International Doctoral Education Research Network (IDERN)

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In a world that is no longer able to maintain or sustain social or cultural enclaves, free from impact of global flows of capital, technologies and bodies, our lives have become more complex. People, events, governments and institutions such as education are increasingly interconnected. In universities, where the presence and influence of an ever-expanding world are particularly keenly recognized, ideas, information and knowledge increasingly cross national boundaries, enabled by digital media and geographical mobility for academics and students. Those of us concerned with doctoral education are increasingly involved in developments that allow and indeed require an international consciousness and an active reaching out to connect programs, knowledge and understanding about pedagogy, and knowledge production. Research and research education become primary sites for shaping the world.

The International Doctoral Education Research Network (IDERN) was formed in this context, to provide an avenue for researchers on doctoral education from around the globe to generate dialogue on knowledge creation and doctoral pedagogy. The aim of the network was to generate a collaborative, international research agenda for doctoral education; to build a research field in this most advanced form of educational provision, and to connect researchers from different national settings, as well as different disciplines and research perspectives. The network has been operating since 2007 and aims to meet for a research forum once every three years, as well as to use online technologies to share and disseminate information and research on the doctorate. A listserv, run by Dr. Mark Connolly, University of Wisconsin–Madison, is, outside of the triennial meetings, the primary means of keeping this research community connected.

To join the IDERN, please contact Mark at mrconnolly@wisc.edu.

New presentation on International Research Collaboration

Reception Global Research Funding Forum_UNT — © University of North Texas

The Global Research Forum, held at the University of North Texas, invited key university administrators, international research funding agencies, and doctoral students to establish an understanding of how to expand mutually beneficial global research cooperation, and support research-active faculty and graduate students with global research aspirations.

Maresi Nerad, director of CIRGE, was one of the panelists to discuss the core elements of a research report, published by the National Academy of Science in 2011, Examining Core Elements of International Research Collaboration.

In her talk, she highlighted the main points of strengthening international research collaboration among universities. Trust is imperative in mutually beneficial international collaboration, however, this process takes time and Dr. Nerad warned that the collaboration via virtual platforms could be unsustainable without prior personal acquaintance.

In addition, Dr. Nerad elaborated that research collaborations involving students and postdocs require a comprehensive assessment framework. In her opinion, the formative assessment work should start from the beginning in order to avoid tension that may be produced given the organizational structures, programs, and cultural behavior.

In this sense, the director of CIRGE was emphatic that graduate students and future researchers need to be prepared for international collaboration and need to be given room after returning from abroad to debrief on their experiences, and integrate the new knowledge and lessons learned into ongoing teaching and learning at their home campus. This includes integrating international students as equal partners on the home campus.

See complete abstract and presentation

See more on Global Research Funding Forum

Chaya Herman

Prof Chaya Herman is associate professor in the Department of Education Management and Policy Studies in the Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria. Her main areas of research are doctoral education in South Africa, higher education policy and qualitative research methodology.

In 2009, Chaya was commissioned by the Academy of Science for South Africa (ASSAf) to conduct a number of studies related to a Consensus Study on the topic: The status and place of the South African Doctorate in the global knowledge economy.

Recent publications:

Herman, C. (Forthcoming). Industry perceptions of Industry-University partnerships related to doctoral education in South Africa. Industry and Higher Education.
Herman, C. 2012. The purpose of the PhD – A South African perspective. Higher Education Policy, 25: 1-18.
Herman, C. 2011. Doctoral education in South Africa – research and policy: editorial introduction. Perspectives in Education, The changing face of doctoral education in South Africa, Special issue 3, 29: i-v.
Herman, C. 2011. Obstacles to success: Doctoral students’ attrition in South Africa. Perspectives in Education, The changing face of doctoral education in South Africa, Special issue 3, 29: 40-52.
Herman, C. 2011. Expanding doctoral education in South Africa: Pipeline or pipe dream? Higher Education Research & Development, 30(4): 1-13.
Herman, C. 2011. Elusive equity in doctoral education in South Africa. Journal of Education and Work. 24 (1-2): 163-184.

