3a Status

Aarhus University’s long tradition for international cooperation in the areas of teaching and research is quite naturally reflected in the highly international nature of the individual PhD programmes offered here. Doctoral studies generally take place in internationally active research environments, which automatically ensures an international dimension.

Aarhus University is already an active participant in a range of international activities in the area of PhD education. For example, the university is a member of the EUA Council for PhD Education, and as such the university took part in a recent survey of the status and challenges faced by European doctoral programmes [EUA-DP]. In addition, the university participates in the Coimbra Group Task Force on Doctoral Studies and Research in close collaboration with European partners.

There are also several examples of thriving international partnerships at graduate school level. For exaple, the Faculty of Health Sciences participates in the ORPHEUS network, an association of European health sciences faculties [ORPHEUS – Organisation for in Biomedicine and Health Sciences in the European System].

The ORPHEUS network fosters collaboration on issues such as recruitment, student exchanges, joint courses and experience exchanges. In addition, Aarhus University has participated in The Nordic Benchmarking Project [NBP] together with the University of Bergen, the University of Gothenburg, the University of Turku and Christian-Albrechts Universität in Kiel. The NPB has carried out a collaborative benchmarking project on PhD education which singles out a number of the 'best practices' of the participating universities. Some of these practices have inspired the present action plan, first and foremost among them being the action plan developed by the University of Bergen [Fra Livsverk til Karrierestart, Handlingsplan for Forskeruttdanning ved Universitetet i Bergen 2008-2015].

At present, the proportion of foreign students at Aarhus University is relatively modest on the whole, although there is some variation among the individual graduate schools. And while graduate schools differ in their evaluation of the necessity of this development, there is a general tendency towards an increase in the number of foreign PhD students at the university.

A corresponding increase in the number of PhD students who spend some part of their doctoral career abroad in foreign research environments is generally considered to be a desirable development. At present there exists considerable variation among the individual graduate schools with regard to goals and practices for study abroad. As a consequence, there exists considerable variation with regard to the level of support PhD students can expect in connection with study abroad.

The university’s intiatives to promote a greater degree of international mobility have been hampered by restrictive Danish legislation which limits doctoral dual degree and joint degree programme agreements.

Traditionally, the individual graduate schools (and in many cases, the individual PhD programmes) have taken responsibility for admitting and welcoming new students. On the intiative of the heads of the graduate schools (among others), Aarhus University recently established an International Help Desk [Aarhus Universitets International Help Desk], at the International Centre which has very quickly become a very professional and highly appreciated service. The Help Desk works to ensure that foreign PhD students (and postdocs) are quickly and effectively integrated into the university community, both before and after their arrival, and provides information on Denmark, Århus and Aarhus University; a website and a telephone service; events, etc.).

3b Objectives

In connection with the university’s ambitious targets with regard to both the quality and the quantity of the PhD programmes it offers, there is a need for a range of initiatives aimed explicitly at strengthening the international dimension of PhD education at Aarhus University - in a market which is rapidly becoming increasingly internationalised, with regard to recruitment, completion and the job market for graduates of doctoral programmes.

For example, increasing globalisation means that it is necessary to strive for a high level of visibility on the international scene, in order to make Aarhus

University an attractive option for the best potential PhD students worldwide and a preferred partner in the many existing and coming international networks in the area of PhD education.

Research is increasingly becoming a global affair. To help ensure the future competitiveness of the university’s PhD graduates, it is important that all of the university’s PhD programmes include an international dimension, for example in the form of longer period of study abroad in foreign research environments.

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Aarhus University’s objectives for initiatives regarding the internationalisation of the PhD area are to ensure that

 

• the university admits an increasing proportion of PhD students with foreign qualifying examinations and degrees;
• more of the university’s PhD students complete some portion of their studies in a foreign research environment;
• the university becomes known as an attractive partner in the most prestigious international doctoral exchange networks; and
• the university gains a reputation for the successful integration of foreign PhD students.

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3c Initiatives

Matchmaking

While formal international collaboration at graduate school level is still in its infancy, it is maturing rapidly. The graduate schools are therefore faced by the challenge of identifying appropriate potential partners with similar strategic aims and matching programme structures. A survey of the field of doctoral programmes, graduate schools and research schools which are being established in Europe and abroad should be carried out. The Coimbra Group’s Task Force for Doctoral Studies has carried out a survey which would presumably aid the identification of potential partners. Aarhus University could also (perhaps in collaboration with EUA-CDE or other partners) adopt a more proactive strategy, inviting potential partners to workshops or conferences on such topics as quality assurance and mobility in researcher education. Such events would provide an opportunity for the university to promote itself and come in contact with potential partners.

In addition, a survey of the type mentioned above should prepared as a basis for a coordinated prioritisation of the university’s and the individual graduate schools’ engagement in international collaboration in the area of doctoral education.

