Doctoral Supervision: An EUTOPIA Development Course on Best Practices

Context

There is a significant demand in modern universities to create a course for helping academics to develop competences to supervise PhD students. Our university used to have one such successful programme in the past. However, in the context of the EUTOPIA European University Alliance, we thought this would be most interesting if shared among the different Universities that may show interest in participating. One such joint programme would be labelled as “EUTOPIA training”.

This programme will offer an opportunity to take part in a series of lecture workshops giving expert insight into the various responsibilities of PhD supervision. 

Satisfied students are productive researchers, and students who feel they get high quality supervision will be happy students and prospective efficient researchers. 

With this short course we aim to use the EUTOPIA European University Alliance to share the best practices in modern academia across our institutions on how to be an efficient and professional supervisor. 

Content of the course 

The professional development of supervisors is considered a requirement for successful doctoral education. EUTOPIA partners are offered the possibility for their current and future PhD supervisors to interact with a panel of experts for a series of short training sessions. Different aspects of the supervision of doctoral students will be addressed in interactive online sessions on a weekly basis.

Here is a list of suggested topics:

1. What should you be looking for before accepting a student for PhD supervision.
2. The nature of PhD supervisory relationship: responsibilities and benefits for both sides.
3. The process of doctoral education – a supervisor’s perspective.
4. The process and mechanisms of reviewing progress during a PhD supervision.
5. Conflict prevention and management in PhD supervision.
6. Co-supervision: when does it make sense, where does it happen, how does it work?
7. Learning and practicing research ethics during the PhD training.
8. Communication and cross-cultural issues in PhD supervision.
9. Strategies for supporting students in their PhD path.
10. Outcome-based doctoral education.
11. How to train PhD students for research exposure in the academia. 
12. Preparing the PhD students for the job market.

Organising team

• Anca-Mirela Andreica (UBB)
• Barbara Kënczël (TU Dresden)
• Daniel Branch (Warwick)
• Coloma Ballester (Pompeu Fabra)
• Hendrik Eijsberg (CY)
• João Amaro de Matos (NOVA)
• Loren Pauwels (VUB)
• Patrick Heinrich (Ca’ Foscari)
• Tatjiana Marvin (Ljubljana)

Target audience

• Academic staff of EUTOPIA universities and associated partners, especially young researchers.
• All faculty members currently supervising PhD students or that aim to become supervisors. 

Learning Outcomes 

At the end of the program the participant will learn and understand:

• How their role as a PhD supervisor develops over time 
• The responsibilities of a PhD supervisor both legally, practically, and morally 
• Best practices regarding ethics, conflict prevention, feedback, and communication 

 
Draft Calendar for PhD Supervisors Training
 

Session Name	Organising University	Date	Supervisor
Expectations when accepting PhD students	The University of Warwick	February 26th	Daniel Branch
The PhD supervisory relationship	The University of Warwick & The University of Ljubljana	March 5th	Daniel Branch  Vesna Zabkar
Challenges in educating PhDs	The University of Ljubljana	March 12th	Vesna Zabkar
Reviewing progress during a PhD	NOVA University Lisbon	March 19th	Isabel Nunes
Co-supervision challenges	Vrije Universiteit Brussel	March 26th	Leo Van Grunsven
Conflict management in PhD supervision	TU Dresden	April 2nd	Katharina Ulbrich
Research ethics in PhD training	Pompeu Fabra University-Barcelona	April 9th	Marianna Nadeu
Supporting students in PhD	Babeș-Bolyai University	April 16th	Laura Visu-Petra
Communication in PhD supervision	Ca’Foscari University of Venice	April 23rd	Patrick Heinrich
Outcome-based doctoral education	CY Cergy Paris University	April 30th	Hendrik Eijsberg
Training for research exposure	NOVA University Lisbon	May 7th	ITQB
Preparing PhD for the job market	Pompeu Fabra University-Barcelona	May 14th	Roser Pinyol

Contacts

• Daniel Branch: d.p.branch@warwick.ac.uk
• Vesna Zabkar: vesna.zabkar@ef.uni-lj.si 
• Isabel Nunes: ilnunesnl.pt
• Katharina Ulbrich: katharina.ulbrich@tu-dresden.de
• Marianna Nadeu: marianna.nadeu@upf.edu
• Laura Visu-Petra:  laura.visu@ubbcluj.ro
• Patrick Heinrich: patrick.heinrich@unive.it
• Roser Pinyol: rpinyol@recerca.clinic.cat
• Leo Van Grunsven: Leo.van.Grunsven@vub.be