Presentations during 2008 – 2009

Presentations 2009

June 19 – Maresi Nerad presentation at the Graduate Management Admissions Council conference held in Baltimore, MD, titled “Time-to-Degree and the Case for Enhanced PhD Skills Training.” Download: GMAC

May 19 – Maresi Nerad presentation at the Mobility and Internationalization of Doctoral Studies in Europe conference held in Paris, titled “Doctoral Education in the U.S. in times of Globalization.”

Presentations 2008

December 16-17 – Maresi Nerad and Nelofer Halai of the Aga Khan University presentation at the 3rd Interantional Conference on Postgraduate Education in Penang, Malaysia, titled “Globalization and the Internationalization of Doctoral Education.” Download: Malaysia

October 16-18 – Maresi Nerad presentation at International Workshop on Graduate Education, Hiroshima University, Japan, titled “Graduate Education and its Changes in the U.S.: An Evolving Process.” Download: Hiroshima University

August 4 – Maresi Nerad and Emory Morrison presentation at American Sociological Association conference, Boston, MA – “Are Sociologists Different: Findings from Social Science PhDs – Five+ Years Out: A National Study of Six Social Science Fields.” Download: Sociology

June 25 – Maresi Nerad presentation at University of California, Davis, Graduate Career Consortium, Sacramento, CA – “Social Science PhDs – Five+ Years Out: A National Study of PhDs in Six Social Science Fields” Download: Grad Career Symposium

May 7 – Panel on “Brain Drain, Brain Gain, or Brain Circulations” Download: Higher Education in Developing Countries: What Role, What Impact?

March – Maresi Nerad presentation at the Western Association of Graduate Schools (WAGS) annual meeting, Denver, CO – “Promoting Productive Educational Experiences for International Students: A Two-Way Street – The Internationalization of Graduate Education.” Download: WAGS Conference 2008

February 21 – Maresi Nerad’s presentations at the American Political Science Association (APSA), Political Science Chairs Conference, San Jose, CA — “Political Science Findings from Social Science PhDs — Five+ Years Out,” Download: 1) Plenary Meeting; 2) Workshop

February 11 – Maresi Nerad webcast presentation for the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) Initiative, Ideas and Universities — “Changes in Doctoral Education Worldwide: Past Differences, Current Commonalities and Future Trends.” Download: WUN webcast

January 18 – Presentations at the University of Washington, College of Education Faculty Career Symposium, Seattle, WA – 1) Maresi Nerad & Mimi Heggelund: “Globalization and its Impact on Doctoral Education Worldwide.” Download: Globalization 2) Maresi Nerad & Elizabeth Rudd: “Social Science PhDs — Five+ Years Out: A National Study of PhDs in Six Social Science Fields.” Download: COE-SS5

Presentations during 2006 – 2007

Presentations 2007

December 7 – Maresi Nerad presentation at the annual meeting of the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), Seattle, WA – “Social Science PhDs — Five+ Years Out: A National Study of PhDs in Six Social Science Fields.” Download: CGS 2007

November 4 – Maresi Nerad and Elizabeth Rudd presentation at CRA Gender Diversity in Computing Doctoral Programs Workshop, Bellevue, WA — “The Context: Doctoral Education Research – Advising and Retention.” Download: Gender Diversity

November 17 – Maresi Nerad presentation at Peking University, Peking, China – “Designing Future-Oriented Doctoral Education.” Download: Peking Univ

August 28 – Maresi Nerad presentation at National University of Singapore — “Designing Future-Oriented Doctoral Education.” Download: Singapore

April 19 – Maresi Nerad presentation at American Association of Geographers (AAG) annual meeting, San Francisco, CA – “Geography Findings from Social Science PhDs — Five+ Years Out” Download: AAG 2007

