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

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
The world is changing – knowledge society and ecomomy has become the key driver (for scientists, educationists, politicians, businesses...)
Focus on knowledge society has a serious impact on academia:
Rapid growth of students in HE incl. doctoral students
Differentiation of profiles, functions, roles and tasks of universities as well as of academic profession
Growing competition among universities and obsession with reputation, rankings, leage tables and excellence
Pressure on accountability (auditing, evaluations, accreditations, monitioring, controlling)
Academic freedom? Trust?

4. Impact on doctoral education
Knowledge society requires a new set of competences and skills.
Academic career of doctoral graduates is no longer the only career path (though many supervisers still prepare doctoral students for academic career only) – motifs to do the PhD differ.
The generation of knowledge, the development of epistemological and methodological expertise is not enough, also organisation, management and dissemination of knowledge and with it a much wider transferable skills base is needed. Words such as employability, adaptability, flexibility, innovation, creativity, critical thinking describe what is expected from a new doctoral holder.

5. Doctoral education in the changing world
Doctoral education – on the top of the agenda of university leaders worldwide
Massive increase of doctoral students (and graduates), in Europe 50% on average since 2004
Global war for talent
Triple i-: international, interdisciplinary, intersectoral
Shift from individual „exercise“ to collaborative research
Increased focus on research (less on teaching)
New organisation of DE as a consequence

6. Doctoral Education in the European context
Doctoral education = bridge between European Higher Education and Research Areas (EHEA and ERA)
Major transformation of doctoral education since mid-2000: a silent revolution
Diversity (different national and regional adademic/ research traditions and cultures)
High political attention:
Bologna Process (doctoral education included in 2003)
EU policies: Lisbon objectives, ERA Green Paper, Modernisation Agenda for universities, Grand challenges, Innovation Union: A Europe 2020 Initiative, Principles for Innovative Doctoral Training, Report of Mapping Exercise on Doctoral Training, A New Skills Agenda for Europe)
National policies and legislation

7. EUA Council for Doctoral Education (EUA-CDE)
The key actor in doctoral education in Europe
Established in 2008 as a membership service of the European University Association
A forum for cooperation and exchange of good practices among doctoral programmes/schools across universities in Europe and worldwide
240 university members from 33 countries
Collaboration with other university associations (UNICA, LERU, COIMBRA, CGS)
Main documents: Salzburg Principles I (2005), Salzburg recommendations II (2010), Taking Salzburg Forward (2016), Survey Doctoral education in Europe today: approaches and institutional structures (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, focus groups and annual meeting) and focused on implementation of reforms
Results: large consensus about the research basis of the doctorate
Original research as the basis of the doctorate and as the difference from the other two cycles
Space for and focus on individual development
Insitutional autonomy to choose the mission and strategy and 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 (usually covering only PhDs), but move towards a 2-layered model of faculty/programme level schools or disciplinary schools, and central strategic units
Aim: to create a critical mass, stimulate research environment, enhance interdisciplinarity and inter-institutional collaboration, improve time to degree and completion rates, 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 assessment trends
A collective effort with clearly defined responsibilities of PhD candidate, supervisor and institution (a contract signed by 3 parties)
Multiple supervision encouraged (in international supervision: community of supervisors)
Providing professional development to supervisors (training) is an institutional responsibility (different formats depending on academic culture)
Monitoring of supervisors (carrots and sticks)
Priority: to develop a common supervision culture

13. III. Outcomes
The main outcome of doctoral education: the early stage researcher with specific research related and transferable skills, competences and experiences, which can be used in a wide range of careers
The outcome of doctoral research: the dissertation (a publishable monograph, several peer reviewed papers or a consistent artistic work with a theoretical publication) – defended in public in the presence of an examining board 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 internal systems for quality assurance (based on institutional mission/ strategy).
Assessment of academic/ research quality of DE should be based on peer review and be sensitive to disciplinary differences.
Quality assurance bodies are increasingly interested in assessment/ evaluation/ accreditation of doctoral education (output-based: staff qualifications, publications of PhDs, number of PhDs, TTD, completion rates, 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: Avoid over-regulation

17. VI. Internationalisation and mobility
Global problems require global solutions – not possible without international cooperation
The need for global competences of doctoral candidates:
Ability to work across countries
Communication across cultures
Knowledge of global organisations and contexts
Personal adaptability to diverse culture
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 courses incl. 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 research has 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
Growing challenges in doctoral education require hiring (or training) new staff that specialises in doctoral education – a new job profile
Tasks:
Drafting policy papers for the management
Collecting data on PhDs, TTD, completion rates, publications...
Monitoring and quality control
Organising training in transferable skills for doctoral students
Organising professional development fora for supervisors (and awards
Providing career advice, organising events with employers
EU PRIDE project: Professionals in Doctoral Education, handbook at:

22. New challenges: CDE Taking Salzburg Forward policy initiative
Science 2.0 (Open sience, open big data, open education – e.g. online courses)
Research integrity and ethics (plagiarism, publishing in predatory journals, big data, data protection, IP rights)
Capacity building and widening participation (connecting peripheral regions in the EU with prosperious ones – new possibilities for twinning and teaming)
Outreach – collaboration with other stakeholders such as regional/local authorities 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 position of 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.“
(Angela Brew, David Boud & Janne Malfroy (2016): The role of research education coordinators in building research cultures in doctoral education, Higher Education Research & Development, DOI: / )

24. Thank you for your attention