The Doctoral Level in the Bologna Process

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• The Doctoral Level in the Bologna Process
• BALANCE Seminar Barcelona
• 13th December 2007
• Lluïsa Pérez-García (UB)
• Deputy vice-rector for Doctoral Studies

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Joint declaration of the European Ministers of
Education Bologna June 1999

• Adoption of a system of easily readable and
  comparable degrees
• Adoption of a system essentially based on two
  main cycles, undergraduate and graduate
• Establishment of a system of credits - such as
  in the ECTS system

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• Promotion of mobility.
• Promotion of European co-operation in quality
  assurance
• Promotion of the necessary European dimensions
  in higher education

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Signed by Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania,
Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Swiss
Confederation, United Kingdom.
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2001 EUA Trends in Learning Structures in Higher
Education (II)

• move towards the setting up of Doctoral Schools
  or Doctoral Centres (as opposed to traditional
  doctoral programmes)
• towards one-tier doctoral studies of the Ph.D.
  type
• the integration of doctoral studies as the
  highest level of university studies
• the development of joint supervision of doctoral
  theses

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Berlin 2003

• Addition of a third cycle to the Bologna process
• doctoral level as the link between
• Research (ERA) and education (EHEA)

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The Dublin descriptors (2004)
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a doctoral degree to..

• Knowledge and understanding
• Applying knowledge and understanding

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• Making judgements
• Communication
• Learning skills

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2005 Bologna Seminar on Doctoral Programmes
for theEuropean Knowledge SocietySalzburg
Conclusions

• The core component of doctoral training is the
  advancement of knowledge through original
  research.
• Embedding in institutional strategies and
  policies
• The importance of diversity
• Doctoral candidates as early stage researchers
• The crucial role of supervision and assessment

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• Achieving critical mass
• Duration
• The promotion of innovative structures
• Increasing mobility
• Ensuring appropriate funding

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Bergen 2005

• The introduction of three cycles
• link between higher education and
• research

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Nice 2006

• Study structures and access criteria are
  determined by the universities
• All doctoral programmes must contain independent
  research and are to be assessed on the basis of a
  scientific thesis
• PhD students are defined as early stage
  researchers regardless of national titles
• All PhD students must be introduced to
  transferable skills
• The doctoral level needs sufficient funding

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London 2007

• EUA Trends V report seminars and conferences on
  doctoral level research training as part of the
  preparations (2005-2006)
• Coimbra Group statement on doctoral programmes
  (19 January 2007)

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2007 Coimbra Group The Place and Role of
Doctoral Programmes in the Bologna Process

• High quality doctoral training can only be
  provided in high quality research environments.
• There should be only one doctoral degree.
• The admittance level required for doctoral
  programmes must always be at a high
  internationally recognised academic level.

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• Full-time doctoral programmes are normally of 4
  years duration.
• The doctoral thesis should be submitted for oral
  defence. At least one of the examiners on the
  evaluation committee should be from outside the
  university, and preferably from another country.
• Only universities can award doctoral degrees.

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Coimbra Group Task Force Doctoral Studies
Research

• Members from 18 CG universities
• Activities
• Mutual information
• Coordination of activities (e.g. Participation in
  projects)
• Joint activities Summer School
• Workshops ( research evaluation,
  university-enterprise co-operation, innovation)
• Statements (Position Papers, researcher mobility)
• Collaboration

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2007 EUA Doctoral Programmes inEuropes
UniversitiesAchievements and Challenges
DOCTORAL PROGRAMMES IN THE BOLOGNA PROCESS

• Doctoral programmes are the third cycle of the
  Bologna process and at the same time constitute
  the first phase of a young researchers career.
• The core component of the third cycle is the
  advancement of knowledge through original
  research.
• Doctoral training phase constitutes the main link
  between the EHEA and the ERA
• Particular attention should be paid to the
  articulation between the second and third cycles
• This applies also in relation to the acquisition
  of transferable skills

