CONTEXT The transnational context in which this project is set is that of a network of 18 research universities from 12 different European countries, which figure prominently in under 50 international rankings. Indeed, the 6 partners in this project are all members of YERUN (Young European Research Universities Network, Brussels 2015). YERUN members are universities with a strong interdisciplinary character, of relatively small scale and with a flexible structure, which are committed to delivering excellence in teaching and learning at the three levels of the higher education cycle, with joint doctoral education as important target. The wider context for this project is determined by: a) The Renewed EU agenda for HE (EC , May 2017), which stresses that high quality doctoral training is critical for the contribution to innovation and the development of new solutions to economic, social and environmental problems. b) The ambition to move towards the European Education Area by 2025 (EC, November 2017), strengthening strategic partnerships across the EU between HEIs and encouraging the emergence of 'European Universities': networks of universities across the EU which will enable students to obtain a degree by combining studies in several EU countries. MAIN OBJECTIVE This project focuses on the internationalisation of doctoral education and the establishment of collaborative and interactive frameworks for its operation. In particular, its main objective is to lay ground for the creation of joint programmes at doctorate level in a European network of research universities. RESULTS 1) Compile, examine and compare the requirements and regulations for doctoral programmes in different European Countries (the 12 countries that the 18 members of YERUN belong to), identifying good practice in successful collaboration across borders. 2) Analyse the different types of doctoral collaboration that YERUN universities are engaged in, as a representative sample of young research universities in Europe. 3) Contribute to the debate on innovation in doctoral training by identifying good practice in collaborative doctoral training in a variety of settings. 4) Design guidelines and tools for the development and running of joint programmes at doctorate level, which can be used by any European university. 5) Integrate research and education by creating consortia of universities around the key research topics identified by YERUN universities (Big Data, Migration, Health and Ageing, Digital Humanities and STEM) in order to promote the mobility of researchers and doctoral candidates. 6) Contribute to the training of doctoral students and early career researchers in transferable skills, and addressing key issues and global challenges through the thematic areas chosen (social inclusion, open education, technology and digital learning) and promoting open science. 7) Contribute to the creation of the EEA by 2025 through network cooperation. PARTNERS The 6 partners in this project are all leading institutions at national level and are among the best young universities in Europe: University of Antwerp, University of Bremen, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, University of Essex, Maastricht University and Universitat degli Studi di Roma ‘Tor Vergata’. They are all members of the 'Working Group on Joint Programmes' of the YERUN network. Key persons have been identified in each institution, including administrative and academic staff from Doctoral Schools and International Relations Office. Associated partners (the remaining 12 universities in YERUN) will contribute substantially to the project’s results. METHODOLOGY The methodology applied involves: (i) an assessment of the tasks required to complete a project (ii) a detailed breakdown of the process to monitor their completion. Intellectual outputs and activities have been carefully designed. Every partner has a key role in the project and will be responsible for the coordination of one or more workpackage(s). Leadership and effective communication are key to successful management of the project. IMPACT We plan for extensive and sustainable impact at the institutional level, to enhance the professional development of project staff and the opportunities for learners, and to influence policy makers. At European level, the project paves the way for what will become the focus of partnerships in the EEA. It reaches well beyond the consortium, to have a strong impact on associated partners, and by extension on other European networks. It also aims to contribute to the debate on doctoral training in Europe. In the short-term, the outputs of this project should provide institutions in Europe with the necessary tools and resources to facilitate international collaboration at doctorate level. This is an ongoing project which will run up to and through the establishment of the EEA. Sustainability of the project is guaranteed by both the partners' commitment and YERUN's membership.
This project focused on the internationalisation of doctoral education and the establishment of collaborative frameworks for its operation. Its main objective was to lay ground for the creation of joint programmes at doctorate level in a European network of young research universities (YERUN). First, we examined and compared the requirements and regulations for doctoral programmes in different European countries. Second, we analyzed different types of doctoral collaboration that YERUN universities are engaged in. We also wanted to contribute to the debate on innovation in doctoral training by identifying good practice in collaborative doctoral training in a variety of settings, and to design guidelines and tools for the development of joint programmes at doctorate level which can be used by any European university. We facilitated the integration of research and education by creating consortia of universities around key research topics identified by YERUN (Migration, Health and Ageing, Digital Humanities) to promote the mobility of researchers, and contributed to the training of early career researchers in transferable skills. In these ways, we also contributed to the creation of the EEA by 2025 through network cooperation.
There is no common definition of structured doctoral education in the diversified European higher education system. Doctoral education is different from the first two cycles of the Bologna Process in that it is intimately tied to research and transnational cooperation in this area is crucial. LERU states that “if Europe is to remain competitive internationally as a knowledge-based economy, high level research and doctoral training must become more concentrated and focused...cooperation among institutions can create stronger opportunities for PhD programmes through network initiatives”. These networks should advance exchanges between education and research teams, enhancing the performance of HEIs on a worldwide scale. Though universities should be free to develop their own organisations of doctoral training, a certain degree of harmonisation in Europe would facilitate the mobility of researchers and the establishment of joint doctoral programmes. This project addresses issues which are crucial to take cooperation between HEIs in Europe to a higher level of ambition by focusing on an area in which research and education come together: doctoral education.