April 14-18 – Elizabeth Rudd presentation at McGill University Conference, Challenging Research Pedagogies, Montreal, Canada – “The PhD in the US.” Download: McGill Univ

March 28- April 4 – Maresi Nerad presentation at the second Forces and Forms of Change in Doctoral Education Worldwide workshop, Melbourne, Australia — “Quality Indicators: Assessing the Quality of Doctoral Education.” Download: Quality Indicators

March 17 – Maresi Nerad presentation at Western Association of Graduate Schools (WAGS) annual meeting, Portland, OR — “Life With a PhD: Findings from Social Science PhDs — Five+ Years Out.” Download: WAGS 2007

March 1 – Maresi Nerad and Elizabeth Rudd presentation at University of Washington Graduate Professional Education Week, Seattle, WA – “Life with a PhD: Findings from Social Science PhDs — Five+ Years Out.” Download: GPE Week 2007

Presentations 2006

October 8 – Maresi Nerad presentation at CHERI Policy Research Conference, Doctoral Education and the Faculty of the Future, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY – “Confronting Common Assumptions: Designing Future-Oriented Doctoral Education.” Download: Cornell 2006

July 8 – Maresi Nerad presentation at European Summer Conference, New Dimensions for Doctoral Programs in Europe: Training, Employability and the European Knowledge Agenda, Florence, Italy – “Defining and Measuring Successful PhD Career Outcomes.” Download: Defining and Measuring

April 6-7 – Maresi Nerad presentations at the University of Chicago, IL – “Defining and Measuring Successful Career Outcomes.” Download: 1) Biological and Physical Sciences 2) Social Sciences and Humanities 3) Professional Schools 4) Students on careers

March 9 – Maresi Nerad presentation at University of Washington Second Annual Graduate Career Development Symposium, Seattle, WA – “The PhD: Journey to Multiple Destinations.” Download: UW Career Symposium

Tangible outcomes: Investigating International Collaboration at the Graduate Level

The collaborative work done by the participants of the workshop (professors in STEM fields, educational researchers, graduate students and post doctoral fellows from around the world), generated new publications and grants subsequent to the workshop.

Blumenfield T., Nerad M., 2012. International Assessment: Developing a Research Agenda for (Post) graduate Education and Collaboration. Australian Universities Review. Vol. 54. No 1. 2012, pp. 72-83.

Culver Culver, S., Warfvinge, P., Grossman, C., & Puri, I. (2011). Evaluation of engineering double-degree programs in Sweden: Results of the Lund focus groups. European Journal of Higher Education, 1, pp. 220-232.

Culver, S. M., Puri, I. K., Spinelli, G., DePauw, K. P., Dooley, J. E. (2011). Collaborative dual-degree programs and value added for students: Lesson learned through the Evaluate-E project. Journal of Studies in International Education, pp.1-22.

Deardorff, D., de Wit, H., Heyl, J., & Adams, T (eds). (2012). The Sage Handbook of International Higher Education. California: Sage Publication.

Ulrike Kohl

Ulrike Kohl is currently Head of Unit at the National Research Fund, Luxembourg and has set-up the national PhD and Postdoc grant scheme AFR in Luxembourg in 2008.
She has 20 years of professional experience in public research management in Luxembourg.
Her expertise comprises management of research programmes and research career development.
She is a national expert for Luxembourg in the FP7 PEOPLE Committee and a member of the steering committee of the ESF Member Organisation Forum ‘European Alliance for Research Career Development’.
In February 2012, she hosted and organised, together with the ESF, an international workshop on tracking researchers’ careers in Luxembourg where Prof. Maresi Nerad collaborated as an expert in the organising committee and as a keynote speaker (www.researcherscareers.eu).
Contact: Ulrike Kohl, Head of Unit, Fonds National de la Recherche, Luxembourg. Email: ulrike.kohl@fnr.lu

Doctoral Fellowships in European Universities

The UNIKE project –Universities in the Knowledge Economy – is looking to fill 12 doctoral positions and 2 post-doctoral positions at 6 European Universities (AU Aarhus University, UB University of Bristol, UK Graduate School of Education, RU Roehampton University, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, LU Univerza V Ljubljani, and Universidade do Porto/FPCE) in an Initial Training Network (ITN).

