Luncheon Talk: Motivation and Experiences of International Doctoral Students
Dr. Jenny Phelps, Assistant Dean at the Graduate Studies in the University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
October 10th, 2013 at 12.00 pm – Miller Hall – College of Education – University of Washington
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
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.”
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
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
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
Organized by the European Science Foundation, CIRGE participated in the workshop entitled “How to track the researcher’s career” in Luxembourg, February 2012. The event highlighted the relevance of research career tracking in the European research agenda.
According to the main conclusions, knowing how researchers move in their careers will contribute to improve the quality of research, to understand the decision of researchers in their careers and to provide accountability to the tax-payers.
By following up with doctoral graduates, surveying them after graduation, and tracking studies, CIRGE assessed the suitability of funding, the quality of training and working conditions offered during the doctoral phase, and also explored the quality of doctoral training.
A major reason for carrying out career tracking studies is to provide the information on career movements and understand international and intersectoral mobility as well as employment patterns of researchers.
On the other hand, these studies indirectly measure impact which is an interesting source for the funders of doctoral education, in most cases, tax payers.
Dr. Maresi Nerad, key speaker in this workshop, asserted that career studies of masters and doctorates should be used with a broader purpose than for labor market concerns and to “focus on understanding the diverse developments of individual within intersections of their private lives, institutional and societal forces.”
In her opinion, these studies should also take into account the many attempts undertaken by national research funding agencies for innovative interdisciplinary programs with international involvements.