renzo RubeleRenzo RubelePresident of EurodocPresident of Eurodoc

Bologna Seminar

“Doctoral Programmes for the European Knowledge Society”

Salzburg, February 3rd 2005

The place of Doctoral The place of Doctoral Candidates between the Candidates between the

EHEA and the ERAEHEA and the ERA

Bologna Process withBologna Process with 3 tiers3 tiers

« « […] Ministers consider it necessary […] Ministers consider it necessary to go beyond the present focus on to go beyond the present focus on two main cycles of higher education two main cycles of higher education to include the doctoral level as the to include the doctoral level as the third cycle in the Bologna Process. third cycle in the Bologna Process. […] Ministers call for increased […] Ministers call for increased mobility at the doctoral and mobility at the doctoral and postdoctoral levels and encourage postdoctoral levels and encourage the institutions concerned to the institutions concerned to increase their cooperation in increase their cooperation in doctoral studies and the training of doctoral studies and the training of young researchers. […] young researchers. […] »»Berlin Communiqué of Ministers, Berlin Communiqué of Ministers,

1919thth september 2003 september 2003

The doctorate as the The doctorate as the 33rdrd cycle cycle

ProblemsProblems

National and local traditions prevail – National and local traditions prevail – regulations may vary a lot even among regulations may vary a lot even among departments and disciplinesdepartments and disciplines

To what extent might it be useful to introduce To what extent might it be useful to introduce common structures? Similar practice? The ECTS common structures? Similar practice? The ECTS credit system? The Diploma Supplement? credit system? The Diploma Supplement? Standards of quality and qualification Standards of quality and qualification frameworks?frameworks?

EvidenceEvidence

Everywhere in Europe candidates must defend Everywhere in Europe candidates must defend a thesis in front of a committee, with original a thesis in front of a committee, with original research research About 500,000About 500,000 doctoral candidates in Europe doctoral candidates in Europe form a recognizable communityform a recognizable community

StructureStructure of the programmes of the programmes

Doctoral schools or Doctoral schools or ""apprenticeship modelapprenticeship model""??

GermanyGermany:: the programme was the programme was traditionally absent and the master-traditionally absent and the master-pupil relationshippupil relationship absorbing all the absorbing all the trainingtrainingSwedenSweden:: the structure of the doctorate the structure of the doctorate is now using the ECTS (say, 240 credits is now using the ECTS (say, 240 credits for the whole course, of which 120 for for the whole course, of which 120 for the thesis)the thesis)

Move towards an organisation that can Move towards an organisation that can concretely manage a whole range of activities on concretely manage a whole range of activities on behalf of the institution.behalf of the institution.

Supervision & TrainingSupervision & Training

Role of the Role of the supervisor(s)supervisor(s), management of , management of the research project, assessment. Evaluation of the research project, assessment. Evaluation of the supervisionthe supervision

Quantity and quality of Quantity and quality of trainingtraining: induction, : induction, development of disciplinary competences and of development of disciplinary competences and of general professional and transferable skillsgeneral professional and transferable skills

Little opportunity to speak against the Little opportunity to speak against the problemsproblems

Completion rates, time needed vs. allocatedCompletion rates, time needed vs. allocated

Institutions to put in place specific Institutions to put in place specific standardsstandards

Charter Charter for Supervision and for Supervision and Training of Early Stage Training of Early Stage

ResearchersResearchers Supervision arrangementsSupervision arrangements

Review MethodsReview Methods

Confidential and Structured Feedback Confidential and Structured Feedback MechanismsMechanisms

Complimentary TrainingComplimentary Training

Input to the Input to the European Researchers’ CharterEuropean Researchers’ Charter

Which way to a Which way to a European DoctorateEuropean Doctorate??

Doctoral programmes should provide a Doctoral programmes should provide a mobility experience to candidates, according to mobility experience to candidates, according to the existing possibilitiesthe existing possibilities JointJoint Degree Programmes Degree Programmes ““co-tutelleco-tutelle”” arrangements arrangements periods of research abroad periods of research abroad international collaborations of the research international collaborations of the research groupgroup European label?European label? Who can release the rules? Who can release the rules?

