Conception and Standards of PhD Studies with the Goal of Developing the European Research Area Melita Kovacevic University of Vice-Rector for Research and Technology Vice-chair of the EUA-CDE Steering Committee The 6th Conference on Higher Education Reforming Sarajevo, 13 April 2012 1
Topics: European perspective State of the Art Recent Developments Regional perspective 2
European vs. World perspective EHEA ERA - new HE market - new demands - changing rules 3
The big picture The last five years have been characterised by the rise of the doctoral school Inclusion in the Bologna process 2003 Salzburg Principles 2005 From 2005 to 2009 the number of universities with doctoral schools have risen from less than 30 % to 65 % (TRENDS 2010) Priorities of the doctoral schools Taking institutional responsibility de-privatise doctoral education Establishing support structures (supervision, careers) Increasing transparency 4
The basis for the reforms Salzburg Basic Principles Original ten principles from 2005 outcomes of an EUA-led project and a Bologna seminar The doctorate is research-based Importance of institutional strategies Diversity Included in the Bologna Berlin Communiqué 2005 5
Salzburg II - background 5 years of rapid implementation of the Salzburg Principles, need to gather the experiences Need to communicate the nature of reform of doctoral education going on in universities CDE as the organisation who could do this 6
Salzburg II main points The doctorate is and must be research based It has a specific nature that makes it different from the types of education in the first and second cycle research must be the leading principle Important to stress that training through research creates a certain mindset for many sectors and careers but it is cultivated by having done original research 7
Salzburg II main points Space for individual development Doctoral education obtains a large part of its value from the unique and individual paths that doctoral candidates take. They meet unforeseen problems and obstacles and learn to tackle them Doctoral holders have individual career profiles as a product of their research experience and/or exposure to different environments Academia, management, NGO, industry and much, much more... 8
Salzburg II main points Supervision is central to doctoral education and a problem where serious problems can arise At the heart of de-privatisation Taking institutional responsibility by making it a collective effort Formally by having clear rules and guidelines on responsibilities, rights and duties Informally by stimulating a culture of supervision and making it a source of professional pride 9
Outcomes: University of Salzburg II main points The outcome is the doctorate holder the person trained through research with an individual professional profile Important to have developed a high level of autonomy and ability to manage the unknown Credits Can be used to measure workload... but not research A hunt for credits does not bring the right outcome 10
2001 HR joined the process of the harmonization of the EHEA at the Prague ministerial conference 2003 first new restructured doctoral programmes 2005 bachelor and master programmes - introduction of ECTS as obligatory 2006 doctoral structured programmes 2009 university standards 2011 establishment of doctoral school at the University of 11
Enrolled doctoral candidates (University in total) 12
Advantages: higher completion rate increased flexibility of curricula better fit to individual needs increased mobility of students shortened study time increased number of PhD students / PhD awards 13
Disadvantages: too many programmes (on all levels) poor recognition of bachelor degrees small number of students leaving after bachelor level lost scientific track of masters too many course takers at doctoral level intention for remake 3+2 = 5+0 14
Future / What is in front of us? to decrease number of programmes to decrease number of bachelor students to increase number of master students reacreditation of programmes to reintroduce scientific master establishment of doctoral schools internationalisation o the university to work out employability issue of all levels top-down and bottom-up approach structural measures and proper implementation 15
Doctoral education as a framework of change putting doctoral education to work real challenge to academic work PhD as a hallmark of university the core role of it s mission 16
doctoral education is a global issue the needs of local education and research towards solving global problems Doctoral education as a framework of change global research community co-operation competition brain circulation spreading research mentality to be flexible to be creative to be autonomous 17
Possible conclusions (with open questions) Are we ready to restructure our system within the wider global framework? It is inevitable to balance all parts of the ERI triangle What do we need to do that? Competitiveness is must POSSIBILITY FOR REGIONAL NETWORKING joint program collaborative program sandwich program regional mobility 18
Thank you 19 19