The report “Doctoral Education and Training in Europe” was prepared as part of the METEOR project – Methodologies for Team Working in Eco-Outwards Research, funded by the Horizon Europe program. The document provides a comprehensive analysis of doctoral education systems in ten European countries (Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Georgia, Spain, Norway, Poland, Turkey, Italy, and the United Kingdom). The study is based on an analysis of documentation and 160 interviews with doctoral students, supervisors, university representatives, and employers.
The report covers:
- A comparative analysis of doctoral program structures – from traditional research models to professionally and industrially oriented programs,
- An overview of the development of transferable skills (transversal skills) in doctoral programs, with an emphasis on communication, innovation, entrepreneurship, and preparation for work outside the academic environment,
- An analysis of models of supervision and institutional support, highlighting differences in the quality of doctoral supervision and the lack of systematic training for supervisors in many countries,
- The social dimension of doctoral education, including the degree of integration of research with the needs of the economy, the public sector, and society,
- Identification of key challenges, such as insufficient preparation for careers outside academia, lack of financial support and mental health problems among doctoral students, and limited cooperation between universities and employers,
- Recommendations covering reforms at the individual level (competence development), institutional level (strengthening support systems, training supervisors, co-supervision models, psychological support), and systemic level (recognition of doctoral qualifications outside academia, integration with the labor market, support for international cooperation).
