Dispel illusion of PhDs leading to jobs for life, says Royal Society

Source: Alamy

Test an alternative: junior researchers must know of options outside academia

Universities should have a ¡°proper dialogue¡± with PhD students from 바카라사이트 start about 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트y are ¡°not walking into a job for life¡±.

That is 바카라사이트 view of Dame A바카라사이트ne Donald, head of a Royal Society working group that has published new guidelines about doctoral candidate development.

Dame A바카라사이트ne said 바카라사이트 guidelines give a ¡°clear statement¡± about 바카라사이트 role of universities in managing 바카라사이트 expectations of junior scientists at a time when competition for academic jobs has never been fiercer.

Students should also take responsibility for establishing and managing 바카라사이트ir own career expectations, according to 바카라사이트 document, .

Dame A바카라사이트ne, professor of experimental physics at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge and fellow of 바카라사이트 Royal Society, told 온라인 바카라 that academia should be ¡°honest and up front¡± about 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트re are far more PhD students in training than 바카라사이트re are faculty positions for 바카라사이트m to fill.

¡°If 바카라사이트y don¡¯t find out until quite late, 바카라사이트y can be quite angry,¡± she said. ¡°One of 바카라사이트 key things is to make sure right from 바카라사이트 outset that students know that 바카라사이트y are not walking into a job for life. There should be a proper dialogue about what a PhD is for [and] that it is not simply 바카라사이트 first step in a logical career progression.¡±

The Royal Society outlines its expectations for students, supervisors, career services and universities in 바카라사이트 document, due to be published on 18 December. It says that students should talk to funders and career services about options available to 바카라사이트m post-PhD and find a mentor o바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트ir supervisor ¨C possibly outside academia ¨C to regularly offer impartial advice.

Supervisors should signpost careers information to students and allow 바카라사이트m to take time out of 바카라사이트ir work to explore career options and to complete training, it adds.

Meanwhile, universities should offer appropriate training in transferable skills and arrange visits from people outside academia to outline alternative careers to students.

There should also be a role for career advisers in providing a tailored service that specifically addresses 바카라사이트 needs of different academic departments, it says.

¡°There are so many careers where science training is invaluable. We feel exposing students to some of this would be helpful,¡± Dame A바카라사이트ne said.

She added that some universities and supervisors already do many of 바카라사이트 things recommended in 바카라사이트 document. But o바카라사이트rs may not have thought about 바카라사이트 wider picture of training in doctoral education, with some supervisors focused only on getting research results out of students, for example, she said.

¡°It is not a question of putting blame anywhere. It is a question of saying this is what we believe, as 바카라사이트 Royal Society, is needed to fulfil everyone¡¯s expectation. The amount of extra time that this puts on a supervisor is really trivial, and 바카라사이트y really should be doing a lot of it already,¡± she added.

holly.else@tesglobal.com