(kl ) 1. Godkendelse af dagsorden for akademisk råds møde , den 21. januar 2015

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1 Til akademisk råd Det Sundhedsvidenskabelige Fakultet Niels Jernes Vej Aalborg Øst Dekansekretær Ann Karina Schelde Telefon: Dato: Sagsnr.: Indkaldelse til møde i akademisk råd, Det Sundhedsvidenskabelige Fakultet, onsdag den 21. januar 2015, kl ca , mødelokale 1, NOVI, Niels Jernes Vej 10 Forskerskoleleder Thomas Graven-Nielsen og Lone Sarauw, Fakultetskontoret deltager under punkt 4 Dini Boer, Fakultetskontorets HR-center deltager under punkterne 5 og 6a Dagsorden: Åbent møde: (kl ) 1. Godkendelse af dagsorden for akademisk råds møde , den 21. januar Godkendelse af referat fra akademisk råds møde , den 3. december 2014 Bilag : Referat fra akademisk råds møde , den 3. december 2014 (kl ) 3. Orientering om status for proces vedr. AAU strategi , herunder delprojektgruppernes arbejde (hjemmeside Ny AAU Strategi ) a. Delprojektgruppen Uddannelse med Forskel v. Steffen Groth b. Delprojektgruppen PBL næste generation v. Diana Stentoft (kl ) 4. Orientering og drøftelse af International Review SUND Forskerskolen, herunder drøftelse af kvalitetssikring af ph.d.-uddannelsen Bilag a: International evalueringsrapport Bilag b: Selvevalueringsrapport (kl ) 5. Evaluering af proces for nedsættelse af bedømmelsesudvalg og evt. tildeling af ph.d.-grader via skriftlige høringer, Det Sundhedsvidenskabelige Fakultet Bilag a: Sagsfremstilling Bilag b: Procesplan for nedsættelse af bedømmelsesudvalg og evt. tildeling af ph.d.- grader i akademisk råd

2 (kl ) 6. Meddelelser a. Sager godkendt af dekanen Bilag a: Fortegnelse over sager godkendt af dekanen i perioden den 20. november 2014 den 12. januar 2015 b. Godkendt referat fra ph.d.-udvalgsmøde den 10. september 2014 Bilag b: Godkendt referat fra ph.d.-udvalgsmøde den 10. september 2014 c. Godkendt budget 2015, Aalborg Universitet Bilag c: d. Status for rekruttering af ny dekan, Det Sundhedsvidenskabelige Fakultet e. Udviklingskontrakt for AAU , underskrevet af bestyrelsesformand og Minister den 8/ Bilag e: Udviklingskontrakt for AAU Eventuelt

3 Til akademisk råd Det Sundhedsvidenskabelige Fakultet Niels Jernes Vej Aalborg Øst Dekansekretær Ann Karina Schelde Telefon: Dato: Sagsnr.: Foreløbigt referat fra møde i akademisk råd, Det Sundhedsvidenskabelige Fakultet, onsdag den 3. december 2014, kl , NOVI 6, Alfred Nobelsvej 21, mødelokale A Medlemmer: Til stede Med afbud Uden afbud Steffen Groth (konstitueret dekan, formand) x VIP-repræsentanter: Pascal Madeleine Lasse Riis Østergaard Diana Stentoft Carsten Dahl Mørch Torben Moos Jan Jesper Andreasen Søren Risom Kristensen Bodil Steen Rasmussen Ulrik Baandrup Rasmus W. Licht Studenter repræsentanter: Anders Boutrup Pedersen Michael Sloth Trabjerg Simona Læsø Christensen Nanna Kastrup Hermansen Observatører: Susanne Nielsen Lundis (TAP) Christina Øllegaard Elmer (TAP) Frederik Heinen (ph.d.-studerende) x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x Øvrige deltagere: Henrik Blach Poulsen og Troels Hedegaard deltog under punkt 3. Dini Boer, Fakultetskontorets HR-center deltog under punkterne Ann Karina Schelde (referent), Fakultetskontoret deltog under hele mødet. Mødet begyndte kl og sluttede kl

4 Dagsorden: Åbent møde: (kl ) 1. Godkendelse af dagsorden for akademisk råds møde , den 3. december Godkendelse af referat fra akademisk råds møde , den 29. oktober 2014 Bilag : Referat fra akademisk råds møde , den 29. oktober 2014 (kl ) 3. Evaluering af årets gang i akademisk råd samt godkendelse af mødeplan og årshjul for akademisk råds møder i 2015 Bilag a: Udkast til mødeplan 2015 Bilag b: SUND Årshjul 2015 (kl ) 4. Meddelelser a. Sager godkendt af dekanen Bilag a: Fortegnelse over sager godkendt af dekanen i perioden den 10. oktober 20. november 2014 b. Orientering om status for AAU s strategiarbejde c. Orientering om status for Institutionsakkreditering 5. Eventuelt Lukket møde: (kl ) 6. Orientering og drøftelse af principper for kaldelse Bilag a: Mail fra Morten Sand Henriksen, HR-afdelingen Bilag b: Bekendtgørelse om ansættelse af videnskabeligt personale ved universiteter 7, søgekomité/kaldelse 7. Fortroligt - Indstilling vedr. sammensætning af sagkyndigt udvalg vedr. lektorstilling (kaldelse) ved Institut for Medicin og Sundhedsteknologi Bilag : Oversigt over medlemmer af bedømmelsesudvalget, CV for eksterne medlemmer af bedømmelsesudvalget samt kandidatens CV 8. Fortroligt - Indstilling vedr. sammensætning af sagkyndigt udvalg vedr. professorat indenfor RNA Medicine ved Klinisk Institut (stillings nr ) Bilag : Oversigt over medlemmer af bedømmelsesudvalget, stillingsopslag samt CV for eksterne medlemmer af bedømmelsesudvalget 9. Fortroligt - Indstilling vedr. sammensætning af sagkyndigt udvalg vedr. klinisk professorat indenfor ernæring ved Klinisk Institut og Medicinsk Gastroenterologisk Afdeling (stillings nr. KP018) Bilag : Oversigt over medlemmer af bedømmelsesudvalget, stillingsopslag samt CV for eksterne medlemmer af bedømmelsesudvalget

5 10. Fortroligt Udtalelse vedr. indstilling fra bedømmelsesudvalg vedr. tildeling af æresdoktorgraden i forbindelse med AAU s årsfest april 2015 Bilag : Indstilling fra bedømmelsesudvalg 11. Fortroligt - Tildeling af ph.d.-graden til cand.polyt. Kristian Kjær Petersen, Institut for Medicin og Sundhedsteknologi. Afhandlingens titel Chronic pain after total knee replacement. Bilag : Indstilling fra bedømmelsesudvalget 12. Fortroligt - Tildeling af ph.d.-graden til cand.polyt. Djordje Adnadjevic, Institut for Medicin og Sundhedsteknologi. Afhandlingens titel Novel Mechanical Stimulation of Deep and Superficial Musculoskeletal Tissue for Enhanced Understanding of Pressure-Pain Sensitivity Mechanisms Bilag : Indstilling fra bedømmelsesudvalget 13. Fortroligt - Tildeling af ph.d.-graden til cand.polyt. Steffen Vangsgaard, Institut for Medicin og Sundhedsteknologi. Afhandlingens titel Modulations of the human trapezius muscle H-reflex following eccentric exercise. Bilag : Indstilling fra bedømmelsesudvalget Referat: Åbent møde: 1. Godkendelse af dagsorden for akademisk råds møde , den 3. december 2014 Steffen Groth indledte mødet med at konstatere: at mødet er indkaldt med lovlig varsel. Dagsorden og bilag er udsendt onsdag den 25. november 2014 (6 hverdage før mødet) at akademisk råd er beslutningsdygtigt idet 13 ud af 15 medlemmer er til stede. Der blev herefter budt velkommen til ph.d.-koordinator, Christina Øllegaard Elmer fra Klinisk Institut, der indtræder som ny TAP observatør i akademisk råd. Velkommen! Revideret dagsorden med tilføjelse af nyt punkt 3 Høring vedr. udkast til AAU s budget 2015 inkl. budgetoverslagsårene blev godkendt. Bilagsmateriale vedr. nyt punkt 3 er udsendt i mail til akademisk råd i går. 2. Godkendelse af referat fra akademisk råds møde , den 29. oktober 2014 Bilag : Referat fra akademisk råds møde , den 29. oktober 2014 Der indkom ingen bemærkninger til referat fra akademisk råds møde , den 29. oktober 2014, der blev godkendt. 3. Høring vedr. udkast til AAU s budget 2015 inkl. budgetoverslagsårene Bilag : Brev fra Økonomiafdelingen vedr. høring om forslag til Universitets budget 2015 inkl. budgetoverslagsårene Bilag : Forslag til budget 2015, Aalborg Universitet

6 Henrik Blach Poulsen orienterede kort om høring vedr. udkast til AAU s budget 2015 inkl. budgetoverslagsårene For SUND s vedkommende er der ikke de store ændringer ift. seneste behandling af budgettallene for 2015, der blev gennemgået og drøftet på akademisk råds møde den 29. oktober SUND s Budget 2015 i nærværende bilagsmateriale er stort set identisk med tallene tilbage fra oktober måned SUND forventer i 2015 et merforbrug/underskud på -8,7 mio.kr. heraf ca. -3 mio. kr. fra den ordinære aktivitet og den resterende del fra Forretningsplanen (investeringer). Steffen Groth oplyste, at der i direktionsregi pt. pågår drøftelser vedr. forskningsfordelingsmodellen. Som det ser ud på nuværende tidspunkt fastholdes principperne omkring STÅ, BFI, ph.d. og ekstern omsætning kombineret med par principper yderligere. Pascal Madeleine efterlyste gevinsten ved at BFI-point fra Klinisk Institut tæller med i SUND s samlede BFI optælling. Troels Hedegaard oplyste, at BFI-point fra Klinisk Institut fuldt ud tæller med i 2014 og ca. udgør 6,8 mio. kr. Diana Stentoft rejste spørgsmål til hvad man har tænkt sig at gøre med investeringsbehov, der ikke fremgår af Forretningsplanen, herunder bl.a. idræt, der oplever et stort investeringsbehov? Steffen Groth annerkendte, at der er behov for at gøre plads til andre prioriteringer og investeringer ud over de områder, der er beskrevet i Forretningsplanen. I forbindelse med at SUND s strategiarbejde genoptages (forventelig i efteråret 2015), vil det som et led heri være naturligt at drøfte SUND s investerings- og udviklingsbehov. Diana Stentoft opfordrede til at ovennævnte bliver informeret ud til relevante medarbejdere i organisationen og dermed bliver en kendt procedure/fremgangsmåde på SUND. Steffen Groth takkede for Dianas opfordring og oplyste, at sagen vil blive drøftet på et kommende ledelsesmøde. Akademisk råd tog orienteringen til efterretning og havde ingen kommentarer til Høring til AAU s budget 2015, herunder den interne fordeling af bevillinger, der er taget til efterretning. 4. Evaluering af årets gang i akademisk råd samt godkendelse af mødeplan og årshjul for akademisk råds møder i 2015 Bilag a: Udkast til mødeplan 2015 Bilag b: SUND Årshjul 2015 Akademisk råd godkendte SUND Årshjul 2015 og mødeplan for akademisk råds møder i Der indkaldeles til møder i akademisk råd via Outlook kalenderen. Evaluering af årets gang i akademisk råd, herunder forslag til kommende emner til behandling i akademisk råd 2015 blev drøftet. Der indkom følgende synspunkter/input: Afholdelse af Akademisk Årsmøde med ny rektor blev efterlyst Introduktionsmøde for nye studerende, der indtræder i akademisk råd, blev efterlyst

7 Orientering og drøftelse af nyt SUND byggeri i løbet af foråret 2015 (Lasse Riis Østergaard og Pascal Madeleine ansvarshavende for punktet, herunder udarbejdelse af bilagsmateriale) Ny akkrediteringsreform hvilken betydning har det for undervisningen og for forskerne? Og for opretholdelse af undervisernes uddannelsesportefølje? Som supplement hertil en drøftelse af hvilke ønsker SUND har til opkvalificering af underviserne, herunder hvilke områder. Og endeligt dokumentation af undervisningsmeritter Høring ift. AAU s strategiarbejde og SUND s strategiarbejde opfordres tænkt ind på et tidligt tidspunkt i forhold til inddragelse af akademisk råd. Steffen Groth orienterede herefter om status for AAU s strategiarbejde, herunder nedsættelse af delprojektgrupper og involveringsplan mv. Der er nedsat fem tværfaglige delprojektgrupper, som skal belyse fire overordnede indsatsområder: Forskning med forskel (opdelt i: Temaer og fyrtårne samt Innovation og videndeling) Ansvarlig: TEKNAT-dekan Eskild Holm Nielsen PBL næste generation Ansvarlig: HUM-dekan Lone Dirckinck-Holmfeld Uddannelse med forskel Ansvarlig: Konstitueret SUND-dekan Steffen Groth Ét AAU AAU-DNA Ansvarlig: SBI-direktør Thorkild Ærø Delprojektgrupperne skal med input fra medarbejdere, studerende og eksterne interessenter give deres bud på visioner og idékataloger til udvikling af netop deres strategiske indsatsområde. Yderligere information om AAU s strategiarbejde kan findes via hjemmesiden Det fremgår også af hjemmesiden hvordan man kan komme med idéer og input til strategiarbejdet. Akademisk råd udtrykte stor interesse for at blive inddraget i delprojektgruppernes arbejde. Steffen Groth vil foranledige, at akademisk råds interesse viderebringes til formændene for delprojektgrupperne. Steffen Groth takkede for de indkomne input, der vil blive indarbejdet i akademisk råds Årshjul for Meddelelser a. Sager godkendt af dekanen Bilag a: Fortegnelse over sager godkendt af dekanen i perioden den 10. oktober 20. november 2014 Medtaget til orientering der indkom ingen bemærkninger

