Bacco Luciano’s Post

Interesting read.

How many PhD levels are there? One. In most countries, a PhD (along with other types of doctoral degrees) is the highest level of academic qualification available. PhDs are not graded: it is either pass or fail. Some universities might offer an award or an annotation such as “with Distinction” to the very best PhDs, but there is no consistency in this, and it does not affect the “level” of the PhD. When a PhD dissertation is submitted for examination, examiners usually have a few choices. In Australia, these might be: Pass with no revisions (very rare). Pass with minor revisions (a very good result: usually small changes to figures, references, etc, or minor clarifications). Pass with moderate revisions to the satisfaction of the university (more work, but effectively still a pass, as long as the recommended changes are addressed). Revise and resubmit (a lot of work is needed to bring it up to standard, and it is likely that this will take 6–12 months). Award of a Masters instead of a PhD (a fail with a consolation prize). Fail. Still, as long as the eventual outcome after any changes is a pass, a PhD is a PhD. #PhDTips

The 2011 paper "Reform the PhD System or Close It Down" by Mark Taylor makes the case that the conventional PhD program is antiquated and no longer meets the demands of contemporary academia or the labor market. Important points consist of: Outdated System: Due to the shortage of academic posts and the growing need for multidisciplinary abilities, the PhD paradigm, which was centered on training for academic employment, is no longer appropriate. Career Mismatch: A lot of PhDs wind up in non-academic positions for which they are ill-prepared. Overproduction of PhDs: The system creates a "publish or perish" mentality and fierce rivalry because there are more PhD graduates than there are academic positions. Student exploitation: Graduate students frequently endure excessive workloads, little compensation, and a lack of appropriate professional assistance. Lack of Professional Development: Students are not adequately prepared for occupations outside of academia because research is prioritized above practical skills. Taylor's reform recommendations include cutting PhD programs short, expanding employment options outside of academia, changing evaluation criteria from amount of publications to quality and impact, and enhancing mentorship and support networks. According to Taylor, if significant changes are not made, the PhD program runs the risk of becoming outdated and ought to be reexamined or replaced with more adaptable, career-focused options. https://lnkd.in/gg_6TvDy

🎓 Is #PhD education stuck in the past? This article argues for much-needed reform. While some innovations like professional doctorates and PhD by publication have emerged, the traditional assessment format remains largely unchanged. With concerns over transparency and falling standards, a structured approach to assessment is crucial. Supervisors should engage with modern education research to better support students. It's time for #PhDtraining to evolve and better prepare researchers for diverse careers. 📚 #EducationReform #ResearchInnovation https://lnkd.in/ekWw9SJR

Doctorate vs. PhD: Understanding the Differences and Deciding Which Path is Right for You !! https://lnkd.in/d43YxSei #Doctorate #PhD #HigherEducation #AcademicJourney #GraduateStudies #AdvancedDegrees #EducationChoices #AcademicPath #DegreeDifferences #CareerDecisions

With increase in private universities the numbers of PhD awarded per year have risen tremendously. And it is a matter of worry that the situation is worsening in the same proportion. In some private universities even there is no research environment, no post graduate students in that department, no expertise and respective department, no research scholars in the campus, no research funding, no capable research professors and in spite of that each university awards hundreds of PhD degrees each year which in general more than PhD degrees awarded by well established state university. Surprisingly this is happening in a democratic country like India even when there are so many regulating agencies and in presence of strong press and social media. Who is responsible for this scenario. UGC should consider this scenario seriously and should be strict with members of recognition recommendation visiting teams. So it seems that the such team members are also responsible for this ongoing scenario apart from the universities themselves. Following steps may change the prevailing scenario and a better research environment may be cultivated in these universities(private or state):- 1. No university should be authorised to award PhD degrees before passing at least ten years of maturity in any faculty or department. 2. Within an initial 10 years each university should be attached with a well established state university to cultivate research culture and research environment and preparation of research infrastructure. 2. Recognition and commencement of research activities and PhD degrees by different departments of a university should be decided by strict inspections and confirmation of research infrastructure, continuous presence of able professors, sound research funding, and other necessary things related with smooth running of research activities. 3.PhD supervisors and examiners should be part of the national registration process to maintain high standards. 4. All the PhD theses should abide national and international standards. And should be available in public domain. 5. All PhD candidates should face open online via voce and the sanity should be respected in all the related matters. 6. If any institution doesn't follow standard practices then that institution should be black listed for at least 10 years. 7. Any other point may be included if it helps in improving the prevailing scenario.

Preserving the Integrity of PhDs: The Need to End the Era of "Purchased" Doctorates The PhD degree, a symbol of intellectual rigor and years of dedicated research, is increasingly being reduced to a purchasable commodity. A concerning trend among working professionals is the pursuit of part-time or deemed PhD programs, where the degree is often obtained with minimal effort and questionable academic rigor. Many pay hefty fees and outsource research, tarnishing the degree’s value and ethical foundation. While genuine PhD Scholars are being awarded prestigious CSIR/ICMR/UGC Fellowships, they do not have to pay for getting PhD. Institutions offer "flexible" PhD programs lacking depth and oversight. Worse, many candidates outsource their work, undermining the integrity and credibility of doctoral research. A PhD should represent an individual's intellectual journey, not the labor of a hired third party. Genuine PhD candidates invest years of effort, sacrificing personal and financial stability to produce meaningful research. Their achievements are devalued when others attain the same title through shortcuts. Outsourced theses and rushed projects contribute little to their respective fields, harming the overall quality of academic contributions. The influx of "purchased" doctorates erodes the trust and respect traditionally associated with the title "Dr." Institutions offering such programs prioritize profits over educational integrity, damaging the reputation of higher education. The government must ban low-rigor, pay-to-get PhD programs and enforce progress reports and audits to prevent outsourcing and standardize PhD requirements for rigor and credibility. "Purchased" PhDs insult genuine researchers and degrade higher education. The title "Dr." must symbolize effort and contribution, not a shortcut.

Assessment is crucial not only for evaluating competency development but also for driving learning. While significant advancements have been made in undergraduate assessment and professional training such as healthcare Residency, postgraduate PhD assessment has lagged behind. It's encouraging to see top journals like Nature focusing on this issue. Effective assessment is essential for researchers to develop the competencies needed to tackle the contemporary challenges of the 21st century. #highered #assessment #PhD #assessmentforlearning Nature Scientific Reports https://lnkd.in/g2NskKq8

Many PhD guides in private universities are not worthy of guiding research in the first place. Recently NET has been made compulsory for entry to a PhD programme. The same should be made mandatory for the research guides. Or they should be made to clear some research methodology exam themselves. DRC members run a racket of PhD for money. In many universities, some DRC member either knows or pretends to know some statistical analysis and those who pay for their data clear their reviews easily. There are ghost writers who supply data or data with analysis or data with analysis and writing.

Out of 792,000 university employees, 25% (205,000) are doctoral researchers. We proudly represent 103,000 PhDs, which is 50% of all PhDs in Germany. We are united in our fight for better research conditions to ensure a brighter future for academic excellence and innovation. #PhD #Universität #university #doctorate #doktorarbeit #ichbinhanna #Promovierende #Promotion #academia