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In addition to academic publications, PhD candidates’ other activities should also figure prominently in their assessment, for example development of teaching materials, open-source software, documentaries or policy recommendations.
A significant share of research carried out at Dutch universities is performed by PhD candidates. They are generally evaluated solely on the basis of their academic publications and are groomed for a career in academia. Activities in which they engage with the wider community – for example lessons in schools, media appearances or citizen science projects – are not usually factored into their assessment. This contrasts sharply with figures showing that the majority of PhD candidates ultimately end up in jobs outside academia, and with the realisation that such activities lead to better insights with greater impact. That is why PhD Network Netherlands (PNN), the National Centre of Expertise on Science & Society (NEWS) and The Young Academy, in their guide The PhD of the Future, are calling for a critical review of the existing PhD programme that will make dialogue with society an official component.
Ideal balance for every type of research
The idea is not to task every PhD candidate with all sorts of additional duties alongside their academic research. What matters is to find the ideal balance for every project, one that best suits the subject, the field of research, and the personality and future plans of the researcher in question. The guide therefore offers practical guidelines for designing a research process that is informed by dialogue with society, and it gives examples relevant across disciplines and types of research, from basic to applied. It is meant for prospective and current PhD candidates, their supervisors and the institutions with which they are affiliated.
Defending a dissertation before the local community
The guide highlights various researchers who have set a good example. One defended his dissertation before a committee of local young adults in Drenthe; another involved the elderly as co-researchers in her project. The PhD of the Future highlights the need to more broadly recognise and reward forms of academic work that are already commonplace but too often viewed as peripheral. This needs to change, because activities that increase the impact of science and scholarship deserve their rightful place within the academic system.
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