Doctoral Training and Supervision at the University of Debrecen

Abstract

The study presents the development of doctoral studies in Europe and analyses the results of a survey made in the circle of Ph.D. students at the University of Debrecen, Hungary. The research was made 2006, the complex questionnaire was filled by 210 Ph.D. candidates. The main issues examined in the survey are: qualifications, experiences on labour market, circumstances of the doctoral training, supervision, career and privacy plans. The paper focuses on the conditions of doctoral training and supervision. The results of the survey show that these conditions are very different within an institution, depending on the discipline and the doctoral school. However, there are common problems: financial and infrastructural issues, overtaxing of Ph.D. candidates and supervisors and lack of competence based courses. If these problems are not solved, the effectiveness and quality of the doctoral training will be imperilled.