8 b. Orientering om status for AAU s strategiarbejde Punktet blev drøftet under punkt 4 i nærværende referat. c. Orientering om status for Institutionsakkreditering Steffen Groth orienterede kort om status for institutionsakkreditering, herunder om status for dimensioneringssagen. Akkrediteringsrådets afslag på akkreditering af bacheloruddannelsen i Humanistisk Informatik blev også drøftet. 6. Eventuelt I tilfælde hvor proces omkring rekruttering af VIP-medarbejdere af én eller anden årsag bliver forsinket, opfordrerede Pascal Madeleine til, at der rettes henvendelse til ansøgerne i den pågældende stilling herom. Opfordringen blev taget til efterretning. Lukket møde: 7. Orientering og drøftelse af principper for kaldelse Bilag a: Mail fra Morten Sand Henriksen, HR-afdelingen Bilag b: Bekendtgørelse om ansættelse af videnskabeligt personale ved universiteter 7, søgekomité/kaldelse Steffen Groth orienterede kort om principper for kaldelse jf. 7 i Bekendtgørelse om ansættelse af videnskabeligt personale ved universiteter: Rektor kan beslutte at tilbyde en kandidat til en stilling på professor- eller lektorniveau ansættelse uden opslag, hvis der er en særligt kvalificeret kandidat til stillingen, som ved en faglig bedømmelse vurderes klart bedre kvalificeret end andre, der kunne komme i betragtning ved et normalt opslag. Der kan nedsættes en komité, som har til opgave at afsøge markedet for kandidater til en stilling på professor- eller lektorniveau. Dini Boer supplerede, at en kaldt kandidat skal gennemgå en faglig bedømmelse på linje med kandidater, der søger på et opslag, og derfor skal der nedsættes et bedømmelsesudvalg, som alene skal kigge på, om vedkommende har de fornødne kvalifikationer til at kunne bestride den stilling, som rektor/dekan ønsker at tilbyde den pågældende kandidat. Akademisk råd tog orienteringen til efterretning med bemærkning om, at man ikke håber, at fremtidige kaldelser kan danne præcedens i forhold til en hurtigt gennemført rekrutteringsproces. 8. Fortroligt - Indstilling vedr. sammensætning af sagkyndigt udvalg vedr. lektorstilling (kaldelse) ved Institut for Medicin og Sundhedsteknologi Bilag : Oversigt over medlemmer af bedømmelsesudvalget, CV for eksterne medlemmer af bedømmelsesudvalget samt kandidatens CV Bedømmelsesudvalget blev nedsat med følgende sammensætning: Lektor Henrik Bøggild (formand), Institut for Medicin og Sundhedsteknologi, Aalborg Universitet Professor Tina Kold Jensen, Miljømedicin, Syddansk Universitet Professor Kim Overvad, Institut for Folkesundhed Epidemiologi, Aarhus Universitet

9 9. Fortroligt - Indstilling vedr. sammensætning af sagkyndigt udvalg vedr. professorat indenfor RNA Medicine ved Klinisk Institut (stillings nr ) Bilag : Oversigt over medlemmer af bedømmelsesudvalget, stillingsopslag samt CV for eksterne medlemmer af bedømmelsesudvalget På baggrund af bedømmelsesudvalgets kønssammensætning (ingen kvindelig bedømmer) samt manglende udførlig redegørelse for årsagen hertil (jf. beslutning herom på seneste akademisk råds møde), kunne akademisk råd ikke godkende bedømmelsesudvalgets sammensætning. Steffen Groth erkendte den manglende udførlige skriftlige redegørelse, hvilket ikke er acceptabelt. Der blev herefter orienteret om, at der er fundet en kvindelig kandidat, der kan indtræde som et fjerde medlem i bedømmelsesudvalget under forudsætning af, at der ikke forekommer publikationssammenfald (indenfor de senest 5 år) mellem ansøger og pågældende kvindelige kandidat. Med baggrund i ovennævnte og under forudsætning af, at der ikke forekommer publikationssammenfald (indenfor de seneste 5 år) mellem ansøger og kvindelig kandidat til bedømmelsesudvalget og at akademisk råd kan godkende CV for den pågældende kvindelige bedømmer, blev bedømmelsesudvalget nedsat med følgende sammensætning: Professor Hans Erik Johnsen (formand), Klinisk Institut, Aalborg Universitet Professor Pier Paolo Pandolfi de Rinaldis, Harvard Medical School Professor Peter Sarnow, Stanford University School of Medicine Professor Stefanie Dimmeler, Institute of Cardiovascular Regeneration, Centre for Molecular Medicine, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main. 10. Fortroligt - Indstilling vedr. sammensætning af sagkyndigt udvalg vedr. klinisk professorat indenfor ernæring ved Klinisk Institut og Medicinsk Gastroenterologisk Afdeling (stillings nr. KP018) Bilag : Oversigt over medlemmer af bedømmelsesudvalget, stillingsopslag samt CV for eksterne medlemmer af bedømmelsesudvalget Ulrik Baandrup forlod mødelokalet af hensyn til inhabilitetsreglerne. Bedømmelsesudvalget blev herefter nedsat med følgende sammensætning: Professor Ulrik Baandrup (formand), Klinisk Institut, Aalborg Universitet Professor Else Tønnesen, Anæstesiologisk-intensiv Afdeling, Aarhus Universitet Professor (II) Jon Florholmen, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Group of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Tromsø University. 11. Fortroligt Udtalelse vedr. indstilling fra bedømmelsesudvalg vedr. tildeling af æresdoktorgraden i forbindelse med AAU s årsfest april 2015 Bilag : Indstilling fra bedømmelsesudvalg Akademisk råd tiltrådte, at professor Metin Akay indstilles til æresdoktorgraden ved Det Sundhedsvidenskabelige Fakultet, Aalborg Universitet i forbindelse med AAU s årsfest i april

10 12. Fortroligt - Tildeling af ph.d.-graden til cand.polyt. Kristian Kjær Petersen, Institut for Medicin og Sundhedsteknologi. Afhandlingens titel Chronic pain after total knee replacement. Bilag : Indstilling fra bedømmelsesudvalget Carsten Dahl Mørch forlod mødelokalet af hensyn til inhabilitetsreglerne. Akademisk råd tildelte herefter ph.d.-graden til Kristian Kjær Petersen. 13. Fortroligt - Tildeling af ph.d.-graden til cand.polyt. Djordje Adnadjevic, Institut for Medicin og Sundhedsteknologi. Afhandlingens titel Novel Mechanical Stimulation of Deep and Superficial Musculoskeletal Tissue for Enhanced Understanding of Pressure- Pain Sensitivity Mechanisms Bilag : Indstilling fra bedømmelsesudvalget Carsten Dahl Mørch forlod mødelokalet af hensyn til inhabilitetsreglerne. Akademisk råd tildelte herefter ph.d.-graden til Djordje Adnadjevic. 14. Fortroligt - Tildeling af ph.d.-graden til cand.polyt. Steffen Vangsgaard, Institut for Medicin og Sundhedsteknologi. Afhandlingens titel Modulations of the human trapezius muscle H-reflex following eccentric exercise. Bilag : Indstilling fra bedømmelsesudvalget Pascal Madeleine forlod mødelokalet af hensyn til inhabilitetsreglerne. Akademisk råd tildelte herefter ph.d.-graden til Steffen Vangsgaard

11 International Evaluation of the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science and the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology, Aalborg University Site visit May 12 th -13 th Report August 20 th Evaluation committee Professor Rasmus Larsen (Chairman of the Committee). Chairman of the Faculty Board for the Ph.D. Programme for Mathematics, Physics, Informatics; Ph.D. school leader, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark. Professor dr.ir. Peter H. Veltink. Chairman for the Department of Biomedical Signals and Systems, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science/MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente. Professor Anders Axelsson. Dean, Faculty of Engineering, LTH, Lund University Professor Tore Marvin Undeland. The Department of Electric Power Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Materials Self-evaluation of the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science & the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology, Dated May 9 th 2014, 68p. Ph.D. Handbook The Doctoral School of Engineering and Science - A Sequential Description of the Ph.D. Processes within the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science. 51p. Presentations and interviews with managers, administrative officers, and Ph.D. students from the doctoral programs during a site visit May th Executive summary The assessment committee was very impressed by the excellent quality of the visited Ph.D. programs. Moreover, we were very satisfied with the provided materials and the presentation and interviews with managers, administrative officers, and Ph.D. students. The requests we had with respect to extra interviews and statistics were immediately met. The Doctoral Schools have an international mix of Ph.D. students especially the Engineering and Science programs. This provides a very stimulating international setting for the doctoral programmes. The Doctoral Schools are well organized to support the procedures and ensure quality control. The administration supports the Ph.D. procedures well in a very efficient manner. Especially, the new webbased tool is expected to be important in improving the efficiency of the procedures. The self-evaluation report mainly provides an administrative overview and describes the structures and procedures of the Doctoral Schools. The site visits were essential to judge the quality of the Ph.D. work, supervision and outcome.

12 Organisation The two faculties the Faculty of Engineering and Science and the Faculty of Medicine each has a doctoral school organized as an independent unit. The doctoral schools each have a Ph.D. study director and a Ph.D. Board. The study directors are appointed by the deans and the boards are elected among the academic staff and Ph.D. students. The directors and boards are serviced by a joint secretariat for the two schools. Each doctoral school is organized in a series of topical doctoral programmes. The organizational structure is well-defined with well-defined division of tasks There are eleven doctoral programmes in the Faculty of Science and Engineering and three doctoral programmes in the Faculty of Medicine. Although the number of doctoral programmes is almost equal to the number of departments in the two faculties doctoral programmes and departments do not coincide. Some doctoral programmes span more than one department and others cover a part of a department. This structure is attractive in the sense that it allows for prioritizing areas of interdisciplinary research. Also it opens for a high degree of flexibility in deciding new research priorities. The two schools aim at enrolling 180 and 50 students annually, respectively. This roughly corresponds to an average annual enrolment per programme of 15 and a population of 50. However, the doctoral programmes vary in size. Some are very small comprising as few as 10 students others include students. The committee reviewed the doctoral programme in Energy Technology and the doctoral programme in Biomedical Science and Engineering. Both these programmes appear to have well functioning sizes. The head of doctroral programme for energy technology spends abour 1/3 of his time on the doctoral programme which is deemed a reasonable load. Much smaller programmes will be in-efficient, e.g. in providing Ph.D. course programmes and securing a uniform quality of administration. In interviews with Ph.D. students it was evident that student had a low awareness of the organizational structure and roles of the different entities. The Ph.D. secretariat supports the Ph.D. procedures well in a very efficient manner. Especially, a new web-based tool Ph.D. manager - is expected to be important in improving the efficiency of the procedures such as submission, editing, and approval of Ph.D. study plans and progress reports We recommend that the division into doctoral programmes in the Faculty of Engineering and Science to be reconsidered with respect to logical lines - for example major societal challenges and size of programmes potentially reducing the number of programmes. That the input from Ph.D. students and advisors via the Ph.D. board is strengthened in order to have an effective feedback mechanism for quality control of the schools, involving the actors at the work floor level. This will also provide an adequate level of involvement in and awareness of their Doctoral School. That the consistency across doctoral programmes is secured by regular discussions between doctoral programme heads and Ph.D. boards and study directors. The organisation should be able to guarantee that strategic goals and vision for research education for Aalborg University in general is achieved

13 Recruitment and Enrolment A careful recruitment process is of utmost importance in securing a successful Ph.D. programme. It will ensure recruitment of highly qualified candidates with an aptitude for research and avoid recruitment of candidates that will fail due to lack of performance or collaborative issues. Presently well-functioning procedures are in place by which Ph.D. positions are announced publicly on the AAU website and an assessment committee consisting of the designated supervisor and the head of doctoral programme as a minimum selects the candidate. When a candidate is selected the department requests enrolment and the school director decides about the approval of candidate and supervisor. No formalized requirements other than the qualifying exam being equivalent to a Danish master s degree are applied. The Ministry of Higher Education and Science is consulted for candidates not known to be at level with Danish master s degrees. After enrolment a mandatory introductory 1 ECTS Ph.D. course Introduction to the Ph.D. Study is offered. The course runs seven times per year and is attended by approximately 90 % of the newly enrolled Ph.D. students in the Faculty of Engineering and Science. We find that this is recommendable and that such welcoming programmes are very important is securing an aligning of expectations and securing a good start for all Ph.D. students. We recommend That not the least in the view of the increasing numbers of international applicants - the doctoral schools enhances their already well functioning recruitment procedures, e.g. with the help of the AAU HR dept., provides procedures, courses in interviewing techniques, tests and other means of selecting best candidates. That it is secured that all Ph.D. student attend the introductory course.

14 Supervisors and Supervision The doctoral schools presently have 299 active main supervisors for 741 students, i.e. 2,5 per supervisor on average. It is to be commended that supervision is shared by so many faculty members. Moreover, there are good elements in place for securing qualified supervision. Main supervisors are appointed by the school director based on their past performance. The doctoral schools offer supervisor courses and workshops and it is expected that new supervisors attend such a course/workshop. Furthermore, the doctoral schools encourage experience as a co-supervisor before appointment as a main supervisor. From the self evaluation report as well as from the interviews with supervisors it was evident that a common culture between faculty members is not shared on all points, e.g. in terms of completion of studies on-time, in terms of providing unconditional acceptance of theses. We recommend That it is ensured that new supervisors/co-supervisors attend the introductory supervisor course on legal issues, procedures, the supervision process etc. Moreover, procedures should be put into place that secures that all supervisors passes this course That inspiration workshops are organised to improve the intervision between supervisors, sharing best practices and discussing encountered situations and problems. A policy for always using co-supervisors should be considered The procedure in the doctoral programme for Energy Technology for allowing main supervisors to supervise more than five Ph.D. students requiring a special plan must be approved by the head of doctoral programme should be extended to the schools

15 Progress Monitoring of Ph.D. projects The doctoral schools have implemented a series of good procedures for progress monitoring of Ph.D. projects. These are very important functions in order to bring failing projects back on track and to detect and stop under-performing Ph.D. students as early as possible. The implemented procedures include study plans due at 2M, and a revised plan at 11M. The school of medicine have implemented a 11M pre-defense with a non-involved peer professor. Semiannual progress reporting is implemented conveniently through the Ph.D. manager system. De-registration rate is approximately 10 % corresponding to the national average We recommend That the doctoral schools keep track of de-registrations, including time of deregistration, and number of theses with negative preliminary evaluation; If necessary and possible, implement measures to detect under-performing Ph.D. students at an early stage (preferably before end of first year). If intensive support and advice do not result in acceptable performance, active termination of the Ph.D. enrolment by the program should be considered in this early stage. That the 6 month review should be more informative than currently required: the supervisor and Ph.D. student should assess with arguments whether he/she expects the Ph.D. student to be able to realize the Ph.D. within the setout period. The report should include a statement concerning progress relative to the Ph.D. plan and if adjustments of the plan are required. To consider internal review with non-involved peer professor at 11 months to be a general format perhaps including a formal evaluation To support the career planning of the Ph.D. students throughout the Ph.D. period in order to create awareness and optimize the preparation for the individual career paths chosen. Possible initiate a mentor programme - providing an individual mentor (former Ph.D. graduate from industry or academia) to all students To reduce the average study time and time between thesis hand-in and defense from 3.8 years to the allocated 3 years study time as well as to reduce the time form thesis hand-in to defense form 4 months.

