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Just as the weather warmed up today, so did the pace and intensity of action-oriented discussion about key issues in doctoral education worldwide.

The day started with constructive challenges in the early morning presentation from the Early Career Researchers (ECRs), a group of 13 scholars. The group urged participants to consider how results could become genuine action beyond rhetoric.

The primary focus of the morning was a presentation and far-ranging reactions to the work of Task Force Two: Diversity of Students in Doctoral Education in an International Perspective.

This group gathered a great deal of data from many countries to document what is known about diversity in doctoral education. In the future, the group hopes to inventory policies, strategies, and support mechanisms for diversity in doctoral education from various countries. The concept of “diversity” generated much discussion and debate within the task force and among the larger group of workshop participants. Beyond the data, preliminary group findings, recommendations, and action steps included:

• Generate a narrative that takes nation-based data and commentary, and present it in thematic sections.
• Define a common classification or taxonomy to allow analysis of diversity.
• Conduct regional case studies to compensate for different countries collecting different data in different ways; for example, some countries gather no data at all in categories taken for granted in some parts of the world, or even forbid data gathering.

The group also encouraged study of under-represented groups and more attention to disability as a dimension of diversity.

(Video) Ian Haines introduces Task Force 2:

Expert perspectives about diversity in doctoral education were provided by:

Dr. Jean Chambaz of the Université Pierre et Marie Curie and Chair of the European University Association Council of Doctoral Education Steering Committee

Dr. Christiane Wüllner of the Ruhr-University Research School (Ruhr-Universität Bochum) – representing Roland Fischer, Dean of the Ruhr-University Research School

Highlights of Chambaz’ presentation:

• He addressed issues about equity and inequality in doctoral education, and how diversity “expands the richness of research.”
• “We need to shift internationalization from being such a means of economic production toward greater ends of serving society for those who need answers…it is the future of our world that is in question.”
• Increased access to doctoral education can complement the quality of doctoral education. Discussion ensued and consensus reached on this point.

Highlights of Wüllner’s presentation:

• Her comments about diversity were from the unique perspective of serving within a newly founded graduate school, funded through the framework of the German Excellence Initiative.
• She presented the Ruhr Research School’s innovative approach to structuring doctoral education since its founding in 2006; key characteristics are open access and the Research School serving as a kind of catalyst and broker for fostering interdisciplinary research and teaching.

Sandra Elman, President of the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (USA), responded to the work of the Task Force by expressing commendations: the group’s data collection may be unprecedented, and the possibilities for using the data are exciting. Her suggestions for Task Force Two: provide more clarification about objectives for the data gathered; develop a conceptual framework as a basis for analysis; address definitions of difficult concepts such as “ethnicity”; clarify who is defining the problem and to what end.

Early in the afternoon the three task forces met to refine their ideas, take into consideration the presentations, and refine their reports toward issuing policy recommendations and action steps;

Additional presentations and speakers in the afternoon included:

“Changing Demographics Behind Diversity Issues and Challenges for PhD Education” – Dr. Angela Ginorio of the University of Washington

“Programs to Increase Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering, Technology, and Mathematics Fields” – Dr. James H. Wyche, Division Director, Human Resource Development, National Science Foundation (NSF), USA

“How to Communicate Results and Recommendations to the News Media and Policymakers” – George A. Martinez, Communications Director, University of Washington Graduate School

Today snow alternated with sunshine. Inside, a flurry of comments, ideas and recommendations from workshop participants brightened the topic du jour: internationalization and inequality in doctoral education. By Friday, participants will finalize new policy recommendations and action steps about this topic and others.

The day started with a progress report from the hard-working, 14-member Task Force One. They asked all participants for opinions about internationalization and inequality in doctoral education. Responses ranged from “dispense with borders and obstacles,” to “raise collective intelligence,” to the ethics and mechanics of mobility for people with doctorates—especially researchers.

A Task Force One draft paper addresses these perspectives and identifies other related issues, intended to influence policy and funding. “Who can we influence, how, and…when,” asked one participant, summarizing the ultimate goal of this group.

Mary-Louise Kearney, Director of the UNESCO Forum on Higher Education, Research and Knowledge, New Zealand/France – “Doctoral Education in the Knowledge Society: Current Issues”

Wilhelm Krull, Secretary General of the Volkswagen Foundation – “Policies and Practices to Create a More Equitable Distribution of Intellectual Capital Globally”

Two expert commentators contributed their perspectives to the work of Task Force One, from an international organization and from a philanthropic organization, respectively:

Kearney presentation highlights:

• The need to rethink doctoral education in the context of the knowledge society and the knowledge economy
• The need for universities to become even more central as knowledge producers and to be taken much more seriously by policy-makers as incubators of solutions
• Essential pre-requisites for high-level knowledge production: intellectual capital (advanced academic credentials), robust research and development (R&D), strong communication and information technology capacity
• “Unless the will of the government is there (to support doctoral education), you will have this up and down…instability.”
• Countries making major progress in “planning their knowledge base” by supporting doctoral education: Singapore (quadrupled PhD production from 1990-2004); Brazil (rising investment in higher education); China (exemplary global collaboration); and Qatar (accelerated research and development capacity)
• “If intellectual capacity remains inequitably distributed, we will face more challenges than we do now.”

Krull presentation highlights:

• How private foundations from various countries, even in times of crisis, are supporting capacity building to aid internationalization; how the Volkswagen Foundation Initiative for Africa models a “truly symmetric partnership”
• The need to include doctoral students in international cooperation
• Knowledge in science is not enough; “history, humanities and the arts are more than luxuries” (citing the work of Alvin Kwiram, a chemist from the University of Washington – USA)
• “Ninety-five percent of new science in the world is created in countries comprising only one-fifth of the world’s population. We can do better.”

