University: What's Changing in Doctoral Studies
15 May 2007
Read by 2790 persons
• Open to master's degree holders and exceptionally to specialized master's degrees
• Predefined rights and obligations of doctoral students and thesis supervisors
Doctoral studies, the final stage of the LMD architecture (licence, master, doctorate), are subject to faculty review for final recommendations before going to the National Commission for the Coordination of Higher Education. It will then be the subject of a decree and will be ready for the 2007/2008 academic year.
The project promises to ensure better visibility of doctoral training and research offerings, as well as the rationalization of resources. The Higher Education Department is counting on it to promote the breaking down of barriers between institutions and research structures, as well as the strengthening of multidisciplinarity.
Another "ambition": to encourage teamwork on common themes, thus avoiding the multiplication of groups on the same research themes. The current system is criticized for the compartmentalization of UFRs (university teaching and research units) and the confusion between interdisciplinarity and multidisciplinarity. This has sometimes led to a dispersion in doctoral training. It is also accused of creating redundant training programs.
Doctoral studies will be organized within the Doctoral Studies Center (CED) of each faculty. The CED will be linked to accredited research structures around a project that is part of the university's scientific policy. It will be headed by a vice-dean and assisted by a council that in turn designates a scientific coordinator.
Agreements with other universities or institutions can also be established. This will make it possible to federate teaching and research teams with a view to sharing resources.
The CEDs will be coordinated by a doctoral college, a kind of common service of the university. Its mission is to pool and federate the resources of these centers.
Doctoral studies will be open to candidates holding a master's degree or an equivalent recognized diploma. They must meet the admission criteria set out in the description of the application for accreditation of CED training programs. Holders of a specialized master's degree or a national diploma equivalent to a master's degree may also enroll in a doctorate. For this, a derogation will be granted by the university president on the proposal of the CED director and after consultation with the scientific coordinator and the thesis director.
To register, the candidate submits a research proposal to the scientific coordinator, previously approved by the thesis director.
In this reform, special attention is given to doctoral students, who are often left to their own devices. Their training will be supplemented by courses in project management, languages, and communication, among others.
The reform project provides for a volume of supplementary training hours ranging from 150 to 250 hours. This will prepare them to enter the workplace. HR departments and recruitment professionals have often noted that graduates have difficulty "selling themselves" to companies. By remaining confined to a single field, they have difficulty integrating into the world of work and adapting to it.
Meetings with operators and professionals (doctoral students) will be organized to bring doctoral students closer to potential recruiters.
The reform has also addressed the recurring problem of the slow pace of research work. The maximum duration for preparing a doctorate is set at three years, with the possibility of a one-year extension and, exceptionally, two years. In this case, the agreement of the university president is mandatory.
The novelty is that the doctoral student will be closely monitored and will have to report every six months. Their relationship with the thesis director will be governed by a charter setting out the rights and obligations of both parties. In case of conflict, mediation is provided for. This will help overcome the obstacles often encountered by student researchers.
The training programs of the Doctoral Studies Centers are subject to accreditation. It is granted by the Department of Higher Education after consultation with the National Commission for the Coordination of Higher Education. Accreditation is valid for 4 renewable years after evaluation. If it is not renewed, the theses already started will nevertheless be completed.
The text also deals with the financing of doctoral students. Strengthening partnerships with the private sector and contracting with the State are two avenues to explore. Doctoral students could carry out teaching duties and possibly strengthen the teaching staff, which has been understaffed since voluntary departures.
Published on 30/04/2007
Leconomiste.com
• Predefined rights and obligations of doctoral students and thesis supervisors
Doctoral studies, the final stage of the LMD architecture (licence, master, doctorate), are subject to faculty review for final recommendations before going to the National Commission for the Coordination of Higher Education. It will then be the subject of a decree and will be ready for the 2007/2008 academic year.
The project promises to ensure better visibility of doctoral training and research offerings, as well as the rationalization of resources. The Higher Education Department is counting on it to promote the breaking down of barriers between institutions and research structures, as well as the strengthening of multidisciplinarity.
Another "ambition": to encourage teamwork on common themes, thus avoiding the multiplication of groups on the same research themes. The current system is criticized for the compartmentalization of UFRs (university teaching and research units) and the confusion between interdisciplinarity and multidisciplinarity. This has sometimes led to a dispersion in doctoral training. It is also accused of creating redundant training programs.
Doctoral studies will be organized within the Doctoral Studies Center (CED) of each faculty. The CED will be linked to accredited research structures around a project that is part of the university's scientific policy. It will be headed by a vice-dean and assisted by a council that in turn designates a scientific coordinator.
Agreements with other universities or institutions can also be established. This will make it possible to federate teaching and research teams with a view to sharing resources.
The CEDs will be coordinated by a doctoral college, a kind of common service of the university. Its mission is to pool and federate the resources of these centers.
Doctoral studies will be open to candidates holding a master's degree or an equivalent recognized diploma. They must meet the admission criteria set out in the description of the application for accreditation of CED training programs. Holders of a specialized master's degree or a national diploma equivalent to a master's degree may also enroll in a doctorate. For this, a derogation will be granted by the university president on the proposal of the CED director and after consultation with the scientific coordinator and the thesis director.
To register, the candidate submits a research proposal to the scientific coordinator, previously approved by the thesis director.
In this reform, special attention is given to doctoral students, who are often left to their own devices. Their training will be supplemented by courses in project management, languages, and communication, among others.
The reform project provides for a volume of supplementary training hours ranging from 150 to 250 hours. This will prepare them to enter the workplace. HR departments and recruitment professionals have often noted that graduates have difficulty "selling themselves" to companies. By remaining confined to a single field, they have difficulty integrating into the world of work and adapting to it.
Meetings with operators and professionals (doctoral students) will be organized to bring doctoral students closer to potential recruiters.
The reform has also addressed the recurring problem of the slow pace of research work. The maximum duration for preparing a doctorate is set at three years, with the possibility of a one-year extension and, exceptionally, two years. In this case, the agreement of the university president is mandatory.
The novelty is that the doctoral student will be closely monitored and will have to report every six months. Their relationship with the thesis director will be governed by a charter setting out the rights and obligations of both parties. In case of conflict, mediation is provided for. This will help overcome the obstacles often encountered by student researchers.
The training programs of the Doctoral Studies Centers are subject to accreditation. It is granted by the Department of Higher Education after consultation with the National Commission for the Coordination of Higher Education. Accreditation is valid for 4 renewable years after evaluation. If it is not renewed, the theses already started will nevertheless be completed.
The text also deals with the financing of doctoral students. Strengthening partnerships with the private sector and contracting with the State are two avenues to explore. Doctoral students could carry out teaching duties and possibly strengthen the teaching staff, which has been understaffed since voluntary departures.
Published on 30/04/2007
Leconomiste.com
