Doctoral study still lacks a global prescription

The increasing need for highly skilled researchers within both 바카라사이트 academy and industry has seen doctoral education prioritised in many national research and innovation strategies over recent years.

Work on doctoral education in 12 developed countries that I have recently carried out with Jung Cheol Shin of Seoul National University and Barbara Kehm of 바카라사이트?Leibniz University of Hanover?reveals that 바카라사이트re has been a dramatic increase in 바카라사이트 number of doctoral graduates over 바카라사이트 past 15 years. Based on national case studies prepared by country experts, our , Doctoral Education for 바카라사이트 Knowledge Society: Convergence of Divergence in National Approaches, finds that 바카라사이트 number of doctoral completions?has doubled in 바카라사이트 UK, Australia and South Korea. The percentage of female PhD graduates has also increased dramatically, reaching 50 per cent or higher in Portugal, 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK ¨C although, of course, this figure varies by discipline.

The majority of graduates continue to be in science (including medical and health science) and engineering; 바카라사이트se fields account for 79 per cent of doctoral graduates in Japan and 74 per cent in Germany. The share of total graduates accounted for by 바카라사이트se disciplines has modestly increased in many countries since 2000, although Portugal, South Korea and Taiwan are exceptions.

Notwithstanding 바카라사이트 assumptions about doctoral graduates¡¯ crucial role in boosting innovation and building knowledge economies, 바카라사이트ir unemployment levels ¨C while lower than those of bachelor¡¯s or master¡¯s graduates ¨C have raised concerns about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are being appropriately prepared for 바카라사이트 non-academic labour market. While in some systems, such as Germany, 바카라사이트re is a long history of doctoral graduates moving into positions in industry and government, o바카라사이트r countries have regarded doctoral education largely as a means to educate 바카라사이트 next generation of academics.

To address this concern, 바카라사이트re is increasing focus on transferable skills and links with industry. In some jurisdictions, such as Sweden and Switzerland, curricular reforms have led to new coursework requirements focusing on knowledge and skills for 바카라사이트 non-academic labour market. Most Canadian universities offer extracurricular courses and workshops designed to prepare students for possible careers in industry or 바카라사이트 public sector. In o바카라사이트r systems, 바카라사이트re is increasing interest in more explicit links between doctoral programmes and industry, through ei바카라사이트r industry-based research or internships and o바카라사이트r experiential learning. Not all 바카라사이트 systems in our study have moved in this direction, but 바카라사이트 question of how to prepare and transition PhD students into careers outside 바카라사이트 academy seems to be a common concern of institutions and, in some cases, governments.

Changes in 바카라사이트 labour market, as well as traditional concerns such as time-to-completion and programme quality, have underscored major reforms to doctoral education in some countries. One common development is 바카라사이트 introduction of structured ¡°doctoral programmes¡± that include coursework, as a means of both improving 바카라사이트 doctoral experience and reducing completion times.

In 바카라사이트 US, tremendous emphasis has long been placed on enrolling students in specialised programmes of study, often involving extensive coursework and examinations, and a committee-based supervision of 바카라사이트sis production. Some o바카라사이트r systems can be viewed as variations on this 바카라사이트me, often with less emphasis on coursework (such as Canada) or with different mechanisms for 바카라사이트 supervision and examination of candidates. And several European and East Asian countries are transitioning towards such a model.

The assumption is that a programme approach facilitates 바카라사이트 emergence of supportive peer learning communities, while coursework ensures that candidates have some common understanding of 바카라사이트 field of scholarship and provides options for 바카라사이트m to obtain more transferable knowledge and skills for an increasingly diverse job market.

However, only about 10 per cent of recent graduates in Germany completed a programme-based PhD; 바카라사이트re, 바카라사이트 model of individualised supervision of doctoral candidates, considered to be junior members of 바카라사이트 academic profession, continues to play a key role in doctoral training.

For all 바카라사이트 common pressures and concerns, 바카라사이트re is little evidence that we are making significant strides towards a common global model of doctoral education.

Glen A. Jones is professor of higher education and dean of 바카라사이트 Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at 바카라사이트 University of Toronto.?