16 Ph.D. courses The doctoral schools have implemented requirements for the composition of the individual Ph.D. student curricula, e.g. in terms of general and specific Ph.D. courses. It is a requirement that all courses are socalled Ph.D. level courses. Each student is allowed a six ECTS credit for conference participation. The electronic course handbook contains many courses, and a yearly procedure for offering new courses is in place. There are a high proportion of very short courses. The courses are typically lecture type courses Student evaluations show a high degree of student satisfaction with courses both general and specific courses. We recommend That the doctoral schools to a higher degree consider reading groups/study circles type courses. Such courses enhances interaction among student and allow for learning of the newest topics. That the doctoral schools allow one or a few MSc courses as part of curriculum where relevant. That the doctoral schools to a higher degree use/allow international summer schools as part of the individual student curricula. That the doctoral programmes to a higher degree use high quality international summer schools and joint programmes with other universities to brand their programmes.

17 Monitoring Quality and Outcome The doctoral schools have very well functioning quality assurance in place for the procedures for enrolment, supervision, courses, administration and assessment of theses. A central quality statistic on the research performed is publication in internationally peer reviewed journals..statistics on scientific publications in Ph.D. theses in 2013 & 2014 were provided by the doctoral schools on our request. It appears that on average 3.3 articles per thesis were published in the school of Medicine and 5.8 in Engineering and Science in These are quite satisfactory numbers. A plagiarism check on submitted reports is implemented We recommend That key performance indices are formulated for the Ph.D. education (number of theses, courses, course participants, economy, publications, etc) and that these are monitored and reported by the doctoral programmes. In particular, that the quality of Ph.D. theses is monitored. The criteria for quality should be discussed, and may vary between disciplines. Some suggestions: number of journal and conference papers (only include adequate impact scientific journals and conferences) ; transfer of knowledge to society That the employment of alumni is monitored; also: monitor whether foreign Ph.D. students stay in Denmark or leave; assess societal benefit in and outside Denmark of graduated Ph.D. students. We advise to involve the Ph.D. students and professors in the Ph.D. programs in preparing the next self evaluation report. The process is as important as the result.

18 Self-evaluation of the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science & the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology

19 Table of contents 1 Preface 3 2 Introduction 4 3 Responsibilities of the Personnel in the Doctoral Schools PhD Study Director PhD Board 6 4 Organization The Doctoral School of Engineering and Science The Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology 12 5 Student Population Assessment of Applications Enrollment 16 6 Stipends Employed PhD Students 18 7 Supervisors 19 8 Student Distribution Gender Distribution Student Population International Students 23 9 Deregistered Students Minimizing Deregistration Awarded Degrees Awarded Degrees in Relation to Gender Awarded Degrees - International Students Time of Completion Completion time for International Students Average Time of Completion National Average Part time studies Student Satisfaction with the PhD Study Allocated Time Student Satisfaction Research Time Courses ECTS Post Graduate Student Satisfaction with Courses 45 1

20 13.3 Course Evaluations General Courses Specific Courses External Research Stays Quality Assurance The PhD Study Employment and Enrollment Introductory Course PhD Plans Progress Monitoring Assessment Committee Thesis Submission Preliminary and Final Assessment Reports Supervision Courses Administration Task Organized Workflow Casework Focus Areas The PhD Study Candidate Assessment One Year Assessment Extension Beyond the Nominated 3 Years Supervision Student Feedback Workshops Courses Administration Homepage Course Administration 68 2

21 1 Preface The purpose of this document is to present key facts concerning the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science and the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology. The content is divided into three main sections: 1. Statistical overview of the relevant figures presented in a development perspective ranging from Short overview of the responsibilities of the personnel in the doctoral schools. A further description of this can be found the PhD Handbook. 3. Information regarding quality assurance and development projects. This accounts for the initiatives implemented in relation to promoting quality within all aspects of the doctoral schools. As of the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology was established as a new doctoral school under Aalborg University. The basis for the establishment of the doctoral school was the accreditation of new bachelor and master s programs in medicine. Prior to , the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology was embedded in the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science. The next step in this process was to create a doctoral school that was able to incorporate the graduates of the master s program wanting to do research. Subsequently, the Department of Clinical Medicine was established as of in conjunction with the forming of Aalborg University Hospital. This department is located at the hospital where research, education and clinical work are combined. It is important to note that these dates have some impact on the figures presented throughout the document. 3

22 2 Introduction This document is primarily focused on presenting and evaluating data concerning the two doctoral schools within the time frame: The time frame is implemented in relation to the demand in the Danish University Act, stating that any doctoral school is obligated to conduct a self-evaluation every five years. As part of the self-evaluation, the document presents a short outline of the responsibilities of the key personnel in the doctoral school. This provides the reader with clarification in relation to the responsibilities of the different parties involved with the PhD study. Finally, a section dealing with quality assurance and development is included. The content of this self-evaluation is primarily focused on the development that has occurred within the given time frame in relation to specific parameters. The content is focused on all aspects that are related to the PhD study, which includes the following elements: Number of students. Number of deregistered students. Number of awarded degrees. Time of completion. Courses. The different sections contain information regarding national/international students and male/female students. In relation to courses, the content is focused on student satisfaction. This includes general courses and program specific courses. In particular, student attitudes towards the relevance, number and quality of the courses are included in this text. In all aspects, both doctoral schools have undergone significant growth within the period. This development has occurred in all aspects included in this material. 1 Although the increase has varied within the period, the final result shows an increase in the included sections. The self-evaluation also indicates that the doctoral schools are facing challenges in certain areas. These are commented on in the corresponding sections. 1 The exception is the number of deregistered students. 4

23 3 Responsibilities of the Personnel in the Doctoral Schools This section briefly outlines the responsibilities of the different personnel in the doctoral schools. This includes everyone involved with the PhD study within the doctoral schools. A more detailed description of this is found in the PhD Handbook which is available on the website of the doctoral schools. 2 The increase of enrolled students from 450 in 2008 to 741 at the outcome of 2013 (active students), created a need for additional quality assurance and effective administration. Figure 1 illustrates this development. It has therefore been of outmost importance to establish an understanding of this for the PhD students and in particular the supervisors at the doctoral schools. In order to do so, the doctoral schools have for example created guidelines and paradigms for all standardized processes. 3.1 PhD Study Director There are several aspects of the PhD study needing assessment and approval from the PhD study director. This is a substantial workload with many students enrolled. Fixed paradigms and regulations for the different processes have helped on this situation. Due to the number of PhD students and the administrative workload it is important that guidelines provided are followed. If this is not the case the material submitted by the student may be administratively rejected. This applies to all elements that require assessment by the PhD study director. In conjunction with the PhD board, the PhD study director is responsible for the overall quality of the PhD education. They evaluate all aspects of the training and ensure that it complies with the requirements of the Ministerial Order. Furthermore, the PhD study director is responsible for the overall daily management of the doctoral school. The tasks of the PhD study director include the following: Appointing and approving supervisors replacing supervisors if necessary. Assessing and approving critical 6-month declarations. Approving leaves of absence excluding parental/sick leave. Assessing and approving preliminary and final assessment for quality and legality. Approving co-author statements. Approving applications for enrollment. Approving applications for financial support for studies abroad. Exemptions. Mediate in case of supervisor-student conflicts. 2 Initially the handbook is only provided for the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science. 5

24 Professor Thomas Graven Nielsen is PhD study director for the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology, and Professor Torben Larsen is PhD study director for the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science. Additional information is found in the PhD handbook. 3.2 PhD Board The PhD board is involved in a set of specific tasks related to the general status of the doctoral school. An outline of these tasks is as follows: Development of internal guidelines. Evaluation of the programs and supervision, in conjunction with the PhD study director. Appointing assessment committees for approval by the Dean. Reviewing applications for credit transfer. Approving and assessing PhD courses. Strategy development for the doctoral school in collaboration with the PhD study director. The PhD board for the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science consists of six members four members of the academic staff and two PhD students. The academic staff is elected for a four-year period and the students for a one-year period. The current members (academic staff only) for the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science are: Jes Vollertsen, Professor (chair). John Rasmussen, Professor. Rasmus Waagepetersen, Professor. Paola Valero, Professor. The PhD study director, Professor Torben Larsen, participates in the meetings. The current members (academic staff only) for the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology are: Ole K. Andersen, Professor (chair). Ulrik Baandrup, Clinical Professor. 6

25 Trine Fink, Associate Professor. Stephen Rees, Associate Professor. Søren Risom Kristensen, Clinical Professor. Erik Berg Schmidt, Clinical Professor. The PhD study director, Professor Thomas Graven-Nielsen, participates in the meetings. The PhD boards are involved when relevant in the general quality assurance activities related to the doctoral schools. The scope of this is explained in the corresponding section. Additional information regarding the PhD board is found in the PhD Handbook. 7

26 4 Organization The doctoral schools are organized as independent units under the Faculty of Engineering and Science and the Faculty of Medicine. The doctoral schools are responsible for creating and developing doctoral programs within the affiliated research areas. A head of program, which must ensure quality and development on a daily basis, leads each program. 4.1 The Doctoral School of Engineering and Science The Doctoral School of Engineering and Science is composed of 10 doctoral programs: Mathematics and Physics Head of Program: Jesper Møller. Computer Science and Engineering Head of Program: Peter Axel Nielsen. Planning and Development Head of Program: Lars Bo Henriksen. Biotechnology, Chemistry and Environmental Engineering Head of Program: Yuanzheng Yue. Electrical and Electronic Engineering Head of Program: Rafael Wisniewski. Civil Engineering Head of Program: Torben Larsen (Not the PhD Study Director). Mechanical Engineering Head of Program: Jesper de Claville Christiansen. Technology and Science Head of program: Paola Valero. Wireless Communications Head of Program: Gert Frølund Pedersen. Energy Technology Head of Program: Claus Leth Bak. Students are enrolled in a program that fit the scientific profile of the given PhD study. The daily life of a student happens in a department where also the main supervisor works. In the departments, the PhD students are typically placed in research groups that are highly specialized within the research areas in question. This places the student in a facilitating environment with academic personnel that are engaged in related research areas. The heads of the doctoral programs refer to the PhD study director and they are appointed by the dean based on recommendation from the PhD study directors, upon approval of the department. They are responsible for their program according to the tasks defined by the PhD study director and PhD board. This includes all program specific course-planning in co-operation with the PhD board and the different departments. Each program is awarded with a number ECTS for program specific courses. The number of ECTS awarded is based on the number of students enrolled under the program but with a guaranteed minimum of 5 ECTS. The heads of the doctoral programs function as a direct quality control unit via their role in assessment committees in connection with stipend awarding and standard enrollment. 8

27 The section briefly introduces the ten different programs of the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science, their main content and main focus areas. Mathematics and Physics: This program is mainly intended to host students from the Department of Mathematical Science and the Department of Physics & Nanotechnology. The mathematical part mainly covers topics in the fields such as: Applied mathematical analysis. Discrete mathematics and applied algebraic topology. Probability and statistics. Correspondingly in physics: Nano optics. Theoretical studies of nanostructures. Experimental studies of nanostructures. Surface and interface physics. Computer Science and Engineering: PhD students from this program are affiliated with the Department of Computer Science, the Department of Electronic Systems and from the Department of Architecture and Design. A common denominator for these students is that their PhD studies are all related to computer science in a wide sense. Planning and Development: The doctoral program for planning and development mainly incorporates research activities from the Department of Development and Planning, the Department of Architecture, Design and Media Technology and the Department of Electronic Systems. Furthermore, the PhD program is supported by cooperation with the Danish Building Research Institute. The research conducted within Planning and Development is wide-ranging and inter-disciplinary. It is focused on planning and management issues and often applies Danish experiences in a comparative perspective with an international reach. The PhD research in Planning and Development is carried out in partnerships with a variety of public and private bodies. Biotechnology, Chemistry and Environmental Engineering: This doctoral program is mainly covering the scientific areas related to the Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Environmental Engineering and 9

28 the department of Physics and Nanotechnology. There are three main research areas within this particular program: Biotechnology. Chemical Engineering. Environmental Engineering. Electrical and Electronic Engineering: The program for Electrical and Electronic Engineering covers almost all aspects of electrical and electronic engineering (excluding wireless communication). Examples of themes covered by the program are: Mathematical and Computational Techniques for Automation and Control. Control, Cognition, Computing and Systems within Robotics. Signals and systems. Acoustic and Sound. Medialogy New Media Technologies for the Coming Generations. Computer Vision, Graphics and Virtual Reality. Civil Engineering: The program for Civil Engineering covers scientific and technological aspects of manmade changes to the physical environment. Examples of fields within this program are as follows: Structural Analysis and Design Materials science. Indoor environmental technology. Marine Civil Engineering. Soil Mechanics. Structural Dynamics and Mechanics. Geographical information system. Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering: The content of this doctoral program mainly spans across the research areas from the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering and the Center for Industrial Production. PhD studies conducted in this doctoral program cover a wide range of industrial service related areas. This involves design, development, processes and management systems. Some of the areas covered are: Materials Technology, Process Development and Optimization. 10

