The training of doctoral candidates remains largely oriented towards academia. Given that increasing numbers of doctorate holders will eventually work beyond the academy, we need to rethink doctoral education. This article proposes several recommendations (‘rethinks’) emerging from empirical studies targeting collaboration, transferable skills and the relations between doctoral candidates and their future employers.
As in almost every part of society, the Covid-19 pandemic came as a shock to doctoral education in Europe. Universities pivoted remarkably quickly, within days, to counter the enforced closure of facilities with online provision across almost all activities. And as the world attempts to move forward, under the partial shield of vaccination, it is possible to take stock of the impact upon doctoral candidates and the people and structures that support them and to assess what the experience means for the future.
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EUA-CDE brings together the largest community of academic leaders and professionals working on doctoral education and research training in Europe.
267 membersDoctoral researchers are vital to the production of knowledge and to challenging the status quo. Focused on improving doctoral education in Europe, our engagement extends from university leadership to those involved in the day-to-day delivery of doctoral programmes and supervision.
Luke Georghiou,
Deputy President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor University of Manchester; EUA-CDE Steering Committee Chair