Individual choices for a degree abroadIndividual choices for a degree abroad

Bologna Process and Lisbon convention should Bologna Process and Lisbon convention should make life easier make life easier

Family-related issuesFamily-related issues

Financial issuesFinancial issues

Loss of reintegration prospects in the country Loss of reintegration prospects in the country of originof origin

Bureaucratic/Administrative obstaclesBureaucratic/Administrative obstacles

Language problemsLanguage problems

Social and Cultural problemsSocial and Cultural problems

Lack of informationLack of information

Difficult transfer of social benefitsDifficult transfer of social benefits

Lack of international networkingLack of international networking

Opposition by the supervisorOpposition by the supervisor

Reported obstacles to Reported obstacles to mobilitymobility

« Are doctoral candidates fee-paying « Are doctoral candidates fee-paying studentsstudents who provide an important part of the income of who provide an important part of the income of the institution but can also demand a certain the institution but can also demand a certain amount of services and support for their money, amount of services and support for their money, or junior or junior research and teaching staffresearch and teaching staff who are who are fundamentally involved in the research output fundamentally involved in the research output and teaching provision of their institution and and teaching provision of their institution and should therefore be paid for their contribution? »should therefore be paid for their contribution? »

B.M. Kehm in the “comparative analysis” B.M. Kehm in the “comparative analysis” of the UNESCO-CEPES book “Doctoral Studies and of the UNESCO-CEPES book “Doctoral Studies and

Qualifications Qualifications in Europe and the United States: Status and Prospects”in Europe and the United States: Status and Prospects”

""statusstatus"" of the doctoral candidate of the doctoral candidate

United KingdomUnited Kingdom

Ph.D. candidates:Ph.D. candidates: are all students enrolled in a graduate are all students enrolled in a graduate programmeprogramme are tipically funded with grants by external are tipically funded with grants by external bodies (not by the University itself)bodies (not by the University itself)

satisfied because of:satisfied because of: academic freedom enjoyedacademic freedom enjoyed consumer’s rightsconsumer’s rights

Claim:Claim: supervisor-student relationship is not that of supervisor-student relationship is not that of an employer-worker, and in (most of) continental an employer-worker, and in (most of) continental Europe this [supervision] sounds like a feudal Europe this [supervision] sounds like a feudal relationshiprelationship

NorwayNorway

Ph.D. candidates:Ph.D. candidates: are all workers with regular employement are all workers with regular employement contracts, and related rights (and duties)contracts, and related rights (and duties) are not students, do not need any registration are not students, do not need any registration to take coursesto take courses

Enrolment in a doctoral programme:Enrolment in a doctoral programme: by signing a by signing a ““Ph.D. contractPh.D. contract”” where where supervisors, etc. are specifiedsupervisors, etc. are specified Work contract and Ph.D. contract are 2 Work contract and Ph.D. contract are 2 separate things, also in timeseparate things, also in time

Worried about a “student-oriented” Bologna Worried about a “student-oriented” Bologna ProcessProcess

ProfessionalProfessional futurefuture of doctors of doctors

Which expectations from the Which expectations from the societysociety??

Which expectations from the new Which expectations from the new doctorsdoctors??

Consider the various Consider the various environmentsenvironments: : academic, industrial, disciplinary, geographical, academic, industrial, disciplinary, geographical, contract type, position of responsibility, … contract type, position of responsibility, …

Concerns for researchers’ careers …Concerns for researchers’ careers …

Welcoming initiatives from the EC to set up a Welcoming initiatives from the EC to set up a European Researchers’ CharterEuropean Researchers’ Charter and a and a Code Code of conduct for the recruitment of of conduct for the recruitment of researchersresearchers

Annual ConferenceAnnual ConferenceStrasbourg, 10-13 march 2005Strasbourg, 10-13 march 2005

Annual ConferenceAnnual ConferenceStrasbourg, 10-13 march 2005Strasbourg, 10-13 march 2005

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