1. SUPERVISION IN DOCTORAL EDUCATION AT UNIVERSITY OF LJUBLJANA
Univerza v Ljubljani
SUPERVISION IN DOCTORAL EDUCATION AT UNIVERSITY OF LJUBLJANA
Katja Breskvar
Head of Doctoral School
Zagreb, 2011
Zagreb 2011 1

2. University of Ljubljana
Univerza v Ljubljani
University of Ljubljana
Size of the institution
Member faculties
Students and teaching staff
23 faculties
students (graduate and postgraduate)
3 art academies
about 4000 members of teaching staff
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3. Doctoral School of UL Established 2007
Univerza v Ljubljani
Doctoral School of UL
Established
Head member of academic staff appointed by rector
Office professional persons
Main tasks:
Maintains standards for doctoral studies across disciplines
through regulations and codes of practise
Provides a range of support services
Forms proposals of strategic issues
Assembles generic courses
Coordinates international cooperation
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4. Reorganization of Doctoral Studies at UL
Univerza v Ljubljani
Reorganization of Doctoral Studies at UL
The same study conditions for doctoral students of all disciplines accepted at institutional level were published as University document in 2008.
Reorganization of doctoral studies included the aims:
Research to be of the greatest significance in the programs
Interdisciplinary approach where possible
Critical mass (students and teaching staff)
Generic skills training
Promotion of student and staff mobility
Quality assurance
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5. Univerza v Ljubljani
Evaluation of Doctoral Programmes by ECTS as defined by law in Slovenia
Program duration three years – 180 KT
Organized forms of study – 60 KT
Research – 120 KT
By definition: 1KT according to ECTS represents from 25 to 30 hours of student’s work load
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6. Research - the Greatest Significance in the Programmes
Univerza v Ljubljani
Research - the Greatest Significance in the Programmes
Appropriate postulates in the programmes:
introduction of research subjects
recognition of learning through research
obligatory to publish results prior to the defence
Role of mentors:
active researchers
to assure research infrastructure and other conditions for scientific work
Doctoral committees
Financial aspects:
state funding (research projects, young researchers, other)
financial support form partners in economy
international projects
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7. New Postulates in Doctoral Programmes
Univerza v Ljubljani
New Postulates in Doctoral Programmes
Research subjects:
elective individual research courses were introduced in several programmes
doctoral candidates have the opportunity to gain research skills necessary for their doctoral project in specialized laboratories
Learning through research:
doctoral candidates obtain credit points through research by presenting their progress in research at several meetings with the committee
publishing results
Students’ work load is evaluated and accredited.
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8. Mentoring Doctoral Candidates Before Renovation of Doctoral Studies
Univerza v Ljubljani
Mentoring Doctoral Candidates Before Renovation of Doctoral Studies
Criteria for mentors:
As defined in university statute, persons with suitable title (assistant, associate and full professors) were suitable for mentoring doctoral candidates.
Consequences:
no control over research activities of mentors
no control over number of doctoral candidates /mentor
call for students exceeded research capacity
no control over duration of the process
no. of doctoral students significantly exceeded no. of those who completed the studies
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9. New Criteria for Mentoring
Univerza v Ljubljani
New Criteria for Mentoring
Criteria for mentors according to new senate decisions:
A person with the title of a university teacher or a researcher of
science in the field of the doctoral dissertation
Publications in the area of students’ research project
Research activity demonstrated by national evaluation system (Sicris
data base) with minimum no. of points which would qualify them as
possible project leaders
Involvement in research project
Limitation of number of doctoral candidates/ mentor
Obligatory co-mentor in case of interdisciplinary project
Guest mentors from other universities
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10. Doctoral Committees Before Present Three committees :
Univerza v Ljubljani
Doctoral Committees
Before
Present
Three committees :
project plan evaluation
doctoral thesis evaluation
oral defence
Single committee:
guiding doctoral candidate
from beginning to completion
role of mentor in the
committee
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11. Third Cycle Doctoral Programmes at UL
Univerza v Ljubljani
Third Cycle Doctoral Programmes at UL
With different level of interdisciplinary approach:
Comprehensive interdisciplinary programs: interdisciplinary approach
with cooperation of several faculties and other research institutions,
coordination at university.
Interdisciplinary programs: cooperation of several faculties in some
scientific areas, coordination at selected faculty.
Faculty programs: one or two scientific disciplines mostly studied at
one faculty, cooperation with individual lecturers form other faculties.
Joint programs: cooperation with other universities
19 new programmes
Start in 2009/2010
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12. Quality Criteria in Doctoral Studies
Univerza v Ljubljani
Quality Criteria in Doctoral Studies
All criteria for quality assurance and quality control accepted for other
levels of education need to be respected. In addition, some specifics in
doctoral studies need additional quality measurements.
Specific for doctoral studies at UL:
Criteria for mentors
Criteria for course coordinators and lecturers
Strict requirement for doctoral students to publish results of their research
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13. Students in Doctoral Studies -Third Cycle Programmes
Univerza v Ljubljani
Students in Doctoral Studies -Third Cycle Programmes
Study year
Public call
matriculated
2009/10
2342
1275
2010/11
1678
963
2011/12
1281 ?
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14. Institutional Responsibility in Raising the Quality of Mentorship
Univerza v Ljubljani
Institutional Responsibility in Raising the Quality of Mentorship
In addition to accepting general requirements for mentors the
institution should assure for future mentors the fundamental
conditions and to obtain all the necessary information.
Workshop for mentors:
Information about the programmes
Legal requirements concerning doctoral education
Requirements for mentors
Responsibilities towards doctoral candidate
2. Financial issues
Zagreb 2011