The European University Association (EUA) has launched a Europe-wide platform to bolster doctoral education. The EUA Council for Doctoral Education (EUA-CDE) will aim to develop and advance doctoral education and research training in Europe.
The creation of the council follows a recent report by the association on doctoral education, which showed that the nature of doctoral education is changing rapidly in Europe, notably with the introduction of new organisational structures to manage doctoral education, the increasing focus on learning ‘transferable skills” and growth in new types of doctoral programmes. The report also highlighted the importance of both universities and public authorities to do more to attract and retain the best young research talent.
‘The EUA Council for Doctoral Education has been created in response to the growing demand from universities in Europe for a more structured approach to promote cooperation and exchange of good practice between doctoral schools and programmes in Europe. Doctoral education will play a key role in achieving Europe’s ambitious goals to strengthen its research capacity and international competitiveness, and the new council will be crucial for the development, advancement and improvement of these goals,” said Professor Georg Winckler, president of the EUA.
The objectives of the new council include:
- Enhancing the quality of doctoral education in Europe by fostering debate and promoting the exchange and dissemination of good practice;
- Encouraging and supporting the development of institutional policies and strategies as well as the introduction of effective leadership and management practices;
- Strengthening the international dimension of doctoral programmes and research training through improved cooperation among its members and by establishing dialogue with partner organisations in other world regions;
- Identifying and monitoring emerging trends in doctoral education inside and outside Europe; and
- Promoting the doctorate as a key professional qualification and underlining the importance of young researchers for a knowledge-based society.