In research and development, it is important to focus on improved care for human potential, opening up the higher education institutions to the public and private sectors in accordance with their needs and requirements, and improving international cooperation through involvement in international networks of research and development and scientific mobility. Universities should be capable to change the setting of their research doctoral programmes so as to exploit the opportunities offered to new developments in the existing areas and the newly emerging branches of scientific research. This requires focusing less on scientific branches and more on areas of research (e.g. green energy, nano-technology), linking them more tightly to specific or complementary areas (including humanities, social sciences, entrepreneurial and managerial skills) and strengthening the interaction of students, researchers and research teams through more intensive mobility between the different branches, sectors and research institutions.
Hamm and Muttagi, in their book on sustainable development1 say: “Sustainability is not a concept referring to some static paradise, but rather a capacity of human beings to continuously adapt to their non-human environments by means of social organisation.”
Higher education (HE) has a decisive role in helping society to develop sustainably. The sustainable development is a process through which we learn to build our capacity to live more sustainably. The involvement of HE is particularly important because graduates will go on to occupy the vast majority of managerial and leadership positions in this country.
HE, especially through its third level of doctoral programs, has the role to play in helping society find social and technical solutions to the challenges presented by sustainable development. An obvious example is the scientific research being undertaken into renewable energy or nano-technologies. Becoming the ‘third cycle’ following the bachelor and master levels, doctoral programs have gained increasing importance in the context of the Bologna Process. Also, the doctoral programs form the first phase of the younger researchers’ careers. Following the basic principles of the European University Association, which is the main representative of higher education institutions awarding doctoral degrees in Europe, during the last years the Romanian doctoral studies policy is in a process of change.
The key aspects of quality assurance in HE is the connection between the content of education and the needs of a knowledge-based society at all three levels of higher education. The content of study programs must reflect the needs of the labour market which demands graduates from HE institutions with high practical skills capable of managing new sophisticated technologies and building over the basic theoretical knowledge. 1. Hamm B and Muttagi PK (1998) Sustainable development and the future of cities. London: Intermediate Technology Publications (p. 2)
Doctoral training is markedly different from the first and second cycle of higher education. Its main characteristic, which makes it specific, is that the doctoral candidate has to be led to gain the ability to perform original and independent research through a group work within a specific discipline.
There are three Doctoral Schools in “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati (UDJG) involved in an EU transnational partnership with the universities: Ecole Centrale Paris, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.
The intention of the research team is to propose a diagnosis of the status of the doctoral studies in UDJG taking into account both quantitative and qualitative complementary data. Implicit or explicit values are associated with the idea of research performance, of production of competitive knowledge at the university and cognitive and/or technological innovations.
Supervision is critically important for the quality of experience and training of doctoral candidates. The supervisor’s role, his/her title and its meaning differs from country to country (e.g., mentor, tutor, promoter, guide, coordinator, instructor, etc.) as do the duties of a supervisor (from irregular contacts when needed, to professional assistance on a regular basis). Supervisors need to be fully aware of the skills necessary to facilitate the intellectual and personal development of the candidate, his/her training needs and career development perspectives. A viewpoint expressed in the present study suggests that training for supervisors should be a mandatory practice for scholars supervising doctoral candidates. This idea may meet some resistance from supervisors who prefer traditional ways and attitudes to supervising, but all stakeholders can only benefit from enhanced training: supervisors, candidates and universities. Quality of doctoral training depends highly on supervision. It is, therefore, each university’s responsibility to guarantee development of high quality supervision, which is central to the research mission of the university.
Good practices used at several universities are: • Regular meetings between the candidate and the supervisor, with records being kept by both parties. • Regular review stages, which include some assessment independent from the supervisor (e.g., review panels); • Feedback from the candidate on the doctoral program, training and supervision in the form of assessment and evaluation.
This study extends over twenty months and allows participants to compare practices and exchange views with colleagues from different universities and countries. Three meetings of the network took place until now. The tasks of the networks involved analysis of institutional practices, comparison of policies and practices between network partners, and the development of guidelines and some initial recommendations based upon agreed areas of good practices. A group of 30 supervisors of the three Doctoral Schools of UDJG were asked via questionnaire. Each academic was required to complete a Portfolio with two sections: a list of research “outputs” and a self-evaluation document. Quality assured outputs were to be distinguished from those that were not quality assured.
1. Building up a modern and good quality doctoral school system, support to science and research. 2. Increasing the international visibility of the national scientific production and enhancing the research to develop a new knowledge- based economy. 3. The internationalization of doctoral studies, the development of interdisciplinary and inter-institutional partnerships, facilitation of the mobility of PhD candidates, the European and global competition for young students in research. 4. The future goal is that the doctoral graduates produce human resources for research and generate knowledge for an increasingly competitive market.
The tasks of the networks involved analysis of institutional practices, comparison of policies and practices between network partners, and the development of guidelines and some initial recommendations based upon agreed areas of good practices.
A group of 30 supervisors of the three Doctoral Schools of UDJG were asked via questionnaire. Each academic was required to complete a Portfolio with two sections: a list of research “outputs” and a self-evaluation document. Quality assured outputs were to be distinguished from those that were not quality assured.
UDJG has clear procedures for monitoring and assessing doctoral candidates. These procedures are tailored to the content of the doctoral programme and the academic culture and practices. Usually, monitoring and reviewing of the work plan and timelines for each candidate is carried out every six or twelve months by supervisor. A system of complaints and appeals, and the possibility of changing a supervisor, are clearly defined in official procedures and in codes of practice. At the UDJG a three-member advisory committee comprising staff members is appointed to each doctoral candidate. One of the committee members has the role of supervisor.
Necessity to increase the quality in initial training of the personnel of doctoral schools is satisfied through this transnational partnership that provide the development of scientific and managerial capacity of the supervisors and improving supervision of doctoral activity. An institutional report will be produced after the partners had completed the activities within the network. This report will describe the policies on doctoral programs, the results of SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis and proposed action plan for further implementation of best practices.
1. At the UDJG the academics who became supervisors receive support from an experienced supervisor for one complete cycle, in case of their first supervision.
2. Supervisors need to have skills necessary to facilitate the intellectual and personal development of the doctoral students. The supervisors of the three Doctoral Schools of UDJG were asked via questionnaire. Two key questions were addressed: how would you characterize your experiences with Doctoral School of UDJG, and how would you summarize your academic experience in this field?
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