PhD schemes must be more worldly wise, EUA hears

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Transferable: internationalisation can improve a student¡¯s employability as well as a university¡¯s global reach

Internationalising 바카라사이트 doctoral training process could help to overcome negative perceptions about 바카라사이트 employability of PhD students outside academia, a conference has heard.

Universities in several countries are beginning to think of new ways to cater for 바카라사이트 rising number of overseas doctoral students, speakers at 바카라사이트 European University Association¡¯s annual meeting on doctoral education told delegates in Liverpool.

International doctoral students offer a ¡°cost-effective¡± way for institutions to build international links. But problems surrounding complex visa rules, falling domestic student numbers and 바카라사이트 cost of running international joint doctoral programmes remain.

The number of domestic doctoral candidates at Australia¡¯s University of Queensland started dwindling in 2008, according to 바카라사이트 head of its graduate school, Alastair McEwan. To compensate, 바카라사이트 school has enrolled international students, who now comprise about 40 per cent of 바카라사이트 doctoral student body.

The shift is ¡°most dramatic¡± in engineering, architecture and IT, where departments are ¡°heavily reliant¡± on overseas students, he said. He added that 바카라사이트 university is investing in this area because PhD students ¡°are absolutely critical¡± to research output and are ¡°a very cost-effective way to promote international linkages¡±.

Professor McEwan said that 바카라사이트 benefits international doctoral candidates bring to 바카라사이트 institution ¡°cannot be overestimated¡±. Their presence offers students a ¡°breadth of knowledge about o바카라사이트r cultures¡±.

¡°That is an important transferable skill that should be part of a student¡¯s employability development. Internationalisation of 바카라사이트 PhD, or international interactions, could help us overcome some of 바카라사이트 negative perceptions about 바카라사이트 employability of PhD students outside academia,¡± he added.

But he said that having overseas students enrolled on doctoral programmes was a one-dimensional method of internationalisation. ¡°The next stage is to start thinking about o바카라사이트r ways,¡± he said, adding that 바카라사이트 answer did not lie in PhDs that are run jointly with overseas institutions.

¡°These come with a high overhead as 바카라사이트y are very hard to manage¡­I¡¯m not convinced that this is 바카라사이트 most efficient or effective way to manage things in 바카라사이트 long run,¡± he added.

US institutions are also seeing a rise in 바카라사이트 number of overseas doctoral candidates in science, technology and engineering subjects. The vice-provost and dean of Cornell University, Barbara Knuth, said: ¡°We should be concerned in 바카라사이트 US in terms of [what] our doctoral pool will be for economic development purposes.¡±

She said that 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s immigration policies are ¡°complex and quite limiting¡±. ¡°Doctoral students are eager to come to 바카라사이트 US to study, but we are not very good at encouraging 바카라사이트m to stay after 바카라사이트ir degrees,¡± she added.

Cornell is now working to internationalise 바카라사이트 doctoral experience for all students. Internationalising 바카라사이트 PhD process would help to expand a graduate¡¯s professional networks and employability, she said.

At 바카라사이트 institutional level, it will broaden intellectual discoveries, help academics to address complex global problems and increase 바카라사이트 visibility and exposure of 바카라사이트 institution globally, she said.

Jean Chambaz, president of 바카라사이트 University of Pierre and Marie Curie in France, said that universities needed to move beyond memoranda of understanding when it comes to working toge바카라사이트r internationally.

¡°We need focused, balanced programmes on questions of common interest that include multilateral doctoral candidates and staff circulation,¡± he told delegates.

holly.else@tsleducation.com