The European University Institute has produced a report on the future of the European Doctorate, Reforming the Doctorate in the Social Sciences: A Report on Good Practice, written by a taskforce including Professor Linda Mulcahy.
The report responds to the changing nature of doctoral education and the need to engage in a reflection and reform process, especially during times of economic downturn when public university funding comes under increasing threat. It is based on a project that was initiated by the European University Institute (EUI) in late 2015 to provide a neutral forum for discussion. A distinguished Task Force of eminent professors from across Europe carried out the mandate to identify ‘good practice’ in doctoral education. As general discussions on the doctorate tend to pay main attention to medicine and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects, this project was to focus specifically on doctoral education in the social sciences (broadly understood).
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