the European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers Renzo Rubele Past President of Eurodoc “Knowledge-based society and researchers mobility in the age of globalization” Thessaloniki, October 18 th 2005 The Charter and the Code: promoting good practice

eurodoc is the federation of the national associations of PhD candidates and junior researchers in Europe Building a paneuropean represention Members (21) Other countries represented at eurodoc 2005

 Bologna declaration, 1999  Lisbon strategy, 2000, "3% objective" in R&D  Knowledge-based society: a challenge for Europe The history behind us  PhD candidates’ associations from Europe met in Uppsala, Sweden, in February 2001  Need for an official frame of representation and discussion at the European level   Foundation and 1 st annual meeting Eurodoc 2002 in Girona, Spain Eurodoc 2002 in Girona, Spain

 7-member Board  Annual Conference  Delegates representing countries from all Europe  Workgroups for a number of priority issues:  Supervision & Training  International Mobility  Professional Future  Labour Conditions  Gender Equality  Communication, Funding Structuring eurodoc’s life

eurodoc and the Charter/Code  Involvement in the debate on researchers’ careers at the European level since 2002  Brainstorming Meetings in Brussels to prepare the Communication from the Commission “Researchers’ in the ERA: one profession multiple careers”  Membership at the EAG for Human Resources and Mobility at DG Research  Participations and talks at various EU-events in the Roadmap to the Charter/Code  Specific input on Supervision and Training (“Eurodoc Charter”)

Issues of concern for Eurodoc addressed therein: 1. Professional profile of researchers 2. “Status” of doctoral candidates/junior researchers 3. International dimension of the profession 4. Supervision and training eurodoc and the Charter/Code  The Charter/Code was adopted the same day of the opening of the Eurodoc 2005 Annual Conference in Strasbourg (March 11)  Role of eurodoc now: promotion of the “turning words into practice” scheme

Researchers’ careers in Europe  The key: raising the professional profile  Which identity for a researcher? Necessity to strenghten recognition in an open European market  What are duties and rights? Address the mixing of researching, administrating research and communicating the results of research  Charter/Code as valuable instruments to promote discussion at national and institutional level

« Are doctoral candidates fee-paying students who provide an important part of the income of the institution but can also demand a certain amount of services and support for their money, or junior research and teaching staff who are fundamentally involved in the research output and teaching provision of their institution and should therefore be paid for their contribution? » B.M. Kehm in the “comparative analysis” of the UNESCO-CEPES book “Doctoral Studies and Qualifications in Europe and the United States: Status and Prospects” "status" of the doctoral candidate

The doctorate as a professional experience Evidence  The successful candidates should demonstrate ability to produce original research – clear from the beginning  In various forms there can be given teaching duties, demonstration activities, additional research projects … Problems  Lack of recognition, especially by employers outside the academic environment (acute in some countries)  Social rights, contractual dynamics  Attractiveness of a researcher’s career

Charter for Supervision and Training of Early Stage Researchers  Supervision arrangements  Review Methods  Confidential and Structured Feedback Mechanisms  Complimentary Training  Input to the European Charter for Researchers

 Family-related issues  Financial issues  Loss of reintegration prospects in the country of origin  Bureaucratic/Administrative obstacles  Language problems  Social and Cultural problems  Lack of information  Difficult transfer of social benefits  Lack of international networking  Opposition by the supervisor Reported obstacles to mobility

Professional future of doctors  Achieving a doctorate: strong personal commitment, and investment in the knowledge society  Many young people are doing a Ph.D. for the sake of research, and would like to continue along the same way, but …  Employability is a concern, especially in some countries  Consider the various environments: academic, industrial, disciplinary, geographical, contract type …  eurodoc will stand close to EC and other stakeholders to promote the Charter/Code