the European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers

1. the European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers From Bologna to Bergen: A mid-term review… Workshop on the third cycle Brussels, February12th 2005 Working towards a doctoral degree Renzo Rubele President of Eurodoc

2. What is eurodoc ? Eurodoc is the federation of the national associations of PhD candidates and junior researchers in Europe Members Other contacts

3. Why was eurodoc founded ? • Bologna declaration, 1999 • Lisbon strategy, 2000, "3% objective" in R&D • Knowledge-based society: a challenge for Europe 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 1st annual meeting Eurodoc 2002 in Girona, Spain

4. How does eurodoc work ?  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 www.eurodoc.net

5. Bologna Process with3 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, 19th september 2003

6. 1. Doctoral studies – the last cycle for students in higher education or the first step in the career of young researchers?

7. The doctorate as the 3rd cycle of HE 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 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?

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. Comparative Table of the professional profile of doctoral candidates in Europe - 2003

12. 2. How to ensure the quality of doctoral studies on an European basis – common quality assurance process or joint programmes and increased mobility?

13. 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 appropriateconsultations with the Universities and foster dissemination of information

14. 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

15. 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

16. Which way to a European Doctorate?  Doctoral programmes should provide a mobility experience to candidates, according to the existing possibilities • JointDegree 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

17. Annual Conference Strasbourg, 10-13 march 2005 eurodoc Web site: http://2005.eurodoc.net Contact: board@eurodoc.net