Watch this video, where we briefly explain the YUFE pilot on Doctoral Learning!
The YUFE Alliance (Young Universities for the Future of Europe) is based on the joint vision of ten young research-intensive universities and two non-academic partners located all across Europe with a shared dedication to the European spirit and the common aim to contribute to a more competitive, innovative and united Europe and the ambition to help address today’s challenges.
Continuing their work on a vision for joint European education and alliance-wide career support, a part of this vision is to stimulate responsible research through piloting the YUFE DIOSI Model for Doctoral Learning (Developing and Implementing hands-on training on Open Science and Open Innovation).
As a YUFE partner, the University of Antwerp is now piloting the YUFE DIOSI model from May 2024 until December 2025. The pilot consists of the following sub aspects that all the pilot participants can actively participate in as a whole:
- evaluation of the embedding of the YUFE-DIOSI vision on Doctoral Learning at UAntwerp;
- internationally organised non-discipline specific training sessions;
- a personal development plan;
- a research plan;
- a non-academic mentor as additional career and personal development support.
What’s in it for you as a doctoral researcher:
- personal growth (increase in personal skill set, employability, and self-confidence) and increase in awareness of your acquired competencies through a personal development plan and access to courses from other YUFE universities (see below for the course overview);
- expansion of your international network (both your academic and personal network) and the possibility to learn from peers;
- ability to steer your career through additional mentorship in career possibilities (non-academic mentor).
Second cohort of the YUFE Pilot on Doctoral Learning
Because of the positive reactions we received on the organisation of the YUFE Pilot on Doctoral Learning, a second and last open call was launched to all doctoral researchers to join the pilot in a second cohort.
Time investment & timeline of the YUFE pilot on Doctoral Learning at UAntwerp
The idea of organising this pilot on Doctoral Learning is to stimulate a holistic view on Doctoral Learning, where all five principles of the YUFE DIOSI Model are equally important during the PhD journey. This means that you can participate in as many initiatives of this YUFE Pilot on Doctoral Learning as you want.
However, there is no formal obligation to participate in any of the pilot initiatives: you as a doctoral researcher can choose in which of the initiatives you would like to participate, depending on your own personal interest, needs and schedule. Nevertheless, if you participate, the minimum requirement isto participate in the pilot’s first and final survey to be able to evaluate the pilot programme.
The initiatives organised, local (initiated by UAntwerp) as well as international (on a YUFE-level or initiated by another YUFE partner university), are a mixture of shorter (informal) gatherings and longer (formal) courses/workshops of approximately 1 to 4 hours, depending on the initiative. Relevant information regarding the content and length will be provided via a shared Teams channel, accessible to all pilot participants of UAntwerp.
The courses and workshops organised in this pilot may be eligible for your doctoral study programme, depending on your faculty’s regulations.
At the end of the pilot, all participants will be provided with a YUFE Pilot on Doctoral Learning certificate, mentioning all the initiatives you have participated in.
More information: overview of the international course offer and initiatives from September 2024-December 2024. This overview will be updated in time with the course offer from 2025 onwards.
Click on the image below to enlarge:
The YUFE DIOSI Model for Doctoral Learning
The YUFE DIOSI Model for Doctoral Learning was created as part of the DIOSI project, coming to terms with doctoral learning in a changing higher education environment and thus finding itself at the crux between research, education, and innovation.
The model is based on the following five principles as part of a holistic take on doctoral learning:
- a joint vision on doctoral learning with three main desired outcomes for a YUFE DIOSI PhD holder (1);
- an overarching framework for the doctoral programme that acknowledges diverging expert visions on the ideal learning format(s) for the doctorate, which includes:
- transferrable skills training (2);
- formal and informal learning (3);
- an extended thesis reflection (4);
- a strategic reframing of supervisory relationships (5).
Click on the image below to enlarge:
Would you like to know more?
Rewatch our online info session (VIDEO) with more detailed information or find more information on our handouts of the info session. Here are some timestamps from the video:
- 0:00 Introduction
- 2:46 YUFE & YUFE's approach to doctoral and postdoctoral learning
- 7:14 Background information on the DIOSI-project
- 9:34 YUFE pilot Doctoral Learning across YUFE institutions
- 10:22 Why this pilot on Doctoral Learning
- 13:34 The YUFE DIOSI Model on Doctoral Learning explained
- 20:08 The YUFE pilot on Doctoral Learning at the University of Antwerp with five sub aspects
- 22:00 1st sub aspect: evaluation of the embedding of the YUFE-DIOSI vision on Doctoral Learning at UAntwerp
- 24:19 2nd sub aspect: internationally organised non-discipline specific training sessions
- 26:55 3rd sub aspect: a research plan
- 30:30 4th sub aspect: a personal development plan
- 32:44 5th sub aspect: a non-academic mentor as additional career and personal development support
- 36:51 Practical information & timeline
If you want to know how YUFE wants to work on their vision for joint European education, specifically for doctoral and postdoctoral learning, watch this video on how they will stimulate responsible research through piloting the YUFE DIOSI Model for Doctoral Learning in the YUFE pilot on Doctoral Learning and a YUFE postdoctoral training model and tracking framework in the YUFE pilot on 'Postdoctoral Training and Development'.
If you have any additional questions, you can contact Karolien.vandessel@uantwerp.be and/or Kristien.Daems@uantwerp.be.