It is particularly important to explore the possibilities for an extended international collaboration on PhD education within the networks and organisations in which Aarhus University already participates. Possible paths to closer collaboration might include collaboration on developing PhD courses, summer schools, etc. An example of such collaboration is the Coimbra Group’s development of PhD courses in transferable skills, a project which is continuing as a joint effort of the universities of Edinburgh, Bergen and Turku.

Agents: International Centre and the graduate schools

Cotutelle, dual degrees and joint degrees 

Recent years have seen a marked increase in the number of formal joint/dual PhD degree agreements between universities, particularly in Europe. These agreements range from loose cotutelle agreements (typically on joint supervision) to dual degrees (by which students receive two degrees from collaborating universities on the background of a joint PhD study programme) to joint degrees (by which students receive a single joint PhD degree conferred by two universities on the basis of a joint PhD study programme).

Denmark, and Aarhus University by extension, have been remarkably invisible in this development, first and foremost because of restrictive Danish policy in this area. The failure to grant Danish universities the possibility of participating in these types of arrangements on an equal footing with most other European institutions of higher education in the near future would be extremely damaging. It now appears that the Danish restrictions will soon be loosened.

Aarhus University should participate actively in the international effort to determine the terminology and institutional framework governing joint/dual PhD degree agreements between universities.

Aarhus University should continue its political efforts to promote the removal of national restrictions as quickly as possible, in order to enable the university to participate freely in international agreements on joint/dual degrees.

In addition, instruments should be developed to enable the university and the individual graduate schools to act quickly when new possibilities for joint/dual degree partnerships appear. Such instruments should include an easily accessible and up-to-date survey of the possibilites for joint/dual degree agreements acocompanied by a selection of templates for formulating agreements.

Agents: The Rector’s Office in collaboration with Universities Denmark

Study abroad 

Many years of experience confirm that the quality of a doctoral student’s academic experience is markedly improved by a well-organised longer period of study abroad at a foreign research environment. But despite the fact that such a period of study abroad is recommended in the PhD Order, many of the university’s PhD students do not include a longer period of study abroad. There are many possible explanations for this. The logistic challenges associated with study abroad, which often involve moving an entire family, are often named, as is the difficulty of continuing to attend to obligations at the home university while studying abroad.

All PhD students at Aarhus University should be encouraged to study abroad during their studies.

Some graduate schools have established services which assist students with the practical issues that arise in connection with a period of study abroad, including applications for extra funding from foundations, applications for residency permits, tax issues and housing. The establishment of a central service to handle some of these functions would be an advantage.

The individual graduate schools should introduce measures to make it easier for students to include longer periods of study abroad. Examples include fair compensation for salaried work, travel grants, etc.[1]

Agents: The graduate schools

Internationalisation at the local level

Many years of experience confirm that the quality of a doctoral student’s academic career can be markedly improved by daily contact with foreign graduate students and researchers. An effort should be made to provide all PhD students with the opportunity to work closely with foreign colleagues in the course of their studies.

All of the graduate schools should be in a position to offer students enrolled in foreign universities some form of short-term scholarship (AU Marie Curie) to cover travel and living expenses in exchange for participation in research seminars and other relevant activities. The presence of foreign PhD students for a shorter period of time would thus contribute to a more international doctoral study environment.[2]

In addition, local internationalisation should play a special role in connection with the recommended initiatives for improving quality which are described in Sec-tion 4.

The financial resources for both of the initiatives described above could be based on collaboration with the individual research environments involved via the Aarhus University Research Foundation or other public or private foundations. [3]

Agents: The university, the main academic areas and the graduate schools

Professional reception and integration 

International Help Desk, the recently established service for the reception of new PhD students (and post docs) [Aarhus Universitets International Help Desk] should be strengthened and made part of a broader initiative to develop a shared milieu for all of the university’s PhD students, with a range of academic and social activities.

In the course of its short lifespan, International Help Desk has had a significant effect on the quality of the reception of new foreign PhD students. While it is as yet difficult to measure these effects quantitatively, it seems clear that the International Help Desk will have a measurable positive effect on such parameters as drop-out rates among foreign PhD students. In the longer term, the Help Desk may also exert an indirect positive effect on the quality of the applicant pool.

This recommendation is motivated by a desire to promote best practices that can contribute to the development of a healthy, inclusive PhD milieu that will improve the integration of PhD students into the university community. Improved integration would in turn lead to positive, measurable improvements in the quality of the university’s PhD education as a whole.

Agents: International Centre and the graduate schools

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[1] A support programme was opened by the AU Research Foundation in January 2010.

[2] A support programme was opened by the AU Research Foundation in January 2010.

[3] Several such programmes in support of PhD and postdocs has been instituted by the AU Research Foundation early 2010. See above.