Doctoral studies at K'U'Leuven from a European perspective

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Doctoral studies at K.U.Leuvenfrom a European
perspective

• Guido Langouche
• Zagreb, 19 September 2006

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Overview

• Doctoral studies at K.U.Leuven
• facts and figures
• framework of doctoral studies at K.U.Leuven
• doctoral programme goals, structure, strengths
• Joining new European developments
• graduate/doctoral schools
• generic skills training
• outlook towards the labour market

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Facts and Figures

• bachelor master students
• PhDs delivered
• junior senior researchers
• at Flemish universities

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bachelor master studentsper Flemish university
(2004-05)
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PhDs deliveredby Flemish universities
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Junior and senior researchersat Flemish
universities
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What do we learn from these facts and figures ?

• every Flemish professor
• supervises on the average 2,5 doctoral students
• delivers on the average 1 Ph.D. every 2 years
• (numbers much higher in positive sciences)
• number of Ph.D.s per year doubled in 5 years
  time
• (due to research-output driven university
  financing system)
• but number of professors remained constant !
• K.U.Leuven numbers above Flemish average

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Framework of doctoral studies at K.U.Leuven

• Traditional procedure
• individual student approaches professor asking
  for admission
• apprenticeship-model - no formal taught
  programme research only
• faculty/department imposes minimum quality
  standards based on previous study results or
  entrance test
• entrance test to doctoral studies (often after
  predoctoral year) mainly for international
  students about 1/3 of all doctoral degrees at
  K.U.Leuven awarded to international students
• majority of doctoral students obtain research or
  teaching fellowship (many types)
• duration of doctoral studies minimum 4 years
  average 5 years

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Framework of doctoral studies at K.U.Leuven

• Traditional person-to-person process
• gradually complemented by centrally imposed
  taught elements, quality control mechanisms,
• First step since 1995 doctoral students subject
  to organised doctoral programme
• imposed at most Flemish universities
• because of extra government funding
• Most recent step in 2006 official introduction
  of doctoral schools at K.U.Leuven

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K.U.Leuven doctoral programme goals

• Main goals of imposed doctoral programme
• improve quality to broaden and to deepen the
  knowledge of the doctoral student within her or
  his research domain
• ensuring that the entire process of doctoral
  research proceeds efficiently
• but also
• to prepare the doctoral student optimally for her
  or his professional career

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K.U.Leuven doctoral programme structure

• the doctoral programme
• comprises between 1500 and 1800 study hours
• (60 credit points)
• mandatory
• consists of core items and additional items
• doctoral committee on level of each faculty
  controls individual credit collection

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K.U.Leuven doctoral programme core programme

• core credits to be obtained by
• publishing at least one international publication
  during the course of the programme
• teaching seminars on one's own research or on
  some other, more general topic (e.g. methodology)
• active participation in international conferences
  (paper/poster session)
• active participation in seminars or courses
  specifically organized for doctoral students
• regular reporting on the research project's
  progress to a individual supervisory committee

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K.U.Leuven doctoral programme additional
elements

• additional credits to be obtained by
• national publications
• master thesis guidance
• didactics for bachelor and master students
• generic skills training
• ... other forms to be determined by each faculty

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K.U.Leuven doctoral programme strenghts

• The emphasis of the doctoral programmes is on
  research training
• PhD students are members of a research group and
  PhD programmes are mainly integrated within the
  research groups
• Regular follow-up of PhD students
• avoids neglection by supervisor
• Flexibility
• PhD students can choose and attend courses in
  function of their research interests

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K.U.Leuven doctoral programme more about
strenghts

• The PhD courses and PhD seminars are meeting
  places for PhD students
• a good mix with international students
• Active participation of PhD students
• discussion lunches with external speakers,
  discussion of research papers, presentation of
  own data
• example the engineering faculties of the Flemish
  universities organize a PhD symposium where
  doctoral students present in poster sessions
  their PhD research to their fellow researchers
  and people of industry

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Overview

• Doctoral studies at K.U.Leuven
• facts and figures
• framework of doctoral studies at K.U.Leuven
• doctoral programme goals, structure, strength
• Joining new European developments
• graduate/doctoral schools
• generic skills training
• outlook towards the labour market

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From doctoral programme to graduate/doctoral
school

• 2006 creation of 3 doctoral schools at KULeuven
• biomedical sciences
• natural and applied sciences
• arts and humanities
• Extension of doctoral programme concept
• better organisation of access criteria and
  selection
• counting of credits replaced by approval of
  individual package
• more attention for transferable skills across
  disciplines
• more transparency in available grants
• more attention for international visibility of
  doctoral programmes