Applications are welcome from anywhere in the world. The deadline for applications is 3 February 2013 at 17:00 CET.

Aims of UNIKE project

What are the changing roles and scope of universities in emerging global knowledge economies and regions? The first aim of the UNIKE project is to train a networked group of critical researchers who will examine these issues and especially compare developments in Europe and the Asia-Pacific Rim. The second aim of the UNIKE project is to generate potential research leaders who are committed and able to develop doctoral education in their own institutions and internationally.

Any offer of a position will be conditional on the applicant providing evidence that they meet the language proficiency requirements of the university in which they are enrolling.

Job description

1. Undertake an independent research project, with academic supervision, including a secondment and/or research visits to associated partners, as agreed in a detailed ‘Individual scientific, training and career plan’, which is to be written within 6 months of the commencement of the appointment .

2. Complete the host institution’s doctoral training requirements and submit a thesis within three years.

3. Attend and participate in UNIKE’s 3 workshops, 4 summer/winter schools and final conference, help organise one of these events, and give a presentation at a minimum of one of these events.

4. Contribute to the formation and activities of a work package team led by the post-doctoral researchers by participating in webinars, wikis, etc. (e.g. to discuss literature, interview associated partners with relevant knowledge, share research and fieldwork plans, comment on each others’ draft chapters and papers).

5. Give papers at two international conferences and submit two articles to international peer reviewed journals. Contribute to a chapter in an edited volume resulting from the UNIKE project.

6. Disseminate research to a wide academic and general public by writing in other genres, including one individually or jointly written blog, one newspaper feature article and a multimedia release; by knowledge transfer in a form suited to a secondment partner where relevant (e.g. presentation, report, press release); and by presenting research results as a Marie Curie Ambassador to another university or school or the Erasmus Mundus Students and Alumni Association.

7. Other duties as specified in the relevant project description.

Remuneration

Doctoral students will be employees of their university for the duration of their UNIKE doctorate and will be given a full-time contract for three years. The salary for a doctoral position is set in accordance within the regulations of the Marie Curie Initial Training Network within the European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme and the labour laws of the relevant country. In addition to the salary, funds have been allocated to cover the travel, accommodation and subsistence costs of attending all UNIKE workshops and summer schools, including a 2-week summer school in New Zealand; and towards the costs of secondments and research visits to Associated Partners, including the Asia-Pacific Rim.

Contacts

For enquiries about the overall UNIKE project, please contact UNIKE Administrator Astrid Cermak asce@dpu.dk or UNIKE Coordinator Professor Susan Wright suwr@dpu.dk. For enquiries about individual positions, please see the contacts given in each individual doctoral project description.

Thoko Mayekiso

Professor Thoko Mayekiso is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Engagement at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) with effect from 1 May 2009. She obtained her BA, BA Honours and MA in Psychology from the University of Fort Hare. She then obtained a D Phil (Cum laude) from the Free University of Berlin, Germany. She is registered as a Clinical Psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).

Professor Mayekiso has served in the following capacities at the then University of Transkei (now Walter Sisulu University): Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, Professor and Head of the Department of Psychology, and thereafter as Vice Dean of Arts. In 2001 she joined the University of the Witwatersrand in the capacity of Head of School of Human & Community Development, and subsequently became Deputy Dean and Acting Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities in 2006. She proceeded to the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) where she was appointed as Executive Dean: Faculty of Arts in 2007.

