This paper reports on a study investigating the implementation of peer support groups (PSGs) for the purpose of supervisor development in higher education. The context for the study is a national doctoral programme in Norway, where PSGs were introduced as an important part of measures aimed at the development of PhD supervisors. The aim of the…

This exploratory case study examines how AI technologies, specifically a GPT-4-based synopsis chatbot, can serve as a sparring partner for doctoral students in Norway. Despite favourable conditions, only two-thirds of Norwegian PhD candidates complete their doctorates, partly due to challenges with article-based dissertations that require a…

Background: Several studies suggest that deviations from proper authorship practices are commonplace in medicine. The aim of this study was to explore experiences of and attitudes towards the handling of authorship in PhD theses at medical faculties in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Methods: Those who defended their PhD thesis at a medical faculty…

This article investigates patterns of systematic metaphors used to characterize various aspects of the doctoral education period, based on analysis of dissertation acknowledgements (DAs) from doctoral dissertations across academic disciplines and written by researchers from four PhD programs offered by a Norwegian university. The primary research…

The number of doctoral students internationally is on the increase, yet low completion rates seem to be stable. Universities need to learn from each other to strengthen doctoral education. In doctoral education, the person and the doctoral project are intertwined and both must be nurtured and developed. This article presents the signature pedagogy…

This study aims to describe and interpret the critical aspects of the development of PhD candidates' professionally relevant, practice-near research competence in the fields of health, welfare and education. To provide knowledge regarding their development, a qualitative research design and phenomenological hermeneutic approach were used. Ten PhD…

Active learning methods increase student learning, despite potential ressentiment of students towards these methods, based on the lack of knowledge, experience, exposure, or cultural ressentiments regarding social interactions with people perceived as strangers, which hamper the success of these methods. We investigated the student appreciation of…

The doctoral defence is the oral examination of the doctoral thesis. While it is a major milestone for doctoral candidates, this event is often shrouded in mystery. In this article, I explore the doctoral defence from an international perspective. I have studied the format of the defence based on written testimonies as well as the literature on…

This article explores entanglements of matter, space, and temporalities in shaping academic subjectivities in Norwegian higher education. Drawing on conversations with foreign women working at a major university, I explore the forces (re)producing what matters in academia, creating assumptions of who can be a real academic. Leaning on Karen…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an example of best practice towards enhancing employability in the cross-sectoral labour market for doctorate-holders. This was achieved through an Erasmus+ KA2 (Strategic Partnership) skills development project which created a training programme (TRANSPEER) involving a multi-disciplinary cohort of…

This article models the migration flow of EEA students who graduated from masters and doctoral programmes in UK universities. The increased intra-European mobility of students and graduates is claimed to have crucial positive influence on building Europe's high-skill labour force, which in turn would strengthen its competency in the global…

Purpose: Doctoral candidates possess specialized knowledge that could support sustainability transitions. Doctoral education, however, often focusses on discipline-specific topics and working methods, making it difficult to "see the bigger picture". This summer school on wood construction gathered doctoral candidates from different…

The development of new types of doctoral education in the last decades is part of a comprehensive trend in higher education. This trend has increased the number of research students, developed new markets, and consolidated links between research and practice. This article explores the experiences of candidates and supervisors in doctoral…

The paper analyses which conditions may predict a better salary for people who got a PhD in social sciences and humanities (SS&H) in 13 European countries. Among the controlling variables, predictors are also: change of country of residence; percentage of time spent respectively in research and managerial activities; and impacts achieved…

Fostering international mindedness in teachers through their preparation and continuing education leads to innovations in teacher education related to exchange programs (Cushner, 2012) and curricular adoptions and adaptations (Tudball, 2012). This in turn supports the development of both teacher educators and teachers as change agents. Yet,…