Download Introducing the Master Class

Rethinking doctoral education as a driver
for the knowledge-based society
Jean Chambaz
Vice President for Research, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris
Chair of the Steering Committee, Council for Doctoral Education,
European University Association
UNICA Master Class on supervision
Dubrovnik – September 2009
CDE
Doctoral education at the top of the agenda in the 2000’s
The Salzburg principles drew up in 2005 the new vision of
doctoral education in Europe.
They arose from an intensive bottom-up work from European
universities developed under the auspices of EUA (2004-2005).
They were largely endorsed by numerous universities from the
Nice conference (2006) as well as by the Council of European
Ministers in charge of Higher Education (Bergen 2005, London
2007) and the Commission.
They focused a strong interest and are seen as highly
challenging on the global scene.
CDE
Opportunities
 The building of a knowledge (innovation)-driven economy (Lisbon strategy),
and the need for a knowledge-based society in the broadest sense
 Need for more research and new research practices to address the
complexity and interdependence of the problems to face
 An increased strategic role for universities as key actors of research and in
training highly qualified and educated professional workers (World Bank, OECD, EU…)
Threats
 Long tradition of academic conservatism, behind claim of excellence
 Poor recognition of doctorate at its social and economical value
 A steady increase in the number of doctors trained in Europe this
last decade, exceeding the needs for researchers
CDE
The Lisbone agenda for a knowledge-based economy
 Globalisation is a market-led organisation of the world
 « globalisation is an overarching ‘mega-trend’ which will progressively
shape the world (…) The net benefits will not necessary be global »
CREST report on internationalisation of R&D, 2008
 The Lisbon strategy: promoting a (knowledge) innovation-driven economy
to maintain Europe competitiveness in the global context:
- Develop a market for innovative goods and services
- Materialize in products and services investments in knowledge
- Targets for 2010 : 3% GDP target for R&D and 600 000 new
researchers to be recruited …
- Results : - R&D still < 2% GDP in EU vs > 2.5 in USA and 3 in Japan,
and China close to US
- EU service sectors invest 0.2% GDP in R&D vs 0.7 in USA
- researchers are 6/1000 in Europe vs 9 in Japan and 10 in USA
The need for a knowledge-based society
 Globalisation changes spatial and temporal norms
 The complexity and interdependence of the problems to face need
more research and new research practices to address them
 A crucial need to promote the development of a knowledge-based
society in the broadest sense, not only in market terms, and on a
globalscene
 a tremendous need for dissemination of a research culture
in the society, not only in R&D sectors
An increased strategic role for universities
World Bank, OECD, EU…
 as key actors of research
- in extending the frontiers of knowledge
- in transfering knowledge into new products and services: innovation
 in training highly qualified and educated professional workers by giving
students key competences,skills and vocational guidance
 in educating citizens
… and an increased responsibility
 knowledge is and must remain a universal public good
 research, knowledge and innovation are not identical
 the need for an innovation-driven economy and for the transfer of
knowledge into innovation does not imply an innovation-driven
research, a fortiori a market-driven research: results cannot be
ordered or preset
CDE
The Bologna process

to redefine overall institutional missions which combine with
the societal demands and the development of a European job market