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Responsibility for doctoral education
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Organisational types doctoral education
organised on an individual (one to one) basis
structured programmes in faculties or
departments doctoral/graduate/research
schools.
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THE ROLE OF UNIVERSITIES
Organisational structures
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A doctoral, or graduate, or research school is an
independent organisational unit with effective
administration,strong leadership and specific
funding supporting this structure.Two main
organisational models. Graduate school an
organisational structure that includes doctoral
candidates and often also Master students.
Doctoral/Research school an organisational
structure that includes only doctoral students.
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Advantages Define a mission or vision shared
by all partners that facilitates the process of
turning doctoral candidates into excellent
researchers Provide a stimulating research
environment and promote cooperation across
disciplines Provide a clear administrative
structure for doctoral programmes, candidates and
supervisors, and offering a clear profi le and
status for doctoral candidates Ensure
critical mass and help to overcome the isolation
of young researchers Bring junior and senior
researchers together Support and facilitate
the task of supervising candidates and the role
of supervisors
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Organise admission with transparent rules and
regulations Provide teaching and transferable
skills training Provide enhanced career
development opportunities, including advice on
funding opportunities (scholarships,
projects) Guarantee quality assurance and
monitoring Provide a framework allowing the
development of codes of practice, procedures and
mechanisms within the university structure and
act as a an independent arbitrator or ombudsman
where necessary Enhance opportunities for
mobility, international collaboration and
inter-institutional cooperation.
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Countries (not) planning to introduce
doctoral/graduate/research schools
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Access and admissions
The second cycle gives access to the third cycle
but access to the third cycle should not be
restricted to this route
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Supervision and assessment
Transparent contractual framework of shared
responsibilities between doctoral candidates,
supervisors and the institution.
Good supervision needs to be properly
recognised as a task of staff supervising
doctoral candidates.
Assessment of the thesis should be done by an
expert university committee with external
representation, preferably chosen at
international level.
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Transferable skills development
To raise awareness among doctoral candidates.
Courses should be offered and training can be
organised in different ways a)traditional
courses and lectures b)to more student-centered
methods, c)summer schools or through specialised
institutional or inter-institutional support and
personal development centres, An important
element of transferable skills development is
bringing together doctoral candidates from
different disciplines and different levels (1-3
year) to encourage interdisciplinary dialogue and
foster creative thinking and innovation.
Teaching transferable skills should be
recognised in evaluation and promotion of
academic staff involved.
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Duration
Full time doctoral programmes are usually of 3
4 years duration. In most countries time to
degree (TTD) tends to be longer than the average
duration of funding for doctoral candidates and
programmes.
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Researcher careers
Promoting attractive research careers and career
perspectives for doctoral and post-doctoral
researchers. Collaboration with partners outside
academia, academia and other sectors of
employment.
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enhancing internationalisation...
support mobility at doctoral level
recruitment of more international staff the
organisation of international workshops,
conferences and summer schools the development
of more European and international joint doctoral
programmes and co-tutelle arrangements
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NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN DOCTORAL PROGRAMMES
Employability of doctoral candidates within and
outside academic institutions
Original research has to remain the main
component of all doctorates.
Professional doctorates
Inter-sectoral collaboration and mobility
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STATUS AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT OF
DOCTORAL CANDIDATES AND OTHER EARLY STAGE
RESEARCHERS
Status of doctoral candidates
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FUNDING OF DOCTORAL PROGRAMMES AND EARLY STAGE
RESEARCHERS
Modes of fund allocation for doctoral candidates
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Modes of fund allocation for doctoral programmes
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Funding mechanisms
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Funding for doctoral candidates should be
stable, covering the full period of the doctoral
programme, and provide sufficient means to live
and work in decent conditions Funding should
be suffi ciently attractive to encourage
suitably-qualifi ed candidates from lower income
groups, as well as suffi ciently flexible to
support the needs of part time students over a
longer period of study More information on
funding mechanisms and funding levels of doctoral
candidates and doctoral programmes/schools is
needed in order to create a vision of doctoral
education within a European Higher Education Area
that is attractive and competitive on a global
scale There is an urgent need for greater
consultation and coordination at the regional,
national and European levels between government
ministries, research councils and other funding
agencies on doctoral education funding and career
development.
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REAL DECRETO 1393/2007, de 29 de octubre

Enseñanzas universitarias y expedición de
títulos
Bachelor
Master
Doctorate
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Organisation
Doctoral programme
? Training period (master) ? Research period
(doctoral thesis)
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Objectives

• Promote the autonomy of universities
• Promote the students mobility
• Link the ERA and EHEA

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TDX
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UB vs Catalunya
40,3 1.373
25,8 (11963)
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UB Doctorates 2006-07
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2004-07
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Quality of the doctoral programmes
1. Doctoral programmes before EEES
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2. Doctoral programmes EEES
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UB - Doctor awards
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Uselful Links

• EUA Secretariat
• http//www.eua.be/
• Doctoral programmes http//www.eua.be/index.php?i
  d97
• Coimbra Group Office
• http//www.coimbra-group.eu

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Dades bàsiques de la UB 2006-07
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Els estudiants de la UB 2006-07
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La UB en el Sistema universitari català