Bologna and the Third Cycle
Anthony J Vickers
UK Bologna Expert
The history of the Bologna Process
• The Sorbonne Declaration – 1998
France, Germany, Italy, UK
• The Bologna Declaration – 1999
29 Signatories
• Prague Communiqué – 2001
32 Signatories
• Berlin Communiqué – 2003
33 Signatories
• Bergen Communiqué – 2005
45 Signatories
• London Communiqué 2007
46 Signatories
Research and Doctoral Education
Berlin Communiqué – 2003
10. Doctoral studies and the synergy between the EHEA and ERA
• “Ministers agree that efforts shall be undertaken in order to secure
closer links overall between the higher education and research
systems in their respective countries.
• The emerging European Higher Education Area will benefit from
synergies with the European Research Area, thus strengthening the
basis of the Europe of Knowledge.
• The aim is to preserve Europe’s cultural richness and linguistic
diversity, based on its heritage of diversified traditions, and to foster
its potential of innovation and social and economic development
through enhanced co-operation among European Higher Education
Institutions.”
What is happening at a Bologna level?
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European Charter for Researchers (2005)
The Glasgow Declaration (2005)
The ten basic Principles (Salzburg 2005)
Doctoral Programmes Project (2004-05)
Doctoral Programmes in the Bologna Process
(2006-2007)
• DOC-CAREERS Project (2006-07)
• The Council for Doctoral Education (2008)
European Charter for Researchers (2005)
• Research Freedom
• Ethical Principles
• Professional Responsibility
• Professional Attitude
• Contractual and Legal Obligations
• Accountability
• Good Practice in Research
• Dissemination, Exploitation of Results
• Public Engagement
• Relation with Supervisors
• Supervision and Managerial Duties
• Continuing Professional Development
The Glasgow Declaration (2005)
The ten basic Principles (Salzberg 2005)
i. The core component of doctoral training is the advancement of
knowledge through original research. At the same time it is recognised that
doctoral training must increasingly meet the needs of an employment market that
is wider than academia.
ii. Embedding in institutional strategies and policies: universities as institutions
need to assume responsibility for ensuring that the doctoral programmes and
research training they offer are designed to meet new challenges and include
appropriate professional career development opportunities.
iii. The importance of diversity: the rich diversity of doctoral programmes in
Europe - including joint doctorates - is a strength which has to be underpinned by
quality and sound practice.
iv. Doctoral candidates as early stage researchers: should be recognized as
professionals – with commensurate rights - who make a key contribution to the
creation of new knowledge.
v. The crucial role of supervision and assessment: in respect of individual
doctoral candidates, arrangements for supervision and assessment should be
based on a transparent contractual framework of shared responsibilities between
doctoral candidates, supervisors and the institution (and where appropriate
including other partners).
vi. Achieving critical mass: Doctoral programmes should seek to achieve critical
mass and should draw on different types of innovative practice being introduced in
universities across Europe, bearing in mind that different solutions may be
appropriate to different contexts and in particular across larger and smaller
European countries. These range from graduate schools in major universities to
international, national and regional collaboration between universities.
vii. Duration: doctoral programmes should operate within an appropriate time
duration (three to four years full-time as a rule).
viii. The promotion of innovative structures: to meet the challenge of
interdisciplinary training and the development of transferable skills
ix. Increasing mobility: Doctoral programmes should seek to offer geographical as
well as interdisciplinary and intersectoral mobility and international collaboration
within an integrated framework of cooperation between universities and other
partners.
x. Ensuring appropriate funding: the development of quality doctoral
programmes and the successful completion by doctoral candidates requires
appropriate and sustainable funding.
Doctoral Programmes Project (2004-05)
The main findings of the Project addressed three issues:
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The Structure and Organisation of Doctoral Programmes
Supervision, Monitoring and Assessment
Mobility, European Collaboration and Joint Doctoral Degrees
On the structure and organisation of doctoral programmes, the study shows
a considerable diversity not only across different countries in Europe,
but also across universities within the same country and across faculties
within the same university.
The following issues are examined:
• disciplinary differences in the organisation of doctoral training
• various types of doctoral degrees
• training in core and transferable skills
• doctoral training and teaching
• duration and funding of doctoral training
• recruitment practices
• the profile and status of doctoral candidates.
Doctoral Programmes in the Bologna Process
(2006-2007)
• Two Workshops and a Seminar were organised
• First Workshop
• Final Recommendations
• Second Workshop
• Bologna Seminar on Doctoral Programmes
• Seven Working Groups
• Final Recommendations
DOC-CAREERS Project (2006-07)
• Three Workshops held
– Alignment between Universities and Industry
– The development of Doctoral Programmes aligned to
Industry
– Discussing and validating the project aims
The Council for Doctoral Education (2008)
The End