Launch Conference for the European University Association Council for Doctoral Education

European meeting to highlight future of research training in Europe:

Launch Conference for the European University Association Council for Doctoral Education (EUA-CDE),
1 – 3 June 2008 ,University of Lausanne, Switzerland

14th May 2008. Doctoral education in Europe is currently undergoing a major transformation as countries across the continent seek to strengthen their research capacity as they move towards knowledge-based economies. In a bid to attract and retain the best young research talent, universities are developing new organisational structures, and are placing increasing focus on PhD candidates learning 'transferable skills' that respond better to a variety of professional needs.

To respond to these developments and build on its work on doctoral education, the European University Association has launched a new membership body called the EUA Council for Doctoral Education (EUA-CDE) to develop and intensify the dialogue on the reform of doctoral education in Europe, and provide a framework to help universities across Europe face issues of common concern through discussion and exchange of good practice.

EUA is delighted to announce that the launch conference of the new EUA-CDE will take place on 1-3 June 2008 at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. The event will be opened with a key note speech by the President of the European Research Council, Fotis Kafatos.

To succeed in global competition, universities will need to be pro-active in developing new policies, considering re-organisation and better management of doctoral education, introducing new innovative practices in research, academic and transferable skills training, promoting the engagement of stakeholders, and managing the career development of young researchers. Some universities have already made big steps towards the reform of doctoral education in this context; others are still not convinced about the need for change.

The launch conference will be an open a space to set up the EUA-CDE agenda, and for the exchange of good practice examples for all institutions – those at the beginning of the reform as well as those that are much further. Amongst the key questions for discussion will be:
∑ Why do we need the reform of doctoral education and research training in the European knowledge society?
∑ What is the institutional experience with implementing new practices and routes to research training (innovative organisational structures; skills training; improvement of supervision; emergence of new doctorates; joint doctoral programmes; internationalisation; interdisciplinarity; career development of young researchers, collaboration with other stakeholders, etc.)?
∑ How will EUA-CDE respond to these challenges?

Ends -

For further information, please contact:

Andrew Miller : +32 2 788 53 19 or Mobile/GSM: +32 473 748 785
Email: andrew.miller@eua.be

The European University Association, as the representative organisation of both the European universities and the national rectors' conferences, is the main voice of the higher education community in Europe. EUA's mission is to promote the development of a coherent system of European higher education and research.

www.eua.be