Following the outstandingly successful 2^nd International Conference in Developments in Doctoral Education and Training in 2015, the Council are delighted to be able to open the call for papers for the 2017 Conference on 3^rd and 4^th April in Stratford-upon-Avon. Coinciding with the call for papers is the release of the conference proceedings from the Oxford conference. A recurring theme during the conference was the seemingly global adoption of structured doctoral training with its associated benefits of an enhanced student experience through cohort models, improved completion rates and opportunities for peer-to-peer interaction. Evidence for these perceptions was strong in some areas and patchy in others and illustrated a wide range of models. Collaborative partnerships, initiated either by sponsors such as the research councils, or emerging organically from institutional relationships, proved a contested topic of interest to many delegates.

Diverse international perspectives and the need for further evaluation of the perceived strengths and challenges of current doctoral training models, including any discipline-specific considerations, were identified by the then Chair of the Council, Mick Fuller, in his closing address. This and the related discussion were captured in ​‘The Oxford Statement’, which attracted 64 signatories. The Statement was released shortly after the conference and remains on the UKCGE website. The conference papers presented here provide insight into the wide-ranging topics covered at the conference and the quality of the discussion. We hope that the proceedings will make a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate concerning the role and purpose of the doctorate in the 21st century. Doctoral qualifications continue to enrich the higher education sector but most importantly make an essential contribution in providing highly skilled, versatile and competent researchers to address the many challenges our world faces.

Location

The 2017 conference, to be held in Stratford-upon-Avon, will build on the 2015 outcomes, including the opinions expressed in the Statement. To submit a paper and for more information about the conference series, please visit the Conference Website here.

Making a Submission

To make a submission, authors are required to submit a 300 word abstract about a paper which fits into one the conference strands which are listed below:

Conference Strands

• Policy agendas
• Structure of Doctoral Programmes
• Training in Doctoral Programmes
• Supervisors
• Policy agendas
• Structure of Doctoral Programmes
• Training in Doctoral Programmes
• Supervisors
• Assessing Doctoral Programmes

SUBMIT A PAPER

Key Dates

4th November 2016 — Deadline for the submission of abstracts

9th December 2016 — Authors informed of the results of their submissions

10th February 2017 — Completion of online booking required by submitted paper authors

3rd & 4th April 2017 — 3rd International Conference in Developments in Doctoral Education and Training — The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK

SUBMIT A PAPER

In the meantime, we are pleased to publish the 2015 Conference Proceedings which we hope will be of global interest.