29 Automatic Control of Production Processes. Industrial Management of Operation, Supply, Globalization, Strategy. Innovation Management and Continuous Innovation. Industrial Production. CAD, Analysis and Optimization of Mechanical, Fluid and Process Systems. Technology and Science: This is a relatively small program mainly covers areas such as pedagogy and didactics, organizational learning and learning in the work place, educational research, philosophy of science, engineering education and organizational learning. The program mainly has students enrolled from the Department of Education, Learning and Philosophy and the Department of Development and Planning. The overall purpose of this doctoral program is to provide a framework for doctoral students who carry out research on current issues within the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Wireless Communications: The doctoral program Wireless Communications mainly has students enrolled from the department of Electronic Systems as well as the Department of Development and Planning. Some of the research areas are: Antennas and Propagation. Systems and Circuits. Information and Signal Processing in Communications. Speech and Multimedia Communications. Satellite-based and Terrestrial Positioning. Centralized and Decentralized Wireless Networks. Energy Technology: The doctoral program for Energy Technology is constructed as a cross-disciplinary program, which incorporates several basic engineering and science areas. Furthermore it is characterized by an experimental orientation. Among others, it includes the following research areas: Energy Efficiency. Fuel Cell. Systems analysis: Design and optimization of a wide range of energy process machines and system. Renewable energy technologies incl. wind turbines, photovoltaic, wave energy and alike. 11

30 4.2 The Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology Before 2011 the Biomedical Science and Engineering program was affiliated with the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science. After that it was transferred to the newly established Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology, which then consisted of the programs: Biomedical Science and Engineering Head of Program: Ole K. Andersen. Clinical Science and Biomedicine Head of Program: Søren Risom Kristensen. Health Education, Organization and Ethics Head of Program: Paola Valero. Biomedical Science and Engineering: The program focuses on basic science and engineering problems related to human health. To achieve this, combined knowledge from a large number of complementary disciplines is needed, such as electrical engineering, physics, mathematics, computer science, anatomy and physiology. The doctoral program is mainly affiliated with the Department of Health Science and Technology. Research areas: Integrative Neuroscience Neural Engineering and Neurophysiology of Movement. Neuro-rehabilitation Technology. Pain and Motor Systems. Physical Activity and Human Performance. Model-based decision support. Medical-Informatics. Clinical Science and Biomedicine: This program focuses on medical basic and clinical science. It opens for independent research projects in clinical settings (e.g. hospital) or basic environments such as biomedical laboratories. The scope is broadly defined within the medical field and related areas. Currently, PhD projects are focusing on e.g. orthopedic surgery, cardiology, pharmacological screening studies, pain mechanisms, stem cells, and neuro-biology. The projects typically involve patient studies but also basic animal studies are often included. The doctoral program is mainly affiliated with the Department of Clinical Medicine. Health Education, Organizations and Ethics: This doctoral program provides a frame for doctoral students within the Faculty of Medicine to carry out research on current key issues in three main thematic areas: Education and learning. Knowledge production, management and innovation processes in health organizations. 12

31 Ethics and philosophy in health sciences. The program is offered by the Department of Learning and Philosophy with the following thematic areas: Educational issues in health sciences. Knowledge production, management and innovation in health organizations. Ethics and philosophy of the health sciences. 13

32 5 Student Population Figure 1 shows the total number of enrolled students versus time within the self-evaluation period. The development of the number of enrolled students over time is quite revealing in relation to the overall development of the parameters included in the self-evaluation. Prior to 2008 the student population steadily increased from approx. 200 in the late 1990ies to the levels seen in Figure Total Number of Students Engineering and Science Medicine, Biomedical Science and Tech. Figure 1 Number of enrolled PhD students as of the 31 st of December in the respective years. As the following section illustrates, the total number of students has increased significantly within the given time frame. The increase in number of students has had an effect on several other factors related to the PhD study at the two doctoral schools. The following section focuses on: Gender distribution parity. Nationality. The total number of PhD students enrolled under the doctoral schools (May 2014) is 788 (including students on leave of absence and part-time students). The Doctoral School of Engineering and Science have 614 students enrolled. Of these, 585 are currently active and 29 have taken some form of leave of absence. The number of students enrolled at the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology is 174. Of these, 170 are active and 4 are on some form of leave of absence. From to , the total number of enrolled PhD students has increased from 450 in 2008 to 741 at the end of The data illustrated in Figure 1 includes all active students and students that are on any form of leave of absence, part-time students and the like. The development in the total number of active students for both 3 Please note that students that have handed in their thesis are not counted as active students in line with the Danish PhD Order. 14

33 doctoral schools corresponds to an increase of 65% from 2008 to the end of In comparison, earlier years such as 2005 show a total population of 306 enrolled PhD students. The Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology has increased the total number of students from 86 in 2011 to 128 at the end of This increase corresponds to 49%. With an ongoing increase in the number of students, there are a number of elements that required adjustment and improvement. Initiatives in relation to this have been introduced in the last few years: The administration/assessment of PhD plans and 6-month declarations. Assessment of applications for enrollment/employment. Administration of assessment committees for PhD defenses (an increasing number of committees. are needed in order to assess the increasing number of PhD projects). Extension of the number of offered courses. Co-supervisors appointed in numerous cases. Increased focus on the scientific quality of the two PhD plans. Formal methods and procedures established to handle studies not going as planned. The doctoral schools are continuously implementing new systems and updating current ones to meet the challenges related to the elements listed above. In relation to PhD plans and 6-month status declarations, the electronic registration system is now able to handle the approval process (administration and automatic reminders). For the scientific and administrative personnel, this significantly reduces the workload related to these mandatory milestones. Previously, the secretariat was responsible for notifying students and supervisors of the various time frames; declarations were sent out and manually sorted according to their content. 5.1 Assessment of Applications All applicants for a scientific position are entitled to an assessment by a qualified committee. Optimizing the assessment process to keep pace with the increase in the number of applications is challenging. An electronic application form was implemented in 2009 allowing the members of the committee to access the different applications. This implementation to some degree reduced the workload for the committees and eased the entire process related to applications for employment. In order to simplify the process of creating an assessment committee, the doctoral school has specific requirements for the departments responsible for creating these committees. The two members of such a committee are typically the supervisor for the project and the head of the assigned doctoral program (mandatory). However, the electronic system is far from perfect and some challenges still exist that have not been handled by the 15

34 software developer. In particular the handling of numerous applications is cumbersome and there are challenges for the assessment committees in relation to focusing on the most qualified applicants. These procedures are continuously monitored and some initiatives are currently being taken to ease some of the formally required but time demanding procedures. 5.2 Enrollment Figure 2 illustrates the development over time in relation to the number of new enrolled students for both doctoral schools. The numbers presented in Figure 2 include national and international students. Within the period, there has been an increase from 150 in 2008 to 226 in This corresponds to an increase of 51%. Only 2011 showed a small decrease compared to the previous year - from 214 in 2010 to 199 in The number of new students for the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology increased from 26 in 2010 to 52 in 2012.Students enrolled in the latter half of 2010 were enrolled under the new doctoral school that was set to start as of The increase corresponds to 96%. The noticeable increase is explained by the fact that the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology is a new initiative, as well as the creation of the program Clinical Science and Biomedicine, which has grown substantially within the period New enrolled students Medicine, Biomedical Science and Tech. Engineering and Science Figure 2 - Development of the number of new students enrolled in a given year distributed on doctoral schools. For the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science, 2009 showed the largest number of new students with 212 new students. The lowest number was 150 new students in The number changed to 188 in 2010 and on to 165 in In 2012, the number increased again to 178. The national end result for the period shows that the sector experienced a decrease in relation to new students. The Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology increased the number of new students from 34 in 2011 to 4 No figures exist at this time for

35 52 in This increase counters the national tendency a decrease for the same period. The noticeable increase in relation to the total number of students is primarily due to a government-implemented stake that sought to increase the number of PhD students educated in Denmark. This strategy forced all universities in Denmark to increase the number of new enrollments. For 2013, the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science sought to enroll 180 PhD students while the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology aimed to enroll 50 new PhD students. For 2013 the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science enrolled 146 students and the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology enrolled 56. The deviance from the target numbers for the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science was due to a difficult economic situation for the faculty. The Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology surpassed their own expectations. This was also facilitated by a total of 22 students being transferred from Århus University. 17

36 6 Stipends Employed PhD Students Throughout the year, the doctoral schools announce PhD positions within different research areas these are called stipends. The applicants selected for these positions are then employed at the university for a three-year period. Figure 3 shows the development in relation to the number of announced stipends. These stipends are mainly financed via external research grants from open competition calls, via direct collaborations with industry, via EU projects and to some degree from the university (normally only cofunding is provided). Some stipends from e.g. research councils may not be announced if a potential PhD student was included in the application and approved by the funding entity. 200 Total Number of Stipends Number of stipends Figure 3 - Development in the number of announced stipends over time (employed PhD students). The number of new students cannot be viewed in isolation from the number of stipends announced by the doctoral schools. The following section therefore presents information on the development in the number of announced stipends. As shown in Figure 3 the development in the number of stipends varied within the period. The number of published stipends ranged from a high of 149 in 2010 to a low of 103 in At the end of the selfevaluation period the number of stipends again increased following the decrease from 2010 to

37 7 Supervisors As the number of students has continued to grow so has the need for qualified supervision. This section clarifies the development in relation to the number of supervisors. It only includes active supervisors (those with one or more active PhD students) for the individual years and does not include all personnel eligible to act as supervisors. Figure 4 illustrates the development over time in the self-evaluation period for the number supervisors that have been involved in PhD supervision Active Supervisors Engineering and Science Medicine, Biomedical Science and Tech Figure 4 Active supervisors (only personnel that are supervising one or more students). In Figure 4 the Doctoral School in Medicine is included only in its independent years; the program Biomedical Science and Engineering is embedded in the data for the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science in the remaining years. For the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology, the number of active supervisors has increased from 35 in its initial year 2011 to 55 at the end of The increase corresponds to 57%. At the end of the period, each active supervisor was responsible for 2.2 students. Students included here are active students and those on sick/maternity leave. For the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science, the number of active supervisors has increased from 203 in 2008 to 244 at the end of The increase is seen throughout the period with an exception from 2010 to The development is shown in Figure 4 and corresponds to an increase of 20%. Within the 19

38 same period, the number of students enrolled under this doctoral school increased by 63%. At the end of the period, each supervisor is responsible for an average of 2.5 students. 8 Student Distribution As the doctoral schools have developed significantly in relation to the number of enrolled students it is relevant to illustrate how the different doctoral programs have been affected by this increase. Despite the fact that the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology was not established until , the program Biomedical Science and Engineering existed prior to this date and is included in the data for the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science for 2008, 2009 and The data presented in the following section only includes active students. Students on any form of leave are not included. In connection with the establishment of the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology, the program in Clinical Science and Biomedicine was also established. A portion of students from Biomedical Science and Engineering was moved to this program, which explains the noticeable decrease for the program from 2010 to This reorganization is illustrated in Figure 5 and Figure 6. Program Development The Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology Health Education, Organisations and Ethics Biomedical Science and Engineering Clinical Sciences Figure 5 Number of students enrolled at the different programs at the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology. 20

39 Biomedical Science and Engineering ended with a situation similar to what was found at the start of the self-evaluation period. Following its launch, Clinical Science and Biomedicine experienced a significant increase of 103% (28 students) from to Program Development The Doctoral School of Engineering and Science Figure 6 - Number of students at the different programs at The Doctoral School of Engineering and Science. The program Health Education, Organizations and Ethics was established in 2012 and is therefore only included in this year. The program targets students from the doctoral school whose projects examine issues that revolve around traditional health areas as well as areas from the humanities and social sciences. It ensures that the interdisciplinary work with the humanities and social sciences is maintained at the level of PhD studies. In 2012, the doctoral program Health Education, Organizations and Ethics had 4 PhD students enrolled. On a general level the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology is satisfied with the distribution among the different programs and does not plan to establish additional programs. The coming period is expected to produce additional growth for all programs. It is expected that Clinical Science and Biomedicine will maintain the highest rate of growth. For the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science, Planning and Development is among the largest programs in terms of the number of students enrolled. The growth of Planning and Development is particularly noticeable from 2009 to 2010 where the increase from 68 students to 113 corresponds to 30%. 21

40 The program Wireless Communications is the second largest program with a total of 88 students enrolled at the end of the period. 5 Late 2013 it was decided to split the Planning and Development program such that the area of Media, Architecture and Design was made an independent program. This reduced the number of students in the Planning and Development program and gave a clearly defined scientific profile. In addition to this, Civil Engineering (CE) and Energy Technology (ET) experienced growth throughout the period. CE grew from 24 students in 2008 to 54 students in 2012, corresponding to 125%. The number of students enrolled under ET increased from 14 in 2008 to 77 in 2012, a noticeable growth corresponding to 450%. 6 The growth related to ET can at least partially be explained by the massively increasing public focus on renewable energy sources and technology, which are key research areas in this program. Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EE) and Computer Science and Engineering (CS) experienced a decrease within the period. For EE the decrease from 68 students in 2008 to 48 in 2012 corresponds to 41%. CS experienced a decrease of 18% with 43 students in 2008 down to 35 in For the EE program it should be noted that some students from the Wireless program could also have been enrolled topic wise in EE. The Doctoral School of Engineering and Science is continuously assessing and developing the composition of programs. As already mentioned a new program named Media, Architecture and Design (MAD) has been formed. The first students enrolled in the program were selected students moved from the Planning and Development. The MAD program was created to provide a more focused environment for the students engaged in this research area. During 2014, a committee consisting of the PhD Study Director and other members related to the PhD study will assess the current composition of programs. For example, the Technology and Science program is very small and the mentioned committee is expected consider some different structure for this. Also the program in Mathematics and Physics is also considered for the upcoming revision. Any recommendations from the present self-evaluation will be considered in this process. 8.1 Gender Distribution Student Population The proportion of women enrolled at the two doctoral schools ranges between 24% (2008 & 2009) and 28% (2010, 2011 and 2012) of the total population. Figure 7 illustrates the full development for both genders. The doctoral schools promote increased enrollment of women in order to increase diversity 5 The development in relation to the size of the individual programs is continuously monitored. 6 This growth is partially explained by a new structure where students with a relevant topic were moved from Mechanical Engineering and Electrical and Electronic Engineering to Energy Technology, which was officially created in This also explains why the program is not present in all figures dealing with the distribution of students. 22

