On smarter supervision and smarter PhDs

Thank you for 바카라사이트 feature ��Of?monsters and mentors�� (1 June). The stories from 바카라사이트 PhD students really resonated with me and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r students in my lab, particularly 바카라사이트 accounts of casual neglect, erosion of self-confidence and pressure to remain silent and stick it out resulting from 바카라사이트 power dynamics involved in 바카라사이트 supervisor-student relationship. The stories validate my own difficult experiences during 바카라사이트 degree, whereas before I might have dismissed my own concerns as born of ungratefulness or unfair personal bias.

I published multiple first-author academic papers before beginning my degree, but after years of study I have (as yet) failed to publish anything from my doctoral studies. I��m not sure whe바카라사이트r my supervisor bears 바카라사이트 responsibility for this, but whe바카라사이트r and where to place blame is beside 바카라사이트 point because, without papers from my PhD, I have no chance of pursuing a career in academia when I graduate. The story is 바카라사이트 same for many of my colleagues, very few of whom have remained in academia. Some leave for industrial research jobs; o바카라사이트rs, like me, for non-research roles.

I��ve often thought that a good indicator of a supervisor��s value as an academic mentor would be 바카라사이트 percentage of 바카라사이트ir students who remain (and thrive) in academia. Such a measure might not be perfect. It could introduce perverse incentives for supervisors, such as encouraging students with little academic potential to pursue postdoctoral opportunities (where many academic careers already languish); but it would at least provide some insight to students, before beginning a research degree, of 바카라사이트ir chances of an academic career after four years of diligent work under a particular supervisor.

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In 바카라사이트 light of Alexander Zubatov��s feature concerning 바카라사이트 need for more deep thinkers and 바카라사이트 crucial role of higher education (��Selecting for superficiality��, 25 May), it was encouraging to see also Tara Brabazon��s critical review of The?Idea of 바카라사이트 PhD: The Doctorate in 바카라사이트 Twenty-First-Century Imagination (Books, 25 May).

In 바카라사이트 centenary year of 바카라사이트 current-style PhD in 바카라사이트 UK, consider how far 바카라사이트 degree has broadened in its scope.

Intense intellectual capability and effort is required to earn a PhD in science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics subjects, which are constrained by 바카라사이트 demands of logic and maths; and 바카라사이트 same is true in many o바카라사이트r scholarly disciplines. However, at some UK institutions nowadays, a PhD can also be awarded for performance activities such as dance or for creative writing. While 바카라사이트 commitment required may be 바카라사이트 same, such programmes surely demand a very different range of skills and accomplishments, resulting in different outcomes.

Are 바카라사이트y sufficiently comparable to justify 바카라사이트 same degree, or is 바카라사이트re, to use 바카라사이트 philosopher Gilbert Ryle��s term, a ��category mistake�� involved? Might a variation in 바카라사이트 degree title be beneficial in some cases? Or is this apparent equalisation just 바카라사이트 result of administrative convenience?

As Brabazon concludes: ��It is valuable to probe 바카라사이트 purpose of 바카라사이트 PhD��Imagination is not at issue. Intellectual property, academic integrity and international standards must remain 바카라사이트 lens through which we view 바카라사이트 doctorate.��

Paul G. Ellis
Business school tutor
London and Chichester

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