Assessing the industrial PhD: Stakeholder insights

Abstract

Research and practice have called for a change in engineering education towards a more practice-oriented curricula to provide engineers with the skills they need for creating solutions for future challenges. While most studies address undergraduate programs, only little attention has been paid to graduate and post-graduate education. The Industrial PhD is expected to give PhD students on-the-job training to gain practically relevant and professional tacit knowledge and to enhance their set of soft skills. However, the training of practice-relevant methods and knowledge has so far been covered by alternative programs (e.g. traineeships), exclusively organized, financed and conducted by firms, and did not involve the responsibility of universities. Therefore, for the I.PhD, conflict between involved firms and universities can be expected.In order to analyze the potential of the Industrial PhD as an answer to the question of how to effectively make engineering education more practice-oriented, the present study analyses qualitative data on the experience of both industry and university actors with I.PhD programs. Questions on a) the motives and b) the perceived challenges allow valuable insights in the functionality of the I.PhD in terms of its success in its practical conduction. The study results indicate a divergence in the perception of the general value of I.PhD program among both stakeholder groups. Major challenges can be identified, while existing work on PhD training and university-industry research cooperation (UIRC) allow the deduction of success-supporting factors, which can be believed to enhance the effectiveness of I.PhD programs for all parties.

Don’t count them out: PhD skills development and careers in industry

“…In the coursework-based model typical in the USA, Russia and Sweden, such skill development can be introduced through courses and seminars along with supervisor-devised professional development plans aimed at making students better communicators within our diverse societies. The industrial PhD more common in northern Europe in the STEM disciplines, however, has made blending research and noncognitive skills within a three-year framework a priority (Grimm, 2018; Gustavsson et al , 2016). Although industrial PhDs consist of a close link to an outside company in a way that does not apply directly to many fields, such as the arts and humanities, academic PhD programs worldwide can adapt this approach to a wider range of employability skills without sacrificing research skills or lengthening the time to degree.…”

Effects of construction industry support for PhD projects: The case of a Swedish scheme

“…The pan-European DOC-CAREERS study of collaborative programmes has identified a range of working practices and supporting policy measures, stressing the need for more knowledge on career pathways (Borrell-Damian et al, 2010). Collaboration is not always harmonious, as indicated by Grimm (2018) in her case study of a German programme with the automobile industry. A typical hybrid scheme is that for semi-industrial PhD students, who work in research centres with close industrial contacts (Granata and Dochy, 2016).…”

Assessing the Need for PhD in Information Studies: Stakeholder Insights

“…With the expansion of scope of the LIS field to information studies further increased the growth of docotoral studies. In [15] [16] [17] [18] highlights were given to the potential of doctoral studies for academics, researchers and practitioners. The peculiarities of the field, however, need to be taken into consideration in making a decision to start a doctoral program.…”