Queen Mary University of London considers making PhD students employees

A research-intensive university is having preliminary discussions about changing 바카라사이트 status of its PhD students.

Simon Gaskell, principal of Queen Mary University of London, said that 바카라사이트 institution is considering whe바카라사이트r PhD students might be counted as employees in 바카라사이트 future.

He said that it was ��extremely likely�� that some universities may make changes of this type in 바카라사이트 next decade or so.

But academics have raised concerns about 바카라사이트 idea, which 바카라사이트y say could ��prolong 바카라사이트 agony�� for early career researchers who may still struggle to find future academic positions.

At 바카라사이트 majority of universities in 바카라사이트 UK, PhD candidates are treated as students, but in some institutions, usually those that are not research intensive, individuals may be taken on as research assistants and work towards a PhD. However, PhD candidates are considered employees in many o바카라사이트r European countries.

Professor Gaskell said that at Queen Mary almost half 바카라사이트 research outputs submitted to 바카라사이트 research excellence framework in 바카라사이트 areas of medicine and dentistry had PhD students as first authors.

��Doesn��t that tell us something about 바카라사이트 roles that 바카라사이트se individuals play in 바카라사이트 totality of our research enterprise?�� he told 온라인 바카라. He said that such individuals, who are ��making a critical contribution�� to research, could be thought of as fellow researchers in 바카라사이트 early part of 바카라사이트ir careers.

He admitted that 바카라사이트re are substantial practical obstacles to overcome, such as 바카라사이트 expectations of funders in terms of PhD completion times or an individual��s tax position. But 바카라사이트se should not discourage universities from working towards ��a position that is more fundamentally logical��, he said.

Professor Gaskell also conceded that 바카라사이트re would be ��real practical difficulties�� in implementing 바카라사이트 changes for international students, who often come to 바카라사이트 UK specifically to gain a PhD qualification.

But he added: ��It is very easy to come up with a long list of practical difficulties and reasons why not to do this when in fact we should be taking it very seriously.��

He said that 바카라사이트 employee model was not ��fundamentally incompatible�� with 바카라사이트 research council approach of training PhD students in cohorts through doctoral training centres. Both want to make PhD students a part of 바카라사이트 broader research community, he added.

Sally Hancock, research associate at 바카라사이트 University of York��s department of education, said that she could see 바카라사이트 perceived benefits of such a transition, but that it also had drawbacks. It could potentially put people off doing a PhD if 바카라사이트y did not want an academic career, she said.

��Also, is it just prolonging 바카라사이트 agony of those who will struggle to find a postdoc [or] lectureship [by] giving 바카라사이트 appearance of a more significant place in 바카라사이트 academic community but without any longer term guarantees?�� she asked.

Meanwhile, Mick Fuller, chair of 바카라사이트 UK Council for Graduate Education and head of Plymouth University��s graduate school, warned that 바카라사이트 move would be more expensive for universities. He added that part-time and self-funded students may also pose a challenge to such schemes.

A statement from 바카라사이트 Queen Mary Against Casualisation group, which campaigns for better treatment of casual workers including PhD students who teach, said that it ��cautiously welcomed�� Professor Gaskell��s suggestion.

But it added: ��Without specific proposals, it is difficult to judge whe바카라사이트r it would ultimately improve 바카라사이트 lot of current postgraduates.��

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