Download presentation
Presentation is loading. Please wait.
Published byMalcolm Boyd Modified over 8 years ago
2
the European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers Renzo Rubele President of Eurodoc From Bologna to Bergen: A mid-term review… Workshop on the third cycle Brussels, February 12 th 2005 Working towards a doctoral degree
3
Eurodoc is the federation of the national associations of PhD candidates and junior researchers in Europe What is eurodoc ? Members Othercontacts
4
Bologna declaration, 1999 Lisbon strategy, 2000, "3% objective" in R&D Knowledge-based society: a challenge for Europe Why was eurodoc founded ? 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 02-02-02 Foundation and 1 st annual meeting Eurodoc 2002 in Girona, Spain Eurodoc 2002 in Girona, Spain
5
7-member Board Annual Conference (Eurodoc 2005: Strasbourg) Delegates representing countries from all Europe Workgroups for a number of priority issues: Supervision & Training International Mobility Professional Future Labour Conditions Gender Equality Communication How does eurodoc work ? www.eurodoc.net
6
Bologna Process with 3 tiers « […] Ministers consider it necessary to go beyond the present focus on two main cycles of higher education to include the doctoral level as the third cycle in the Bologna Process. […] Ministers call for increased mobility at the doctoral and postdoctoral levels and encourage the institutions concerned to increase their cooperation in doctoral studies and the training of young researchers. […] » Berlin Communiqué of Ministers, 19 th september 2003
7
1. Doctoral studies – the last cycle for students in higher education or the first step in the career of young researchers?
8
The doctorate as the 3 rd cycle of HE Problems National and local traditions prevail – regulations may vary a lot even among departments and disciplines To what extent might it be useful to introduce common structures? Similar practice? The ECTS credit system? The Diploma Supplement? Standards of quality and qualification frameworks? Evidence Everywhere in Europe candidates must defend a thesis in front of a committee, appointed by Universities About 500,000doctoral candidates in Europe are supervised and (possibly) trained towards the degree About 500,000 doctoral candidates in Europe are supervised and (possibly) trained towards the degree
9
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, including by many employers outside the academic environment Social rights, contractual dynamics Attractiveness of a researcher’s career
10
United Kingdom Ph.D. candidates: are all students enrolled in a graduate programme are tipically funded with grants by external bodies (not by the University itself) satisfied because of: academic freedom enjoyed consumer’s rights Claim: supervisor-student relationship is not that of an employer-worker, and in (most of) continental Europe this [supervision] sounds like a feudal relationship
11
Norway Ph.D. candidates: are all workers with regular employement contracts, and related rights (and duties) are not students, do not need any registration to take courses Enrolment in a doctoral programme: by signing a “Ph.D. contract” where the roles of supervisor(s) and institution, etc. are specified Work contract and Ph.D. contract are 2 separate things, also in time Worried about a “student-oriented” Bologna Process
12
Comparative Table of the professional profile of doctoral candidates in Europe - 2003
13
2. How to ensure the quality of doctoral studies on an European basis – common quality assurance process or joint programmes and increased mobility?
14
Qualification framework Promote the ‘Dublin descriptor’ for the doctoral level: this does not entail one specific route to the award of the degree while making clear standards Promote disciplinary caucuses to define scientific contents and exchange best practice Quality assessment as for any other activities Governments to promote appropriate consultations with the Universities and foster dissemination of information
15
Supervision & Training Little opportunity to speak against the problems Completion rates, time needed vs. allocated Role of the supervisor(s), management of the research project, assessment. Evaluation of the supervision Quantity and quality of training: induction, development of disciplinary competences and of general professional and transferable skills Institutions to put in place specific codes of practice
16
Charter for Supervision and Training of Early Stage Researchers Supervision arrangements Review Methods Confidential and Structured Feedback Mechanisms Complimentary Training Input to the European Researchers’ Charter
17
Which way to a European Doctorate? Doctoral programmes should provide a mobility experience to candidates, according to the existing possibilities Joint Degree Programmes “co-tutelle” arrangements periods of research abroad international collaborations of the research group European label? Who can release the rules? Individual choices for a degree abroad Bologna Process and Lisbon convention should make life easier
18
Annual Conference Annual Conference Strasbourg, 10-13 march 2005 Annual Conference Annual Conference Strasbourg, 10-13 march 2005 eurodoc Web site: http://2005.eurodoc.net Contact: board@eurodoc.net
Similar presentations
© 2024 SlidePlayer.com Inc.
All rights reserved.