Eurodoc survey on the situation of doctoral candidates in Europe 2008/2009

Members Area

9000 young European researchers give insight into their situation

These are the first findings from the survey discussed at an expert workshop in Bonn, Germany, in late 2009. Between 08/12/2008 and 31/05/2008 Eurodoc, together with INCHER Kassel, conducted the first survey on the situation of doctoral candidates on the European level. The first findings from the analysis of the poll were presented on 27th and -28th November 2009 in Bonn’s Wissenschaftszentrum (research centre). Over 1.5 days, researchers, stakeholders from higher education policy-making and social scientists from all over Europe discussed the survey’s first findings.

Sponsored by the Stifterverband, Körber Stiftung, APEC and the Bologna Centre of the German Rectors Conference, around 40 participants reflected upon the data on topics which have been frequently discussed in higher education policy-making circles, focussing on doctoral training over the last decade. “Eurodoc wants to give a basis for political decision making processes for improving the situation of young researchers especially for the next Bologna meeting in Vienna and Budapest”, says current Eurodoc president, Nikola Macharová.

Some of the most discussed issues on the nearly two days fall under a number of headings.

Perceived obstacles to mobility: The main hindrances to mobility are family and partnership reasons, low funding, partners’ job opportunities and reduced career opportunities back home.

The doctoral qualification is predetermining the career path: The main proportion of doctoral candidates want to stay in research (three quarters) and feel better qualified for a career in academia than outside the alma mater and research institutes.

Perceived status of employability outside academia based on doctoral training: Although around 70% of the doctoral candidates receive additional training while doing the doctorate, only a smaller proportion feel qualified for a job outside academia.

Stability and availability of funding for and throughout the doctorate: Although around 80% of the respondents receive funding for the doctorate, either as salary or as scholarship or work in the academic sector, there is still a large proportion doing the doctorate with private funds (e.g. family, self-employment, unemployment funding). Gender differences are not as strong as expected (e.g. mobility is equally high). However a closer look reveals that there seem to be some differences in the funding between those having no children and those having one or several children. Findings from the survey point out that doctoral candidates with children have a harder time obtaining stable funding for their doctorate. Besides this, findings reveal that almost 20% felt pressured to postpone having children.

Eurodoc’s survey team will do some further analysis of the data in the next couple of months, before a first public policy paper is presented at the Eurodoc conference 2010 (www.eurodoc.net/2010) in Vienna. “We will be happy to support the young researchers in their further work” the experts – Pavel Zgaga, Paule Biaudet, Iain Cameron, Beate Scholz and Harald Schomburg – confirmed at the workshop.