41 amongst the PhD students. It must, however, be noted that it is, by ministerial order, a demand to accept the most qualified students. It is therefore not possible for the doctoral schools to administratively increase the number of enrolled women. 600 Gender Distribution Total Number of Students men Total Number of Students Women Figure 7 Gender distribution of the PhD students. Within the period the number of female PhD students enrolled increased by 109%. The reasons for this increase are difficult to identify. It can be argued that it reflects the general tendency within the Danish educational system. For some programs, the distribution of gender is significantly different from the overall average. The newly formed Architecture and Media Technology program consists of 49 students, 20 of whom are women. This amounts to 41% of the students. The opposite is, however, also the case where male students are highly overrepresented. This is the case for Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering where men constitute 87% of the students. Generally speaking, the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology currently has a greater percentage of women (35%) than the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science (19%). 8.2 International Students As with the development related to the total number of students, the number of international students has increased significantly within the period from 163 in 2008 to 364 in This corresponds to an increase of 98.9%. Figure 8 illustrates this development. The number of international students has increased in all years included in the time frame. 23

42 400 Number of Int. Students Number of Int. Students Figure 8 Total number of international students for both doctoral schools. Figure 9 illustrates the development in relation to new enrolled international students. In comparison, Figure 2 shows the total number of new enrolled students. Within the period it has increased from 78 in 2008 to 155 in This corresponds to an increase of 98.7%. The years 2010 and 2011 showed a small decrease compared to their preceding years. The development slightly surpasses the national average and it is particularly affected by the increase in the number of students from China and other parts of Asia New Int. Students New Int. Students Figure 9 The number of new enrolled international for both doctoral schools. The number of new students from China has stabilized but remains high. For a full overview see Figure 10 Figure 14. The number of international students from China is among the highest of all the nations in the entire time frame. Due to various collaborations and projects there has been an increase in the number of students from different countries in different periods. This accounts for the high number of students from Ghana in 2010 and the noticeable increase in students from Iran in The increased usage of the final evaluations and a planned evaluation of de-registered students is expected to have a positive effect on this development. The evaluations should provide the doctoral schools with 24

43 new information, particularly regarding deregistered students, which may assist in identifying issues leading to de-registration. The Doctoral School of Engineering and Science represent the largest percentage of international students. This applies to all years within the time frame. The national development in Denmark in relation to the enrollment of international PhD students shows an increase of 81%. The Doctoral School of Engineering and Science showed an increase of 86% between Figure 10 - Figure 14 illustrate the national distribution of new international students from Only countries with 3+ students enrolled are included in the figures. 20 International Students Number of students 5 0 India Iran China Poland Spain Figure 10 International students enrolled at the end of countries with 3 or fewer students enrolled. 25

44 International students Number of students 0 Figure 11 International students at the end of countries with 3 or fewer students enrolled. International students Number of students Figure 12 International students at the end of countries with 3 or fewer students enrolled. 26

45 International Students Number of Students Figure 13 International students at the end of countries with 3 or fewer students enrolled International Students Number of students 0 Figure 14 International students at the end of countries with 3 or fewer students enrolled. Key Figures: Within the period the total student population has increased by 64%. Within the period the number of new students per year increased by 51%. Within the period the number of new international students increased by 98.7%. Within the period the total number of international students increased by 98.9%. For all years the Chinese students are the most strongly represented group of the international students. Other nationalities increased in different years due to projects and collaborations. 27

46 9 Deregistered Students Figure 15 shows the number of deregistered students versus year. It could be expected that with an increase in the number of new enrolled students the number of deregistered students would increase accordingly. Indeed, this was the case from 2007 until 2009 where the number did increase from 14 in 2007 to 55 in The noticeable increase that occurred in 2009 was due to an alteration in the internal financial incentive system. It was argued that the population was artificially high (515 PhD enrolled students where many were expected to be inactive) and it was decided to reduce the number of students by removing a bonus-system for the individual departments. The bonus for completion was removed if the student took more than 4 years to complete his/her study. This resulted in inactive students being deregistered and thus providing a noticeable increase in the number of deregistered students that year. In 2010 this new structure also influenced the number, which resulted in a total of 41 deregistered students that year Deregistered Students Deregistered Students Figure 15 Total number of deregistered students. The unusually high numbers of deregistered students in 2009 and 2010 are unique due to the alterations described above. The remaining years shows significantly lower numbers. The average number of deregistered students is 33 per year. Compared to the average, only the years affected by the described alterations show a number higher than the average. 28

47 The most recent deregistration data for 2012 reveals the following: 1 (woman) from the Doctoral School of Medicine Biotechnology and Science. 23 (3 women and 20 men) from the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science. Women accounted for 16% of the deregistered students. 14 of the deregistered students in 2012 are international students corresponding to 58%. In the context of deregistration, the international students are overrepresented compared to their size in the overall population and the doctoral schools seek to address this fact. It can be argued that some deregistration should happen as some enrolled students are likely not really suited for PhD studies. It is, however, for everyone involved and not least the student the best if this can be acknowledged at an early time in the studies and thus terminating the enrollment. The doctoral schools aims at continuously improving this situation and some proposals are put forward later in the present document in relation to quality assurance. One challenge is that the supervisors often loose part of their funding in case an enrollment is terminated before the three-years for the studies. 9.1 Minimizing Deregistration As mentioned already it is not an objective itself to eliminate all deregistration. However, it is the objective to reduce the number of late or unnecessary deregistration as much as possible. Different initiatives currently used are: Supervisor courses along with a mandatory course for all new PhD students. Continuous monitoring of student progress and in this context reestablishment periods when necessary. The number of reestablishment periods has developed from 6 in 2010 to 9 in Tuition waivers 7 are overrepresented in the area of reestablishment. A more careful selection procedure is currently being adopted by the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science to help on this challenge. Quality assurance of courses and the PhD study process. Strengthened focus on enrollment and education level of the potential PhD student. This area is currently being revised by the PhD Study Directors. 7 A Tuition waiver is a student that typically brings own funding and where the normal fees to the doctoral school may be waived. The departments hosting the student may decide to demand some payment for supervision, office etc. 29

48 Coaching possibility for students the doctoral schools provide a coaching possibility for students encountering different kind of challenges not easily covered by the supervisor. The supervisor course is beneficial for all PhD supervisors and introduces them to the legal framework, requirements and the nature of the supervision process. The main purpose of this course is to enable the supervisor to detect and act on students that are in risk of not being able to complete their study in due time. In relation to this, the supervisor is closely committed to the continuous monitoring of the student and the progress and quality of the study and the importance of the supervisor s vigilance cannot be underestimated. The supervisor course is evaluated by the participants and as such undergoes continuous development based on the input from the participants. This approach ensures that the capabilities of the supervisors are developed in accordance with the feedback provided by the students to the supervisors. 8 The course catalogue is an essential part of most PhD studies and it is therefore of the utmost importance that it is aligned with the expectations of the students. If this is not the case the students may experience frustration in relation to obtaining the required ECTS credits. In order to avoid such a situation, the courses are evaluated by the participants, which can lead to the discovery of issues the doctoral school is otherwise unaware of. These assessments are also used in the planning of courses for the following year to ensure that the student feedback is taken seriously. As a future project, the doctoral schools are implementing an individual evaluation form for students that are deregistered. The form is focused around possible reasons for deregistration and it provides students with an opportunity to comment on the specific areas that may have led to their deregistration. It is the belief of the doctoral schools that this form may provide valuable information in relation to further reduction in the amount of deregistered students or as a minimum to terminate the studies in a way that is understood and accepted by the student. 8 Elements related to the supervisor course are presented in a following section. 30

49 10 Awarded Degrees When analyzing the number of awarded degrees it is important to remember the average time of completion in relation to when the degree is awarded. The degrees awarded in one year do not necessarily reflect the number of new students three years earlier due to the average time of completion being close to four years. Figure 16 illustrates the development of the number of awarded degrees over time. Awarded Degrees Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology Engineering and Science Figure 16 Development in the number of awarded degrees for both doctoral schools. For the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science the total number of awarded degrees was stable during 2008 and 2009 but showed a significant drop in 2010 to 84, corresponding to 22.9%. This was related to the relatively low number of new enrolled students in 2006 (96 compared to 127 in 2007, a decrease of 32%). The number of degrees awarded continues to be affected by the increased national focus on PhD training. It is expected that the full impact of this focus is seen in Awarded Degrees in Relation to Gender The number of degrees awarded to women has also been subject to significant variation within the period. The amount dropped to 18 in 2010 from 31 in This development is not confined to women since the overall number also decreased within this period. Figure 17 illustrates this. The figures are combined for both doctoral schools and separated on gender. 9 (in Danish). 31

50 120 Awarded Degrees Distributed on Gender Awarded Degrees Men Awarded Degrees Women Figure 17 Distribution of the awarded degrees on gender for both doctoral schools. Most recent national figures reveal that the national increase in relation to the number of degrees awarded corresponds to 11%. 10 The two doctoral schools included in this self-evaluation have increased the number of awarded degrees by 26% within the period Awarded Degrees - International Students In line with the number of degrees awarded to national students, the degrees awarded to international students are also subject to variation within the period. This is again related to a noticeable deviation in the number of students enrolled in the preceding 3-4 years. The year 2010 is again exceptional in relation to the low number of degrees awarded. This development is illustrated in Figure Awarded Degrees Int. Students Figure 18 Development in relation to the number of awarded degrees to international students. 10 The year 2012 is not included in this period, as no official numbers exists. 32

51 Key figures: Within the period the doctoral schools have awarded a total of 532 degrees. The annual number of awarded degrees decreased in 2009 and The number of degrees awarded decreased for all groups in 2009 and Within the period the total number of awarded degrees increased by 27%. The number of degrees awarded to women increased by 47%. The number of degrees awarded to men increased by 22%. The number of degrees awarded to international students increased by 52%. 11 Time of Completion The following section describes the development in relation to the average time of completion for a PhD student at the doctoral schools. In additions to this the section incorporates student attitudes in relation to the timeframe allocated for the PhD study. The time frame of three years for the PhD study is stated in the PhD order and covers from the time of enrollment to the time when the thesis is handed in. Following the submission of the thesis, there is still a substantial amount of time before the actual degree is awarded. This time covers the entire assessment process and the time between the preliminary assessment report and the time prior to the defense. The data presented in the following section in relation to the full time of completion refers to when the degree is conferred. This way of measuring is in line with Danish statistics on average completion times. Based on experience and data from former students, the average time from thesis submission to receiving the degree is approximately four months. The data in relation to the time of completion excludes students enrolled on a part-time basis and authors presenting a thesis without prior studies (PhD Order 15.2). Part-time students have, as expected, a significantly longer time of completion which would increase the average time of completion. This would offset the numbers as the part time students are planned to take longer to complete. Authors presenting a thesis for assessment without prior studies have no time registered in the internal system and would therefore decrease the average time. Therefore, the exclusion of these two groups presents a far more accurate picture of the actual time of completion. 33

52 In addition to the above, this section presents information regarding student attitudes towards the time frame provided for the PhD study. This is divided into the time provided for actual research and the overall time frame 11. The information provided here is based on questionnaire responses provided by students who have completed their PhD study within the time frame of this evaluation. The purpose of this is to reveal potential discontent related to the internal structure of PhD education at the two doctoral schools. In relation to quality assurance, this additional initiative is valuable for ensuring that student opinions are considered in continuously improving the PhD study Completion time for International Students In relation to the international students seen in Figure 19 it is relevant to consider whether the time of completion is notably different from that of the national students. Figure 19 illustrates the development in relation to the average time of completion and Figure 20 illustrates the similar numbers for international students. The data for the period reveals a positive development for the international students, which is now in line with the national average found for these types of doctoral schools Average time of completion in years - int. students Engineering and Science Medicine, Biomedical Science and Tech. Figure 19 Average time of completion for international students enrolled at the doctoral schools. 11 In addition to research the PhD study requires additional elements. 34

53 Average time of completion (years) 5 4,5 4 3,5 3 2,5 2 1,5 1 0, Engineering and Science AAU Engineering and Science DK Medicine, Biomedical Science and Tech. AAU Medicine, Biomedical Science and Tec.DK Figure 20 - This illustrates the average national time of completion compared to AAU average. 12 The overall development in relation to the international students, within the full scope of the time frame, showed the average time of completion has decreased from 4.9 years in 2008 to 3.7 years in This corresponds to a reduction of 24.4%. Despite a small increase in 2011, the development is overall positive. When separating the data for the doctoral schools, the development shows that the average time of completion is reduced for both schools. The Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology shows a reduction of 13% and the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science shows a reduction of 12% Average Time of Completion National Average A combined result of students from the two doctoral schools (2011 and 2012) reveals that the average time has decreased from 4 years in 2011 to 3.7 in The most recent national survey reveals that the national average for doctoral schools within the science and engineering sector is 3.8 years. 13 For doctoral schools within medicine and health technology the national average is 3.9 years. Comparing the numbers from the two doctoral schools to numbers from this period, the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science was 0.2 years below the national average and the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology was 0.6 years above in The data for 2012 reveals that the completion time for the two doctoral schools is well in line with the national average. Medicine is 0.2 years below the national average and Engineering and Science is similar to the national average

54 It is believed that the increased emphasis on quality assurance plays an important role in this positive development. Within the period, the number of elements checked for quality has increased and the progress of the individual student is subject to additional supervision and assurance. Although the numbers presented here are close to the national average, the doctoral schools are seeking to reduce completion time in the coming period Part time studies Fewer than 10 part-time students were awarded the PhD degree throughout the period. It is therefore not meaningful to illustrate a development in relation to this group of students. The part time students that were found had a completion time of approximately 6.1 years, minus the 4 months allocated to the evaluation process. 36

55 12 Student Satisfaction with the PhD Study Allocated Time Collecting data in relation to student attitudes towards the allocated time frame is an important aspect to consider for numerous reasons. An increased negative attitude towards this could indicate potential problems within the doctoral schools since the time frame has not been altered. Students that have finished their PhD study base all data provided in the sections dealing with student satisfaction. The number of questionnaires submitted varies between the individual years. It ranges between 39 in 2010 to 84 in In some cases relatively low number of students answering the question influences the results. This is commented on where relevant. The term allocated time refers to the entire time frame provided for the PhD study, which incorporates the different elements required in relation to the PhD degree. 80% Student satisfaction with allocated time 60% 40% 20% Very Satisfied Satisfactory Not Satisfied 0% Figure 21 Development in relation to student opinions towards the timeframe for the PhD study. Both doctoral schools are included. The development seen in Figure 21 shows that within the entire period, students are happy overall with the allocated time for the PhD study. The years 2008 and 2010 have the largest group of satisfied students with a total of 99% and 98%, respectively. The reason for this minor increase of unsatisfied students in 2011 is difficult to identify. Comments in the questionnaires do, however, reveal that students are often unaware of certain elements when commencing their study. 14 There are variations related to this response. They range from students being unaware of their dissemination responsibilities arguing that the provided time frame does not allow room for the required performance. The doctoral schools publish all relevant information related to PhD study on their 14 This is particularly the case for international students. 37