Definition of the outcomes at each level of qualification
- in terms of key competences, skills and vocational guidance
- allowing an exit by success at each level based on an informed choice
to fulfill the needs of Europe economy and society
Bachelor
Master
Doctorate
Doctorate: development of creative thinking by training through research
CDE
Opportunities
 The building of a knowledge (innovation)-driven economy (Lisbon strategy),
and the need for a knowledge-based society in the broadest sense
 Need for more research and new research practices to address the
complexity and interdependence of the problems to face
 An increased strategic role for universities as key actors of research and in
training highly qualified and educated professional workers (World Bank, OECD, EU…)
Threats
 Long tradition of academic conservatism, behind claim of excellence
 Poor recognition of doctorate at its social and economical value
 A steady increase in the number of doctors trained in Europe this
last decade, exceeding the needs for researchers
CDE
How to overcome these threats ?
 Do we train too many doctors ?
- yes, if reproducing our ‘species’
- no, if considering the needs in creative workers and the competences
acquired during training through research
 Employers’ views on researchers’ skills
The Rugby Team, 2007
- if companies have postgraduate researchers, few recruit postgraduate
- mostly employed for consultancy, scientific research and development
- seen as overqualified and/or overspecialized with narrowness of interest
 How to bridge this ‘communication gap’ ?
- developing the awareness of stakeholders on the added value
of training through research and partnering in doctoral education
CDE
A key issue: promote the added value of doctorate
 doctorate : development of creative thinking by training
through research and maturing of competences and personality
facing the unknown - extending knowledge
quickly extracting and synthezising knowledge
elaborating innovative solutions to solve complex problems
developing strategies by combining varied perspectives
networking – communicating
quality, time and resources management - failure management
 an increasing need for these competences in all sectors and regions
 directly linked to the employability of doctorate holders for academic
as non-academic, research or non-research carreers
CDE
The new European vision of doctorate:
the Salzburg Principles (2005)
The new European vision of doctorate:
the Salzburg Principles (2005)
Where do we stand?
European universities have been at the forefront of the reforms of
doctoral education.
The Salzburg principles set a common frame and a common goal to
reach by different routes.
Their implementation in very diverse contexts demonstrates their
strength, accuracy and operability and accumulates a considerable
amount of original experiences and innovative practices which enriches
this new vision.
But there is a risk that the local nature of the reforms makes them less
visible for stakeholders and decision makers at both national and
European level.
CDE
After 5 years, it is time to reflect on these experiences, to confirm
and upgrade the Salzburg Principles:
Salzburg II
an initiative of the European University Association,
prepared through members contributions, working groups and workshops,
released at the annual conference of EUA-CDE in june 2010
 What means structuring doctoral education
 Institutional responsibilities
 Governements and funding bodies responsibilities
CDE
Stressing the doctorate as based on research, not teaching
The Salzburg principles stressed the specificity of the doctoral level as
learning through the practice of an original research project, bridging the
ERA and EHEA.
If this basis is compromised, the doctorate as such will lose its value. It is
therefore of utmost importance that all stakeholders take this as their point
of departure, not just pay lip-service to it.
For this reason, doctorate is by nature different form the first and
second cycles, even though doctoral education has been part of the
Bologna process from the 2003 Berlin Communiqué.
As a consequence, the format and assessment tools developed through the
Bologna process for the two first cycles are not appropriate at the doctoral
level.
CDE
Structuring doctoral education
 Structuring doctoral education deals with:
- how to achieve a critical mass of research environment, and
- how to to develop creativity, autonomy, and personal and professional
skills of early stage researchers in order to be prepared for careers in
R&D as well as in any other sector.
 The creation of a good research environment is central to successful
doctoral education. Critical mass is essential to create such an
environment, as is the culture of the institution.
 Reform of doctoral education cannot be reduced to the introduction of
more taught elements, skills provision, even more credit systems.
 These are all second to the development of a dynamic research
environment where the doctoral candidates take part as early stage
researchers.
CDE
Creating the appropriate environment
for personal development
 Recruitment of candidates through open, fair and transparent procedures
 Selection of doctoral research projects
 Doctoral candidates, as early stage researchers, should be recognized
as professionals – with commensurate rights and duties.
 The research community needs to incorporate a culture of supervision,
as a collective, transparent and inclusive process
 Provision of skills thought as to expose early stage researchers to a wide
range of opportunities to define their career choices
 International dimension: As good research is by nature international,
the international agenda should be a key part of any research environment.
CDE
Supervision, a collective and inclusive process
 A crucial role for the supervisor(s):
- the research project is the core component of the doctorate
- regular mentoring and councelling so as to favour the development
of critical mind, creativity and autonom
 The doctoral structure and the institution:
- regular assessment of the thesis progress and of the professional
project
- code of conduct, Charter and/or contract
- professional development and training of supervisors
CDE
Provision of skills to ensure personal development
 Skills and competences are developed through the realisation of an
original research project
 Provision of skills must be thought as to expose early stage researchers
to a wide range of opportunities to define their career choices
 Without overcharging, respecting diversity, and providing individualised
training to meet the specific needs of each individual in his/her own
personal maturation
 They cannot be mastered by only taking courses, and ECTS are not
appropriate for individual assessment of personal development
CDE
These are essential conditions
To prepare
Early stage researchers,
Who are the workforce of today’s research institutions,
To become
The academics, top managers, policy makers and business leaders
Of tomorrow knowledge-based society
CDE
Providing appropriate legal and economic framework
Accountability: Institutions should increase their accountability by
implementing data collection systems. There is a need for a clearer,
international terminology in order to make institutional data comparable.
Assessment considering doctoral programmes both from the point of view of
content-oriented research assessment and from procedure-oriented quality
assurance. Assessment on the basis of the quality of the research
environment, which will require different methods than the QA of the
teaching environments in the first and second cycle.
Funding: government bodies and organisations should take into account the
full cost of projects as for example joint programmes.
Legal frameworks concerning doctoral education should be reviewed in the
light of improved transparency and accountability. Legal barriers to joint or
dual degrees should for example be made more flexible to facilitate
institutional co-operation. Mobility needs to be underpinned by social rights
compatible with mobile careers.
CDE
Towards Salzburg II
 EUA-CDE hotline/forum on doctorate
 Workshop « structuring doctoral education », Zagreb, December 2009
 Workshop on researcher careers, Gent, March 2010
 Glossary and Datatase for CDE institutions
 EUA-CDE Annual conference, Berlin, June 2010 : Salzburg II
 Workshop on joint degrees, October 2010
www.eua.be
CDE