7a Status

The PhD Order describes PhD education as “a research programme aiming to train PhD students at an international level to undertake research, development and teaching assignments in the private and public sectors, for which a broad knowledge of research is required”.

According to the results of an informal poll of AU graduate schools, graduates of Aarhus University doctoral programmes do not appear to have difficulty in finding employment. However, the majority of the main academic areas lack systematic PhD employment data. Significant differences in employment patterns appear to exist among the main academic areas. In some areas, the majority of graduates of PhD programmes find employment in research positions, perhaps even within the walls of the same institution, while there exists greater variation in other areas.

While it appears that graduates of Aarhus University PhD programmes do not currently have difficulty in finding employment, the situation could change abruptly, both as a consequence of the university's strategy of increasing the number of PhD students and, even more significantly, as a result of negative developments in the Danish economy.

There is a great deal of variation among the graduate schools with regard to the number of initiatives aimed at the job market for PhD graduates; this is a natural reflection of differences in employment patterns and career paths. There is also great variation with regard to the nature of these initiatives. The Faculty of Health Sciences has a tradition of hosting an annual event (PhD Days) at which PhD students present themselves and their projects to the public - and thereby to potential employers. Conversely, the Faculty of Natural Sciences has a tradition of hosting annual events (career fairs) which gives companies an opportunity to present themselves and their job possibilities to the students. The Faculty of Agricultural Sciences holds ‘science days’ and special PhD /industrial researcher days.

In light of the fact that employment statistics are an important indicator for any degree programme – in addition to the increasing international tendency to rank universities on the basis of graduate employment prospects - it is crucial for Aarhus University to gain access to much more reliable employment data on its PhD graduates.

7b Objectives

The overarching objective of PhD education is to supply both the public and the private sector in a modern knowledge-based society such as Denmark with trained researchers. For this reason, it is important that Aarhus University remains conscious of its responsibility to contribute to meeting society’s need for researcher skills and competencies, while at the same time ensuring that PhD graduates have attractive career prospects.

Aarhus University’s objectives for initiatives regarding the job market for PhDs are to ensure that

• the graduates of the university’s PhD programmes find attractive employment opportunities in which they are able to make full use of their research qualifications;
• the university’s PhD education offered by the university becomes visible and attractive for a broad range of potential employers in the public and private sectors;
• new opportunities for the university's PhD graduates are developed in new job markets; and
• all PhD students are offered systematic career guidance as part of the university's focussed researcher talent development.

7c Initiatives

Employment policy 

Mechanisms for the systematic collection of data on PhD employment should be established. First, it is necessary for Aarhus University to have easy access to employment statistics in connection with work on rankings and similar issues. Se-condly, and even more importantly, it is important for the graduate schools to have access to employment statistics in connection with their work with PhD job markets.

Aarhus University has been successfully carrying out employment surveys on Master’s programme graduates for a number of years based on a concept developed by the Faculties of Science and Social Sciences. The surveys are presently coordinated by the Faculty of Social Sciences. There are plans to include PhD graduates in this concept. This expansion should be encouraged, and the graduate schools should be involved in the process of developing and applying the concept on a regular basis.

In addition, the often difficult task of identifying former students should be coordinated with Statistics Denmark and with Aarhus University’s independent initiative to create an alumni association.

Agents: AU Human Resources, the electronic PhD administration system and the graduate schools

Contact to PhD job markets/prospective employers

All graduate schools should play an active and visible role in the effort to ensure that employers of graduates from PhD programmes have access to the best possible researchers and that PhD students have the best possible employment prospects. Each graduate school should avail itself of a spectrum of activities, including such initiatives as marketing graduate programmes in relevant sectors and establishing contact between prospective employers and PhD students.

Agents: The graduate schools

Systematic career planning

All PhD students should be offered formalised, systematic career planning at an early point in their studies. The university should develop a shared framework for this service, while local actors, including PhD supervisors, should be involved at the practical level.

A systematic career planning concept should be developed within the context of Aarhus University’s broader strategic emphasis in the area of focussed talent development, and it should also be linked to the development of a tenure track concept at the university. Aarhus University should follow the National Danish Research Council’s work on related ideas closely (Sapere Aude), and coordinate its efforts where appropriate.

Agents: University management and the main academic areas