Her academic Scholarships include a DAAD (German Academic Exchange Scholarship), a Commonwealth Scholarship tenable at Leicester General Hospital and Greenwood Institute of Child Health in the United Kingdom and the South African Universities’ Vice Chancellors Association/American Council of Education fellowship tenable at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA. She serves as the Board Member of the Children’s Institute at the University of Cape Town, Emthonjeni Centre at the University of Witwatersran, the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and the Institute for Co-operatives Development. She has a track record both as a researcher and a mentor especially in the areas of HIV/AIDS, poverty, adolescent adjustment problems and child abuse and neglect. She has supervised many postgraduate students especially at Masters and Doctoral levels.

She has served on review panels of research entities and programmes at a number of universities and science councils. She also serves as external examiner for several universities, examining Masters dissertations and Doctoral theses. Furthermore, she has written a number of articles in accredited journals nationally and internationally, presented papers at national and international conferences, and contributed to the writing of book chapters.

Armando Alcantara

Dr. Armando Alcantara is Professor of Higher Education at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), in the Institute for University and Education Studies, and Research Fellow at Mexico’s National System of Researchers (level I). He is a regular member of the Mexican Academy of Science.

He earned a B. A. in Psychology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (1985); a M. A. in education (International Development Education) at Stanford University (1992), and a Ph. D. (Social Sciences and Comparative Education) at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) (1999). He was also Visiting Scholar Boston College (2000-2001), and Visiting Professor at Brazil’s Federal University of Goiás (2006). His main areas of inquiry include politics and policies of higher education, values in education, and comparative education.

Dr. Alcantara has been awarded several scholarships from the Fulbright Program (for the M. A. Program at Stanford University), UNAM (for the M. A. Program at Stanford University and the doctoral program at UCLA). He was also recipient of a scholarship from the Argentinean government to conduct doctoral field work in 1996.

He has delivered papers in conferences of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES), Latin American Studies Association (LASA), Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) and the Mexican Council for Educational Research (COMIE), among many others in Mexico, Latin America and the United States. He has served as Secretary General of the Mexican Council of Educational Research (2001-2003), vice president and founding member of the Mexican Society of Comparative Education, and is currently a member of UNAM´s Higher Education Seminar. Dr. Alcantara is also columnist of Campus Milenio, a weekly supplement of Milenio, a Mexican newspaper. He is currently a member of the editorial board of Revista de la Educación Superior (Mexican Journal of Higher Education), and Reseñas Educativas/Education Review.

Dr. Alcantara most recent publications include the following:

Alcántara, Armando. (2011). “Three Decades of Educational Policies in Mexico”, in Carlos Alberto Torres, Liliana Olmos and Richard Van Heertum (eds.)
Educating the Global Citizen: In the Shadows of Neoliberalism. Twenty-Five Years of Educational Reform in North America. Bentham Science [ISBN 978-1-60805-268-4] [www.benthem.org/ebooks/htm] [Chapter in electronic book]].
Alcantara, Armando and Margaret M. Clements. (2009). “Globalisation, Intellectual Property and the Cultural Aspects of Collaboration: Comparisons between Mexico and the United States”, in Zajda, Joseph y Val Rust (editors). Globalisation, Policy and Comparative Research: Discourses of Globalisation. Series: Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research. Vol. 5, Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands; pp. 125-138. (ISBN: 978-1-4020-9546-7).
(2003) Rodríguez Gómez, Roberto and Armando Alcántara. “Towards a Unified Agenda for Change in Latin American Higher Education”, en Ball, Stephen, Gustavo E. Fischman and Silvina Gvirtz (editors). Crisis and Hope: The Educational Hopscotch of Latin America. New York and London. Routledge-Falmer Press; pp. 19-43.
Entre Prometeo y Sísifo: Ciencia, Tecnología y Universidad en México y Argentina. (2005). Barcelona: Ediciones Pomares. (ISBN 84-87682-56-1). Reviewed by Pilar Mendoza in Reseñas Educativas/Education Review, 08/30/ 2006 URL: http://www.edrev.info/reviews/revs125index.html