Sustainable Development in Higher Education through Increased Quality of the Doctoral Programs

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.