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Generic Skills training

• Transferable skills courses organized on a
  general level
• Some examples
• academic English
• introduction to electronic databases
• writing for the general public
• writing research proposals from idea to
  successful project
• didactic training for doctoral students

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Generic Skills training(1) Academic English

• courses offer practice in both academic writing
  and presentation skills
• three separate programmes
• biomedical sciences
• natural and applied sciences
• arts and humanities
• open to doctoral students from the second year
  onwards
• small groups 15 participants
• 1 semester (9 weeks, 2h)

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Generic Skills training (2) Introduction to
electronic databases

• to help doctoral students to find their way
  within the 300 databases and 14000 e-journals
  owned by the university library
• organized by the university library
• 2h seminar
• sessions organized per faculty or group of
  faculties

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Generic Skills training (3) Writing for the
general public

• To help doctoral students to write and to speak
  about their research in a way understandable for
  a general public
• 2x2 hours
• 2h theoretical seminar on writing tips and
  communication with the press
• 2h practical seminar discussion and evaluation of
  the popular summaries on the research of the
  participants

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Generic Skills training (3) writing for the
general public

• The doctoral student has to submit a summary of
  his/her research via the PhD portal
• 8 weeks before the doctoral defence
• The summary for the general public is used for
  the announcement of the doctoral defence to the
  general public and to the Flemish press

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Generic Skills training (4) Writing a research
proposal

• 2x2 hours
• 2h General introduction
• Objectives
• Detailed description of the proposal
• Valorisation
• Project management
• Budget
• 2h Assignment
• - elaboration of a scheme of a research proposal
• - discussion and evaluation of the assignment

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Generic Skills training (5) Didactic training

• Sessions on
• How to evaluate research papers, a master thesis,
  
• How to give feedback
• How to give practica, a seminar,

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Generic skills trainingon the level of the
faculties and departments

• 'broadening' seminars
• organised by a faculty, department, group of
  departments, research institution
• e.g. Ethics and Public Policy (philosophy)
• Seminars/workshops on methodology (pedagogy)
• Industrial Policy (Faculty of Engineering)
• Ethical aspects of nanotechnology (Imec)
• The Erasmus Mundus Lecture Series on
  Nanotechnology in Modern Society
  (video-conference)

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Outlook towards the job marketInfosessions on
career opportunities

• Infosession for doctoral students finishing their
  Phd and postdoctoral researchers
• First time in May and September 2006
• General overview of career opportunities for
  doctors outside academia (with personal
  testimonies)

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Outlook towards the job marketPublication of
PhD competency profile

• What is a PhD compentence profile ?
• An official K.U.Leuven document, containing
• Explicitation of the skills and competencies a
  PhD should gain during the doctoral process
• competencies needed to succeed in the doctoral
  research process
• competencies needed to succeed in the further
  professional career
• Explicitation of the surplus value of a doctoral
  degree

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Outlook towards the job marketPublication of
PhD competency profile

• Why the need for a competency profile ?
• 1. For the doctoral student
• Acts as a guideline for ones professional
  development
• during the doctoral process what to do and what
  skills to gain as a doctoral student?
• for the further professional career
• helpful for the formulation of curriculum vitae
  and letters of application

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Outlook towards the job marketPublication of
PhD competency profile

• Why the need for a competency profile ?
• 2. For the supervisors
• It makes the responsibilities of supervisor,
  research group, doctoral school more visible

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Outlook towards the job marketPublication of
PhD competency profile

• Why the need for a competency profile ?
• 3. Outside academia it functions as a quality
  label
• An appropriate overview of the research skills,
  generic skills, knowledge, competencies should
  enhance the career opportunities of PhDs

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Outlook towards the job marketPublication of
PhD competency profile

• Whats in the PhD competency profile ?
• Intellectual Competencies
• Knowledge
• Analytical thinking and critical judgement
• Creativity and innovation skills
• Interdisciplinary thinking

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Outlook towards the job marketPublication of
PhD competency profile

• 2. Relationship Competencies
• People skills and collaboration
• Oral and written communication
• to scientific peers (experts)
• to the general public
• Networking
• Leadership skills

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Outlook towards the job marketPublication of
PhD competency profile

• 3. Personal competencies
• Motivation and initiative
• Managing workload
• Self Confidence and assertivity
• Perseverance
• Autonomous worker/learner

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Outlook towards the job marketPublication of
PhD competency profile

• 4. Technical competencies
• Data collection, database management
• Statistical analysis
• Methodological skills
• Languages

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Conclusion

• Ph.D. students
• are the most important asset
• of a research university
• they deserve the best care we can offer !