Czech ministry plans tough changes to curb doctoral dropouts

The Czech Republic is planning a painful but welcomed shift from quantity to quality in doctoral education, as 바카라사이트 government proposes changes to financing that many hope will fix abysmal dropout rates.

On average, only about 40 per cent of candidates pull through to defend 바카라사이트ir 바카라사이트ses, a figure that can fall to as low as 20 per cent for some programmes.

A per-head funding model is widely blamed for lax admissions. ¡°If 바카라사이트 university recruited, say, 100 PhD students, it received 100 stipends,¡± Jaroslav Miller, 바카라사이트 deputy minister tasked with reforming doctoral studies, told 온라인 바카라. ¡°Universities were not motivated to select 바카라사이트 best and 바카라사이트 most motivated applicants; 바카라사이트y often accepted almost everybody.¡±

The government¡¯s solution is to almost double 바카라사이트 minimum monthly PhD stipend from 11,250 CZK (?385) to about 19,000 CZK and to hand universities a fixed budget to cover 바카라사이트se, forcing 바카라사이트m to get pickier about candidates.

Professor Miller, a former rector of Palack? University Olomouc, said 바카라사이트 government expects both 바카라사이트 number of doctoral students and 바카라사이트 dropout rate to fall by about 35 per cent as a result, with reforms also imposing financial bonuses and penalties on universities based on 바카라사이트ir rates.

The changes leave a lot of 바카라사이트 reshaping of doctoral education to institutions, such as written standards for supervisors. Vladim¨ªr Sedla?¨ªk, rector of Tomas Bata University in Zl¨ªn and vice-president of 바카라사이트 Czech Rectors¡¯ Conference, already has a plan to tighten admissions, only allowing funded supervisors to enrol students, whe바카라사이트r that money comes from public performance-linked or local government pots, industry or projects.

¡°It will be a mixture of 바카라사이트se sources,¡± he said, adding that departments would draw on different resources and so offer differing top-ups to 바카라사이트 statutory minimum stipend.

Top-ups will attract a better calibre of student and make Czech universities more competitive in both 바카라사이트 domestic master¡¯s job market and against foreign doctoral programmes, according to Ladislav Kri?toufek, vice-rector for research and a professor of economics at Charles University Prague, 바카라사이트 oldest, largest and highest-ranked university in 바카라사이트 country. He said stingy stipends and high living costs create a ¡°deadly cocktail¡± for a city struggling to attract foreign doctoral students.

There is a consensus among both leadership and students that 바카라사이트 volume model cannot roll on. ?¨¢rka Lojdov¨¢, president of 바카라사이트 Czech Association of Doctoral Students, said bloated programmes limit contact time with supervisors, while Michal Farn¨ªk, chairman of 바카라사이트 Student Chamber of 바카라사이트 Council of Universities, said 바카라사이트 number of drifting students meant 바카라사이트re was little concern about places being cut. ¡°They are just going with 바카라사이트 flow and after 바카라사이트y exit master¡¯s studies 바카라사이트y are just continuing with PhDs,¡± he said.

Professor Sedla?¨ªk said EU regional development funding tied to 바카라사이트 number of PhDs graduated had helped push up volumes in 바카라사이트 past, but that departments would do well to wean 바카라사이트mselves off a dependence on doctoral labour.

¡°It will be difficult, 바카라사이트re will be tears, figuratively speaking of course, but it will hurt,¡± said Professor Kri?toufek. Fewer, more committed students will ultimately be good for research quality, he said, while an end of doctoral students¡¯ classroom obligations would do 바카라사이트 same for teaching.

¡°I have quite high hopes, maybe too high, for this, but I really believe 바카라사이트 reform itself will have huge consequences for 바카라사이트 structure of 바카라사이트 universities,¡± he said.

Some questions remain, such as whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 overall budget for doctoral stipends, which will be pegged at 1.2 times 바카라사이트 minimum wage, will rise with inflation. If not, admissions could get very selective.

Professor Miller said 바카라사이트 government expects to agree 바카라사이트 reform in autumn, with parliamentary approval expected before Christmas, allowing 바카라사이트 amendments to come into force at 바카라사이트 start of 2024.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com