Other presenters on March 24: Sandra Elman, President of the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (USA) – “Feedback from an Accreditation Viewpoint” William Zumeta, Professor, Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, University of Washington, (USA) and Senior Fellow, National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education – “How to Translate Policy-Relevant Research Into Policy Frameworks and Policy Language”

Highlights of issues and questions presented and discussed throughout the day, related to internationalization and inequality in doctoral education:

• Who “owns” intellectual capital? Is it an individual good—or a societal good? Who validates knowledge?
• The need to contextualize any analysis of doctoral education.
• There is a need to re-examine national immigration and labor policies and to influence them in order to achieve greater equity in the flow of talent.
• Consensus was expressed about the establishment of symmetric international collaborations in doctoral programs.
• Task Force members from all three groups spent much of the afternoon synthesizing the morning’s input, deliberating, and preparing to craft policy recommendations.

Preview for tomorrow: Video highlights – speakers, task force panel discussion—and much more!

Margaret Kiley introduces us to the issues of Task Force 1:

Jorge Balan (Center for Studies on State & Society) comments:

Sixty representatives from six continents met today in Kassel, Germany to position doctoral education as a more powerful force for addressing the world’s challenges.

Despite cold rain outside, warmth and collegiality characterized interactions between attendees, some of whom had not seen each other since the previous Forces and Forces (F+F) Worldwide Workshop, held in 2007.

Opening day was a time to regroup, review and renew. Highlights included opening remarks, introductions, and initial work by three task forces, each devoted to one of these issues:

• Internationalization and inequality in doctoral education
• Diversity of students in doctoral education in an international perspective
• Promoting intellectual risk-taking under conditions of globalization

Highlights of opening remarks:

“This meeting is of the highest priority,” said Carol Stoel, of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), a workshop sponsor (via a videotaped greeting).

“We wholeheartedly support you,” added James Wyche, also of the NSF.

“Getting a doctorate is an opening to the world beyond the ‘ivory tower’” said Annette Schmidtmann of the DFG, the major German research funding organization

“Your work points us toward how we can improve relationships between corporations and academia,” said Andrea Frank of Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft, a workshop sponsor and philanthropic umbrella organization of about 3,000 companies.

“We’re very happy about this (workshop),” said Markus Baumanns of ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius, a German private foundation and workshop sponsor.

An overview of the two previous Forces and Forms Workshops, held in 2005 (Seattle, Washington, USA) and 2007 (Melbourne, Australia), reminded attendees how results from both provided the platform for the Kassel workshop.

Attendees agreed on workshop goals to reach by March 27 at the workshop conclusion:

• Develop a set of policy recommendations
• Develop a dissemination and action plan
• Planning toward publication of a book
• Development of a global agenda on research in doctoral education
• Creation of regional research clusters led by network members
• Agreement to a new workshop format to occur possibly in 2012

Work groups documented their motivations, concerns, and visions for workshop outcomes; here are highlights:

• “use the network to train administrators”
• “develop guidelines for immediate action”
• “a Kassel declaration”
• “What is ethnicity? Different countries tell us very different things.”

Random highlights of speakers’ comments: “We need a closer look at the globalization of knowledge…and the migration of the highly educated, and how this affects society.” “We are about understanding trends, tensions, and mechanisms; we’re learning to get the message across, networking, and planning…” “Current funding structures (for doctoral education) are based on traditional models and do not support risk-taking. We’ll address that.” “We have so much data we could go on analyzing it for five years!”

Preview for March 24, 2009: Wilhelm Krull, Secretary General of the Volkswagen Foundation, sets the tone for hopes and expectations for workshop results.

Video Interviews:
Beate Scholz gives and introduction and talks about the goals of the conference.

Maresi Nerad talks about the purpose and outcomes of the conference.

Wilhelm Krull talks about the hopes and aspirations of the conference.

CIRGE has recently completed two reports from the findings of the Social Science PhDs – Five + Years Out survey.  The second is our series of reports spotlighting the main issues is on “Professional Development for PhD Students:  Do They Really Need It?” This analysis distinguishes between the PhD completion skills normally acquired in completing PhD research (critical thinking, data analysis and synthesis, writing and publishing, and research design) and the professional skills (working with diverse groups, working in interdisciplinary contexts, teamwork, presenting, grant writing, and managing people and budgets) that more and more PhD recipients are finding crucial to success in their employment.

Additionally, the fifth discipline specific report is complete, assessing the program quality, career paths and gender stratification of sociology PhD recipents.  Sociology, the field in this study with the most women, is also the only field with clear evidence of gender inequalities in careers.

Direct links:

• CIRGE Spotlight on Doctoral Education #2: Professional Development for PhD Students: Do They Really Need It?
• Social Science PhDs—Five+ Years Out: Sociology Report

Just published – the first in a series of spotlights on hot issues in doctoral education, this report focuses on the potential for gender equality in careers of social science doctorate holders using findings from Social Science PhDs—Five+ Years Out, CIRGE’s most recent national survey. Click here to view the report

Monday, June 10, two Australian scholars, Dr. Catherine Manathunga, University of Queensland, Dr. Margaret Kiley, National Australian University, Canberra, will present their current research on doctoral education at 12:00 noon at the Graduate School conference room, Communication Building.

GUG is hibernating until further notice.

There are no meetings and no readings currently scheduled.