56 website and students are made aware of this information when applying for enrollment. Furthermore the obligatory introduction course is an initiative that should mitigate this problem The significant increase in the total number of students is a factor that is likely to have had an effect on the increase in the number of unsatisfied students. As the student population increased so did the requirements related to administration, research facilities and all other elements related to PhD study. Further, some researchers reported that it was increasingly difficult to attract students of very high quality. The controllable aspects are continuously being improved and the doctoral schools aim to ensure that all students are satisfied with their PhD study and the aspects related to it. It is important that the students know the expectations they meet and this is also a key focus point for all heads of programs to emphasize in the PhD plans. As the doctoral schools are not able to alter the framework for the PhD study, more efficient communication/information towards the students is suggested as a specific initiative. As part of this process, a thorough revision of the online material and the structure of the doctoral schools websites is planned for Furthermore, the materials used in the introduction course for new PhD students undergo continuous revision Student Satisfaction Research Time In addition to satisfaction with the overall time frame for PhD study, students are encouraged to comment on the time provided for research. This aspect is vital for the doctoral schools to monitor given its direct impact on the quality of the individual studies. The data from the questionnaires, applied in Figure 22, shows little increase/decrease in relation to the different groups included in this survey. Generally speaking, the students are increasingly satisfied with the time allocated for research during PhD study. The doctoral schools are satisfied with the current development. However, there is an obvious contradiction in the feedback by the students and the (too) long study times. This part is not obvious to explain and further information could be interesting to have. 38

57 Student satisfaction with research time 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Very satisfied Satisfactory Not satisfied Figure 22 Student attitudes towards the time of the PhD study allocated to research. Key Figures: The number of unsatisfied students is acceptable throughout the period. The year 2012 shows that the number is currently decreasing. The average time of completion is decreasing for all groups (national & international). The average time of completion is in line with the national average for these types of doctoral schools. 39

58 13 Courses This section presents data related to courses based on questionnaires answered by students after completing a course. The data included reflects only program specific courses. The section includes information regarding the number of ECTS credits related to the specific courses. In order to ensure proper illustration in the figures, the planned general courses are excluded due to their relatively high number of ECTS. The general courses are handled separately. In line with the PhD Order, the doctoral schools believe that courses are an essential part of any PhD education and are very focused on providing a substantial and relevant course catalogue. The heads of the different programs, informed on trends in their field, are responsible for suggesting program specific courses. These are then discussed and approved by the PhD board. In addition to this, the PhD students are always encouraged to suggest courses. For all programs, courses and course content is decided individually. It is argued that the courses offered in individual years are fully representative of the needs of the affiliated personnel and PhD students. The program specific courses may change over time with the scientific areas being most prominent and some courses are also offered every second year to offer some variation while still being open to all students during their three-year time span. The section describes development in relation to the following aspects: The number of courses offered. ECTS credits. Student satisfaction ECTS Figure 23 - Figure 27 illustrates the development for the individual doctoral programs in terms of ECTS credits offered and held in the years This reveals how many ECTS credits were cancelled during the period. The cancelled courses were all due to a too low number of participants and not due to poor planning or similar by the lecturer. 40

59 120,00 ECTS program specific courses ,00 80,00 60,00 40,00 20,00 0,00 Offered ECTS in 2012 Course Held ECTS pr Figure 23 ECTS development for the programs under the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science Courses offered ECTS; Courses held ECTS. 90,00 80,00 70,00 60,00 50,00 40,00 30,00 20,00 10,00 0,00 ECTS program specific courses 2011 Offered ECTS 2011 Held ECTS 2011 Figure 24 ECTS development for the programs under the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science Courses offered ; Courses held

60 ECTS program specific courses 2010 Offered ECTS Held ECTS Figure 25 - ECTS development for the programs under the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science Courses offered ; Courses Held

61 ECTS program specific courses 2009 Offered ECTS Held ECTS Figure 26 - ECTS development for the programs under the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science Courses offered ; Courses held ECTS program specific courses Offered ECTS Held ECTS Figure 27 - ECTS development for the programs under the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science Courses offered ; Courses held

62 The total number of actual lectured ECTS credits for the individual programs has increased from 115 ECTS credits in 2008 to 265 in This increase corresponds to 172%. The ECTS credits offered increased from 145 in 2008 to 322 in This increase corresponds to 121%. In addition to the ECTS credits allocated to the individual programs, the doctoral schools offer general courses of interest to many students across multiple programs. The ECTS development for this is seen in Figure 28. These courses have a wider appeal and can as such be useful to all PhD students. 100 ECTS general courses Offered ECTS Held ECTS Figure 28 ECTS development for the general PhD courses, combined for both doctoral schools. The development in Figure 28 for the general courses shows an increase from 41 ECTS credits held in 2008 to 93.5 ECTS credits held in The increase corresponds to 22%. The number of general courses cancelled is in line with what was expected for the different years. The low number of cancellations is quite as expected as these courses are specifically chosen such that they must have a broader interest than for program specific courses. Thereby it is also more likely that the minimum number of attendees can be met and thereby ensures that the course is held. It is also seen that the lecturers did not have to cancel courses (which is also not acceptable unless very strong arguments are put forward). The Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology was established as an independent unit as of ; therefore the program Biomedical Science and Engineering is excluded from the data for the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science in 2011 and In 2011, the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology offered courses corresponding to 22 ECTS credits for their two individual programs and 63 ECTS credits in collaboration 44

63 with the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science. For the planned 22 program specific courses only 2.5 ECTS credits were cancelled. In 2012, the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology offered 3 separate programs with 25.5 program specific ECTS credits. A total of 86 ECTS credits were offered in conjunction with the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science. Of the 25.5 program specific ECTS credits, 4 were cancelled. The cancelled courses in 2011 and 2012 are all affiliated with the program Biomedical Science and Engineering. The development for the courses affiliated with the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology is satisfactory for the period and is expected to increase in the coming period. The development seen in relation to the different course forms corresponds to the increase in the student population. The proportion of ECTS credits cancelled was 17% at the end of the self-evaluation period which is an increase of 1% compared to the start of the self-evaluation period. The lowest proportion of ECTS credits cancelled was found in 2010 where only 4% of the ECTS credits planned were cancelled. In this context it must be remembered that the courses were cancelled due to not having enough participants. The doctoral schools have implemented a minimum number of participants in order to control the overall expenses to courses. The Doctoral Schools are seeking to reduce the number of cancelled courses. The majority of courses are cancelled due to lack of participants Post Graduate Student Satisfaction with Courses In order to maintain an innovative and relevant course catalogue, it is important for the doctoral schools to involve the students opinions on courses. This is done via the form provided to the students following the end of their study. With a significantly increasing number of ECTS credits offered per year combined with an increasing number of students, it is important for the doctoral schools to monitor student satisfaction with the courses offered in order to advance positive development. This section is based on data from the forms submitted by students following the completion of their study. Students from the two doctoral schools are combined in this data since there is not enough student data available from the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology to provide a satisfactory data foundation. The section presents data on the development of the following elements: 45

64 The number of courses. The quality of the courses. The relevance of the courses offered. The information in Figure 29 provides a substantial overview of how the courses have developed. It is particularly relevant to consider their performance in relation to the increased number of students. The number of responses varies between the years; the results are presented as percents. 100 Student satisfaction with the number of courses (%) Very satisfied Satisfied Unsatisfied Figure 29 Development of the student satisfaction with number of PhD courses. The increase in relation to new students produces an increased need for several elements related to PhD education, including the number of courses. Student satisfaction with the number of courses is satisfactory throughout the period as the proportion of not satisfactory responses is only 5% in This is a reduction from the 10% seen in 2008 and despite the minor increase at the end of the period, the result is believed to be satisfactory. 46

65 100 Student satisfaction with the quality of the courses (%) Very satisfied Satisfied Unsatisfied Figure 30 Students satisfaction with the quality of the PhD courses offered. The quality of the courses refers to the course content, the performance of the course holder and the learning outcome. The data provided in relation to this reveals that the proportion of unsatisfied responses peaked in 2009 with 17% of the students being dissatisfied with the overall quality. Towards the end of the period this decreased to 9%. The combined development is seen in Figure 31. However, as this data includes all forms of courses, it is an area that the PhD boards has as high priority to improve. Some new measures were taken in 2013 which demanded the lecturers to me specific about the learning objectives, pedagogical methods, chosen topics, exercises etc. It is expected that this may improve the student satisfaction and the outcome of the increased focus on course quality is closely monitered. Another initiative in relation to this is a better adaptation of the data gathered from students questionaires. It may also be necessary to avoid some lecturers in case a course has generally negative impact on the students. 47

66 100 Student satisfaction with the relevance of the courses (%) Very satisfied Satisfied Unsatisfied Figure 31 Development of student s satisfaction with the relevance of the PhD courses. The data provided in relation to the relevance of the PhD courses shows that the majority of students are satisfied. The highest proportion of very satisfied students is found in The satisfied responses increased from 2008 to 2010 where 71% of the students were satisfied with the relevance of the courses. From 2010, the combined group of satisfied students continued to decrease and at the end of 2012 this group comprised 84%. The remaining 16% are dissatisfied with the relevance of the courses. This is a substantial amount and it poses a serious challenge for the doctoral schools. As this data incorporates the specific courses, all students should be able to find relevant courses to cover their entire course program. From discussion with several students as well as supervisors and heads of program it seems as if students to a high degree want courses that are extremely specific for the given PhD study. This would also explain the dissatisfaction of the relevance by several students. It has never been the intention of the PhD board to have such specific courses as it makes it financially impossible to lift such a task with courses for extremely few students. However, there is a task for the board to explain the possibilities to for example introduce study circles, which can be accepted as a course activity. Also the new ministerial order from 2013 allows a broader interpretation of a course indicating more flexibility although this has already been exploited to a significant degree in the doctoral schools. The course relevance is an area that the PhD boards wish to improve but it must be done with care. Creating a course catalogue that covers 10 doctoral programs for engineering and science & three for medicine poses a significant challenge. The content of the programs differs significantly from one another and creating a catalogue that fulfills the needs and desires of each individual student is a substantial task. 48

67 The different doctoral programs are awarded ECTS credits for courses based on the number of students enrolled under that program. This approach causes some of the lesser program to receive less ECTS credits to distribute and thereby less program specific courses. All programs are awarded 5 ECTS credits as a minimum. The data obtained from the questionnaires reveals that the majority of students that are unhappy with the courses in this context are enrolled under a relatively small program. Key figures: Within the period, satisfaction with the number of courses developed as such: o The very satisfied category decreased from 36% in 2008 to 33% in o The satisfied group increased from 53% in 2008 to 61% in o The unsatisfied group decreased from 10% in 2008 to 5% in 2012 The development in relation to the quality of the courses are as follows: o The very satisfied group increased from 39% in 2008 to 59% in o The satisfied group remained essentially stable at 58% in 2008 and 59% in o The unsatisfied group increased from 2.4% in 2008 to 8% in The development in relation to the relevance of the courses is as follows: o The very satisfied group remained essentially stable at 24% in 2008 and 23% in o The satisfied group remained essentially stable at 56% in 2008 and 57% in o The unsatisfied group was at its lowest point, at 16%, when the evaluation period ended. The highest number was seen in 2009 with 30%. Within the period, the ECTS credits offered increased by 133%. The ECTS credits held increased by 130%. For 2013 the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology offered 40 course specific ECTS credits excluding planned joint courses. The Doctoral School of Engineering and Science offered ECTS credits excluding planned joint courses. A total of 90 ECTS credits is planned for general courses. 49

68 13.3 Course Evaluations The questionnaires that students are provided with following the completion of a course offer more detailed insight into additional elements related to courses. The following section describes the development in relation to these aspects. It is divided into two segments: General courses Program specific courses Within the two groups (general and specific courses) the emphasis is on development in relation to the relevance of the course and satisfaction with the courses in their entirety (overall performance). This description adds to the data presented above whilst separating the two course forms. This provides a precision of the development and reveals where the un-satisfaction in relation to the courses is located General Courses The overall performance 15 of the general courses seen in Figure 32 has not undergone significant changes within the period with the majority of students being very satisfied or satisfied. 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Overall performance of the general courses Very Satisfied Satisfied Adequate Less Satisfied Unsatisfied Figure 32 Development of student satisfaction with the performance of the general PhD courses. Throughout the period, the combination of the very satisfied groups is settled around 70% ranging from 68% in 2008 to 72% in The group of students finding the general courses adequate is also stable 15 Overall performance refers to learning outcome, content and extent of the course. 50

69 throughout the period at around 14%. The students unsatisfied with the general courses constitute a very small group within the entire period peaking in 2009 & 2010 with 3% of the students. It has not changed within the period and is apparently stable around 2%. For the coming period the doctoral schools expects to continue the current approach to the creation of general courses. By definition, the nature of the general courses is very wide and the content is not aimed at any particular doctoral school, although some courses are biased towards engineering and science. It is therefore argued that all students are able to find relevant courses among the general ones. The majority of the students are very satisfied or satisfied with the relevance of the content in the general courses as seen in Figure 33. This group revolves around 60% with the highest proportion found in 2008 (61%) and the lowest in 2009/2010 (58%). Although these groups account for more than 50% of the students in all years included in the period, the doctoral schools seek to increase these groups in the coming period in that all students should find the general courses relevant in relation to their PhD study. 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Relevance of the general courses Very satisfied Satisfied Adequate Less satisfied Unsatisfied Figure 33 Development of student satisfaction with the relevance of the general PhD courses. The group of students finding the relevance of the general courses adequate is around 20% throughout the period. A minor deviation is evident only in 2011 with a total of 17%, a decrease of 4% compared to This group is difficult to address since no arguments are presented in relation to why the relevance is only adequate and not satisfactory. At the end of 2012 the proportion of unsatisfied students reached 8%, an increase of 2% from Within the entire period, the amount decreased by 2%. The group of less satisfied and unsatisfied answers 51

70 decreased by 2% within the period, from 20% in 2008 to 18% in The combined amount is around 20% throughout the period. The doctoral schools are facing a substantial challenge in that the proportion of students that are unsatisfied, to various degrees, is considerably higher than what is acceptable. For the coming period, the doctoral schools are seeking to further reduce this group of students. As part of this initiative, an improved application of the evaluation forms provided by the students is planned for implementation in Specific Courses The specific courses that are related to the different doctoral programs are very specialized in their content and focused on somewhat narrow areas. Students are able to attend courses outside their program; it is a universal requirement that the course is relevant for the PhD study. Since the students should acquire their specialized knowledge in this type of course, it is imperative that the students are satisfied with all aspects related to the specific courses. The following section presents data on this and the prerequisites are similar to those found in the section above. The development in relation to the overall performance of the specific courses is illustrated in Figure % 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Overall performance of the specific courses Very Satisfied Satisfied Adequate Less Satisfied Unsatisfied Figure 34 Student attitudes towards the performance of the specific PhD courses at AAU. The group of students finding the overall performance of the specific courses to be satisfying satisfactory has undergone positive development. The proportion has increased from 70% in 2008 to 75% in 2012, which additionally had the highest number of very satisfied students with 41%. Throughout the period, this group is stable ranging from 70 to 75%. In relation to the development it is argued that the overall positive 52

71 development in this section is due to the process related to creating the course catalogue. The different parties involved in the creation of the specific courses are all highly qualified in their fields and informed about latest developments and trends within the different fields. The doctoral schools are committed to maintaining the positive development in the coming period. The group of students finding the overall performance of the specific courses to be adequate has decreased by 7% within the period, from 20% in 2008 to 13% in Based on the development in all the groups, it is argued that the majority of the students that have disappeared from this group are found in the satisfied group of students. The less satisfied group rose from 6 to 8% within the period but a decline is noted at the end of the period. In combination with the unsatisfied group, the total number is 12% at the end of the period. This is an increase of 3% for the entire period where the amount peaked in 2009 with 14% of the students being less satisfied or dissatisfied. Despite the positive tendency at the end of the period, the proportion of students that are not satisfied with the specific courses is still considered too high. In order to improve this situation, there are several initiatives that are scheduled for implementation in the coming period. Among these is a greater utilization of various aspects related to the PhD students. They are currently being prompted in relation to the creation of the course catalogue, which should ensure that the composition is in line with the desires of the students. It is reasonable to promote this initiative further since this is where the students are able to make the biggest impact on the composition on the course catalogue. In relation to the relevance of the specific courses, there are two noteworthy developments found within the period. First, the proportion of satisfying answers increased from 58% in 2008 to 62% in In addition to this, 2012 had the highest proportion of very satisfied answers. As the development shows, the approach that the doctoral schools have taken in relation to this has increased the proportion of students that are satisfied with the relevance of the specific courses. The second noteworthy development relates to the proportion of students less satisfied/dissatisfied with the relevance of the specific courses. Figure 35 illustrates this development. This combined group increased from 9% in 2008 to 18% in 2012, an increase of 100%. The unsatisfied group has increased by 4% and the less satisfied group by 5%. The negative development of the less satisfied and dissatisfied groups is ongoing throughout the period. This development confirms the development seen in the data found in the forms submitted by the students at the completion of their PhD study. It is a cause for concern that the specific courses are irrelevant to a substantial and growing population among the students. The specific courses are 53

72 an essential part of the PhD process and it is of utmost importance for the doctoral schools to present a successful course catalogue. 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Relevance of the specific courses Very satisfied Satisfied Adequate Less Satisfied Unsatisfied Figure 35 Development of student attitudes towards the relevance of the specific PhD courses. For the coming period the doctoral schools are focused on identifying possible reasons for this misalignment and on creating a solution. Key points: The students attitudes towards the general courses are predominantly positive; satisfaction with the relevance of the general courses is subject to improvement. The group of unsatisfied students is considered too large and is planned to be addressed in the coming period. The performance of the specific courses is acceptable with positive development throughout the period. The group of not satisfied students is too high in this relation. The relevance of the specific courses faces a substantial challenge as the proportion of not satisfied students increased throughout the period. 54

73 14 External Research Stays As part of PhD training, all students are obligated to participate in external research collaboration. The doctoral schools promote a stay at an external research environment in order to fulfill this criterion. The following section presents the development in the number of students that have stayed at external research institutions. The percentage of students doing a research stay at an institution outside of Denmark has declined throughout the period, which is shown in Figure 36. The actual numbers are somewhat stable ranging from 113 to 147 students for the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science and for the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology. 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Supported External Research Stays Engineering and Science Medicine, Biomedical Science and Tech. Figure 36 Number of students taking a supported (financial support from the doctoral schools) external stay. Both doctoral schools strongly promote a stay at an external research institution as this can contribute to the PhD study on several levels. This refers to the scientific outcome, possible new angles on the project as well as networking possibilities. During the coming period the doctoral schools work on promoting this and again increase the number of students staying at external research institutions. 55

74 15 Quality Assurance The doctoral schools are continuously seeking to improve all aspects of PhD study. This applies to elements related to the overall performance of the doctoral schools as well as for the individual PhD projects. This section contains information regarding development projects and quality assurance of the following areas: Quality assurance related to the PhD study (applications, study plans etc.). Quality assurance of the supervision. Quality assurance of courses. Quality assurance of administration. The measures taken with respect to quality assurance have mainly happened over the last few years, which is time wise aligned with the significant increase in intake of students. This dramatic change in the number of enrolled students demanded some stronger focus on quality assurance and this area has also been important for the ministry for further education The PhD Study Employment and Enrollment Some PhD students are employed via a stipend, which they have applied for in open competition (unless the financing entity has decided in advance whom to employ). Other students bring their own funding and thus do not depend on a stipend. For both types of students, enrollment is necessary before they are formally PhD students. No matter financing source the same requirements must be met for enrollment. All applicants for PhD vacancies are provided with an assessment of their application for enrollment/employment. The recruitment of candidates is essential for the quality of the PhD study and care must be taken in the assessment of potential candidates for enrollment. In terms of responsibility it is important to understand that the employment is under the department whereas enrollment as PhD student in the doctoral school is under the PhD Study Director. For both employed students via stipends and self-financed students an application must include a cover letter, copy of all educations documents including grades, CV and a project proposal. Applications that do not comply with the registration requirements are subject to administrative rejection. Similarly, applications that are submitted after the deadline are not considered. 56

75 The assessment committee is composed of the 1) potential supervisor for the project (associate professor or professor), and 2) the head of the assigned doctoral program (who is also an associate professor or professor). These make an assessment of the qualifications of the candidate. When assessing the applications the following elements are addressed: Relevance of master s program and grades. Previous accomplishments, publications etc. Project description. Also the head of department must recommend enrollment before final assessment by the PhD Study Director. In case the student has an education that is not certain to comply with formal rules for enrollment, the PhD Study Director requests an assessment by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science. Furthermore, the PhD Study Director reviews all candidates for enrollment. The procedures for this has been strengthened recently due to some of the statistics presented earlier which indicated that the selection procedure with advantage could be strengthened. Furthermore, good English skills are a mandatory requirement for any enrolled student. Should an assessment committee reach the conclusion that none of the submitted applications comply with the requirements set forth, it is recommended to the Dean that the position is not awarded to any of the current applicants. All applicants are provided with a rejection letter and an assessment as required in the ministerial order. The combination of the steps described above provides a relatively thorough assessment process, which ensures that candidates that are not eligible or unfit to engage in a PhD study are rejected. Within the two doctoral schools there are several initiatives aimed at maintaining a high level of quality in relation to employment and enrollment. The process related to the selection of candidates for a stipend is, as described above, relatively extensive and fully aligned with what is stated in the ministerial order. Some further actions are proposed later though. The number of deregistered students is stable at the end of the period and it is fair to assume that the initiatives implemented in relation to quality assurance of the individual studies are having an effect. For the coming period, the additional initiatives implemented, such as the electronic registration process related to PhD plans, are expected to improve the development. Generally, in relation to deregistered students, it is important to remember that a substantial number of them are deregistered due to events that the doctoral schools are not able to affect. Also some are bound to start a job which may turn out 57

76 not to be the right one for the individual. Therefore a total elimination of deregistered students is not considered possible nor is it desirable Introductory Course As a mandatory step at the early stages of PhD study, all PhD students are informed of the introductory course in their enrollment/employment letter. It is emphasized to the student that the course is strongly recommended and it is expected that the course be attended as soon as possible. The course is seen as a key element in relation to ensuring a good PhD study and is especially aimed at ensuring that all students get off to a good start. The course covers all aspects of the life as a PhD student and prepares the student for the study. The course has special emphasis on the formal rules of Danish PhD studies, the rights and duties as a PhD student and not least information on how to compose the 2-months study plan demanded by the PhD Order. In addition, also focusing on code of research conduct is essential for the introductory courses The PhD Board with participation from selected supervisors, the PhD secretariat and other relevant lecturers organize the course PhD Plans All PhD students are obligated to present the initial PhD plan within two months of their enrollment. In addition to this, the doctoral schools have implemented the updated PhD plan, which is due after 11 months of study. The 11-month plan was introduced as recognition of the fact that it is very difficult to provide a detailed study plan so early in the study, which is likely to work for the entire three years of study. In connection with the 11-month updated plan, all students enrolled under the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Engineering are obligated to conduct a pre-defense, which is intended to improve the outcome of the final PhD plan and possibly the final achievement of the PhD degree. An internal opponent is assigned to the pre-defense and a statement from the opponent and the main supervisor following the event indicates whether or not the student is eligible to continue with the study. In case of requested revisions the student presents a cover letter stating the revisions done based on the recommendations from the opponent. Experiences so far have shown that this initiative is highly supportive for both PhD-students and supervisors. Certain programs under the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science have also adapted the idea of a pre-defense. This includes one of the largest programs, Planning and Development. The pre-defense is considered as optional for the departments and whether or not to implement it is continuously assessed in 58

77 the individual programs. This area is also part of the plans for future changes in the quality assurance as described in the following section Progress Monitoring For each individual PhD study there is an ongoing process related to quality assurance. Every six months, the supervisor must forward a 6-month declaration stating the progress of the student. Recently, in 2014, we have started using an electronic web-based system, which supports this process and ensures that automatic reminders are issued, that the PhD Study Director is informed in case of problems etc. Via this system it is also possible for the supervisor and/or student to request a meeting with the PhD Study Director and/or the head of the assigned doctoral program. Students that are dissatisfied with their supervision or other aspects of their study are able to complain outside the context of the 6-month declaration. In addition to the options presented above, the supervisor and the student are obligated to create a student/supervisor agreement as part of the 2-month PhD plan. The scope of this agreement is to ensure that the expectations of the two parties towards each other are aligned, which internationally studies have shown to be very important for the success of a PhD study. When approving the PhD plans the heads of programs are instructed to pay particular notice to the student/supervisor agreement. All approved study plans are obviously made to comply with finalization in three years as expected from the PhD Order. Since this does not always happen it must mean that many study plans are not followed. It is not surprising that research cannot be anticipated in all cases but it does indicate that the study plans are not sufficiently updated. The PhD Study Directors have increased the focus on the continuous quality assurance and have for example made clear procedures for handling of reestablishment requests from the supervisor. A supervisor can request a reestablishment of a PhD study in case the student does not follow the plan and/or the quality of the work is not at the required level at the given time in the study. Providing clear guidelines and fair handling of such situations have also led to an increase in the number of reestablishment initiatives from 6 in 2010 (554 enrolled students) to 9 at the end of 2013 (633) enrolled students. Some supervisors believe that three years for a PhD study is insufficient and this demands a change of traditions that is time consuming. The doctoral schools therefore argue that the current processes are working as intended but it is an area of utmost importance to monitor and address such that it is clear to both supervisors and students that time is a scarce resource. In the evaluation period (prior to the new electronic administrative system) the doctoral schools were facing some challenges in relation to the approach used for the 6-month declaration. The PhD secretariat submitted all declarations directly by internal mail to the supervisors that were required to produce a 6-59

78 month declaration. This distribution format did not work well. It demanded lots of manual work and many errors happened along the way statements got lost, some were never completed etc. Furthermore, feedback from some departments showed that the paper form was unsatisfactory for many supervisors and students. 16 In the last quarter of 2013, the doctoral schools began testing a new approach to solve these issues with the 6-month declaration. The registration system PhD Manager is set to administer the process of sending and approving all 6-month declarations. This eliminates the chances of material getting lost and ensures that all parties are notified on time. The system automatically generates a mail and notifies the supervisor when a declaration is due furthermore, this is time-wise aligned with the given starting date of the PhD project. The supervisor must sign in and approve that everything is proceeding in accordance with the PhD plan and if this is not the case the supervisor must comment on potential issues. The student is then notified and asked to assess the declaration and approve/reject it. The entire process is set to be fully automatic and is expected to greatly improve the application and outcome of the 6-month declaration to make it an efficient tool for the PhD Study Directors to intervene at an early time in case of problems. For the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology, a status-portfolio has been included in the 6-month declarations in which the PhD student adds progress since the last status declaration. This portfolio is uploaded to the PhD manager system in relation to the 6-month status so a direct evaluation of the progress in accordance with the study plan is possible. The Doctoral School of Engineering and Science is considering adopting this procedure Assessment Committee The department hosting the PhD student proposes the assessment committee for the thesis evaluation. Guidelines and formal rules exist for how assessment committees should be formed to ensure a competent committee while also ensuring that conflict of interest situations do not occur. A checklist must be provided by the department, which would catch some of the potential conflict of interest. This checklist as well as updated CVs for all three committee members is submitted to the PhD board for processing. The PhD board recommends approval to the Dean who formally is responsible for the selection of assessment committees Thesis Submission The submission of the PhD thesis has been formalized to ensure that all necessary documents are always present before an assessment committee starts the assessment. The documents include printed versions of the thesis, a searchable PDF of the thesis, co-author statements and supervisor statement. A checklist must 16 The students also having to sign the declaration, which added to the process of sending it back and forth, which, further increased the chances of the declaration getting lost. 60

79 be supplied for each thesis. This means that assessment is first commenced when all required documents are present and approved. We routinely scan all PhD theses for potential plagiarism and formal procedures exist in case of problems. At the moment a new automated procedure is close to implementation, which handles all the collection of material and ensures preservation policies for delivered and assessed theses. Also a plagiarism check is then automatically handled. In case of potential problems the Academic Council has decided formal rules and procedures to apply to ensure a proper and fair handling of the thesis Preliminary and Final Assessment Reports The preliminary and final assessments reports are always read at the doctoral school. For the preliminary statements the secretariat members read the statements and reports to the PhD Study Director if there appears to be an obvious conflict between the assessment and the conclusion and it is also assured that the statement does not include any conditional recommendations. Conditional recommendations are not allowed according to the PhD Order. These measures have proven to be important for proper handling of the assessment process. Information on the formal rules is provided to everyone involved but it apparently takes time before the correct procedures are common knowledge, although improvements have been seen. In terms of final assessments, the PhD Study Director reads all of these to ensure that they comply with formal requirements, to ensure consistency between assessment and conclusion and to ensure that the recommendation of the committee is not conditional Supervision As the supervisor is a crucial part of any PhD study (excluding theses delivered for assessment without prior studies) it is important that the individual selected is qualified for the task. Therefore, the following prerequisites are the minimum set of requirements for eligibility as a supervisor: Must be at the minimum level of associate professor. Must be employed by the university and affiliated with the doctoral schools. Must be well accredited within the field of study in question. Further to this, the PhD Study Director also observes past performance of a supervisor including possible conflicts with students, if students finalize the studies successfully and generally if a supervisor demonstrates initiative and care in the supervision of students. When a PhD project is initiated the supervisor(s) and student always receives a document clarifying the expectations of the Doctoral School to the supervisor and supervision. This combined with the PhD introductory course ensures that the PhD 61

80 students know what they are entitled to in terms of supervision. It has been necessary in a number of cases for the PhD Study Directors to change a supervisor against the wish of the supervisor. Typically this has happened if a conflict has been allowed to grown beyond what mediation can help. Demanding a change of supervisor is obviously a quite severe step to take but in some cases it has been the only possible solution given the situation. This competence is given to the PhD Study Director from the PhD Order. When initially being appointed as a supervisor, the doctoral schools expect that the supervisor follow the offered workshop/course for supervisors. The course/workshop covers much of the legal framework that is relevant for any PhD supervisor, the important tasks for the supervisor and the workshop provides a forum for supervisors to discuss the challenges they meet in the daily supervision. Furthermore, the different supervisor tasks related to a PhD study is clarified during the workshop to ensure that the supervisors are able to react in due time for the different aspects in the study. This is to ensure that new supervisors are aware of the demands and expectations of their role in PhD study. The doctoral schools consider this course essential in relation to ensuring that the students receive qualified and motivated supervision. Within the coming period, the doctoral schools are considering a different approach to supervisor courses. One pilot project already planned for this is to provide a workshop in the departments, which is tailored to the challenges, met in that specific scientific area and tradition. The doctoral schools strongly encourage a certain amount of experience as a co-supervisor before being appointed as a main supervisor. The doctoral schools therefore also strongly recommend that a cosupervisor be appointed for all PhD projects. This co-supervisor is typically a younger researcher (assistant professor or postdoc) who then starts to get some supervision experience. Also it is known from the PhD student that having a co-supervisor is a big help during the study to get a different perspective and there is always a supervisor to contact should one of them be travelling or similar Courses As some of the earlier presented data show, the doctoral schools have some challenges related to courses to ensure quality and relevance. The PhD Boards have clear ambitions to focus on courses some challenges for the doctoral schools, improving aspects related to the PhD courses is a key element in the coming period. This applies to both general and specific courses. The doctoral schools are very focused on providing a substantial and relevant course catalogue. In order to support this development the course catalogue is created by the following: Heads of the different programs and the PhD students. 62

81 Academic staff. PhD board. This composition ensures that the course program is relevant within the different fields and that current trend and developments are reflected in the catalogue. Furthermore the PhD students can always propose subjects for courses to the program heads. As mentioned, this possibility is a chance for PhD students to influence the course catalogue for the coming year and they are encouraged to do this. As the courses are planned on an annual basis, it is important that all PhD students are made aware of this possibility in due time as their PhD plans often are quite stringent. The course evaluation forms are the strongest tools of the doctoral school in relation to improving the aspects that the students are dissatisfied with in relation to the courses. For the coming period, the implementation of the forms is subject to a substantial revision. A screening process of all evaluations with an increased focus on the comments provided by the students is one option that is under consideration. The information that is obtained via these forms is distributed to the personnel affiliated with the course catalogue. These are reviewed prior to deciding on the final composition of the course catalogue. However, this is a very time consuming tasks, as the information must be manually processed which need to be improved by some computer system tools Administration Task Organized Workflow Until 2013 the secretariat was organized according to tasks such that one staff member had all enrollments, another handled all courses, one handled 6-months plans etc. This organization was changed to better adapt to the secretariat being a service provider for departments, students and supervisors. An internal poll on user satisfaction has clearly shown that the users of the secretariat appreciate this change. After some initial challenges the new organization is working well and is acknowledged to be an advantage for both the secretariat staff and the users. There are still areas, which need to be fine-tuned but overall this has been a significant improvement in the quality of the secretariat. This has also been acknowledged in user surveys on the quality and service provided by the secretariat Casework To ensure an efficient administration with a low number of errors in the processing we have developed clear procedures for all standard tasks. This ensures a low error rate and also means that all students are 63

82 treated the same way. In case of non-trivial tasks the PhD Study Directors are involved to find a solution to the challenges. 64

83 16 Focus Areas The doctoral schools aim to continuously improve all aspects of the PhD study. Over the last two years a substantial number of new initiatives have started and therefore the coming period is mainly a follow-up and adjustment to many of these initiatives. This section provides some information on this The PhD Study As indicated in the statistical part of the present self-evaluation both the dropout rate and time to complete the studies can be improved. Different measures can be considered for this and the following subsections propose some possible initiatives that are being considered Candidate Assessment Already new measures have been taken to improve the screening of candidates for PhD positions. Routinely the PhD Study Director requests statements from the Ministry of Higher Education and Science for candidates with educations that are not known to be at level with Danish 2-year master programs, which is necessary according to the PhD Order. Formally, the departments have the employment responsibility while the PhD Study Director handles the enrollment. Some differences among the departments do exist and it is the plan to introduce some minimum requirements for any assessment, which could include things like: - Mandatory English language test (oral and written test). - Documents from universities that are unknown to the doctoral schools are routinely checked for legality. - That marks if necessary, must be translated to Danish standards. The PhD secretariat is responsible for this procedure It is very important to find a balance between obeying the law for handling applications while ensuring that the assessment committee uses the majority of their time on the selected few best applicants. This area is continuously considered and a revision of the area is currently taking place One Year Assessment One thing being discussed at the moment at the Doctoral School for Engineering and Science is to introduce a mandatory 1-year assessment where the student must present the work done so far and have clear plans for the final two years of the study (as already implemented in one version at the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology). The original study plan, a revised study plan, a first paper draft and other relevant material must be present in due time for the assessment. Participants in the 65

84 assessment are the student, the main supervisor, the co-supervisor, the head of program (or a representative for that person) as well as a scientific staff member, which is not from the same research group. As assessment is made for the study so far and comments on the scientific progress and quality level must be described. Recommendations should be made ranging from e.g. 1) progress and scientific level as planned, 2) scientific level is adequate but the plan must be revised, 3) the study is not yet in a serious state but the progress should be closely monitored, and 4) recommendation to the supervisor to file a request for reestablishment of the study. The plan for how to precisely introduce such a 1-year assessment is being considered by the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science by the PhD Board and the PhD Study Director Extension Beyond the Nominated 3 Years At the moment no particular measures are taken if a study extends beyond the planned three years. Given the statistics in terms of completion time being at national average level of about 3.8 years indicates that progress should be possible. One possibility that has been considered by the PhD Study Directors is to reverse the situation we have today where continued enrollment is expected by default. We could reverse the situation to only continue enrollment after application. This application should clearly state why the study is delayed despite a study plan indicating the work should be finalized already, and it should include a plan for finalization. Should this be taken seriously it could also be considered if several delays or dropouts of a given supervisor without good reasons should have some consequences for future supervision possibilities Supervision All international studies on the subject of supervision clarifies that this area is of very high importance for the success/failure of a PhD study. Improving the quality of supervision is an immense task but one that cannot be underestimated in terms of importance. Different options are considered including setting different bounds on the maximum number of students a given supervisor may have mandatory use of cosupervisors etc Student Feedback By previous experience it is generally difficult to get useful information from the students as to the quality of the supervision they receive. With the new web-based administration system that was recently launched we may have the possibility to acquire information of more general skills that the PhD student would like to see in the supervision. This information can be acquired without blaming one specific supervisor, but general trends in some departments of research groups can be better supported once the information is 66

85 available. It is the plan to involve the students more in how and what areas they would like to see the supervision strengthened Workshops As indicated already, an initiative has been taken to make supervisor workshops in the departments, as this may be better in terms of outcome for the participants and more efficient in terms of invested resources. The idea is that the challenges seen from the supervisor side are often similar in the same environment/department but not necessarily across departments. Bringing together both experienced and less experienced supervisors may provide a forum for exchange of ideas and challenges. We aim to bring PhD supervision into the mindset of the supervisor to keep focus on that very important aspect of a PhD study. After a number of these pilot trials, the PhD Boards and PhD Study Directors evaluate the outcome, seeking to find a model for near future use to support PhD supervision skills. It is likely that different offers for the supervisors must be available and in the next year or so there are two possibilities: 1) is the pilot type of workshop, and 2) is the more traditional type of workshop already mentioned which is open to everyone interested Courses At the moment the doctoral schools have a rich and varied course program. However, with the latest revision of the PhD Order it has become possible to be even more flexible with respect to courses than earlier. It is the plan to inform students and supervisors of other possibilities of courses and describe how these can be formally approved as courses. This could include small study circles, course like stays in a company etc. as long as specific learning objectives can be described. Based on feedback from the students it is continuously important to ensure that learning objectives are clear for the courses as well as the expectations of the students. Furthermore it is necessary to find an efficient way to assess the quality, which at the moment is based on time consuming manual handling of individual course reports. One obvious path is to consider expanding the PhD Manager system to being able to handle such evaluation to ensure a rapid feedback, which can also be useful for the PhD Study Directors Administration The administration has undergone significant changes in 2013 and each department now has a fixed contact person at the PhD secretariat. This has demanded many changes and has also proven to raise the quality as experienced by the users of the secretariat. The most critical parts at this time are to continuously make the procedures more efficient and to keep information for users up to date. 67

86 Homepage The homepage of the doctoral schools is in need of a significant update. The general appearance is not quite up to date with present day s expectations and it does also not conform to the new university style for homepages. Further to this an update on structure and content is needed and planned Course Administration The doctoral schools use the same Moodle system for course administration as the regular studies at Aalborg University. The use of Moodle has brought many challenges and many of these still remain to be solved. A continuous effort is needed to simplify the use of Moodle for the students and lecturers, and the secretariat plays a key role in this. 68

87 Den 13. januar 2015 Møde i akademisk råd, Det Sundhedsvidenskabelige Fakultet. Møde nr.: den 21. januar 2015 Dagsordens punkt nr. 5: Drøftelse/evaluering af proces for nedsættelse af bedømmelsesudvalg og evt. tildeling af ph.d.-grader via skriftlige høringer, Det Sundhedsvidenskabelige Fakultet Sagsbehandler: Ann Karina Schelde Sagsfremstilling: Efter aftale i akademisk råd skal proces for skriftlige høringer evalueres på akademisk råds møde i januar 2015 mhp. at drøfte den fremadrettede proces for nedsættelse af bedømmelsesudvalg og evt. tildeling af ph.d.-grader. Processen for skriftlige høringer i 2014 har både ført til positive tilkendegivelser samt givet bevidsthed om udfordringer/forbedringer, som fakultetsadministrationen fremadrettet vil være opmærksomme på. Forslag til procesplan for skriftlige høringer i akademisk råd 2015 er vedlagt i særskilt bilag. Der lægges op til skriftlige høringer i de måneder, hvor der ikke afholdes akademisk råds møder (dog med undtagelse af juni måned). Vedlagte bilag: Procesplan for nedsættelse af bedømmelsesudvalg og evt. tildeling af ph.d.-grader i akademisk råd, SUND. Indstilling: Det indstilles, at der gennemføres skriftlige høringer i akademisk råd i 2015 jf. forslag til procesplan og at processen evalueres på akademisk råds møde i januar 2016.

88 Fakultetskontoret for Det Sundhedsvidenskabelige Fakultet og Det Teknisk-Naturvidenskabelige Fakultet Niels Jernes Vej Aalborg Øst HR-centeret Dato: Procesplan for nedsættelse af bedømmelsesudvalg og for tildeling af ph.d.-grader i akademisk råd, SUND Nedsættelse af bedømmelsesudvalg og evt. tildeling af ph.d.-grader i akademisk råd, SUND i 2015 sker ved skriftlig høring jf. følgende plan: Punkter sendes i høring Mandag den 2. februar Tirsdag den 7. april Mandag den 1. juni Mandag den 10. august Mandag den 2. november Frist for tilbagemelding fra AR Mandag den 9. februar Mandag den 13. april Mandag den 8. juni Mandag den 17. august Mandag den 9. november Skriftlige høringer vedr. indstillinger om sammensætning af bedømmelsesudvalg til videnskabelige stillinger (og evt. tildeling af ph.d.-grader) vil blive udsendt via med en frist på 7 dage. Dokumentation der ligger til grund for nedsættelse af bedømmelsesudvalg vil være en oversigt over bedømmelsesudvalgets medlemmer med angivelse af, hvem der er formand samt CV er for de eksterne bedømmere og stillingsopslaget. Dokumentation der ligger til grund for tildeling af ph.d.-grader vil være indstilling fra instituttet, hvor den pågældende ph.d.-studerende er tilknyttet samt bedømmelsesudvalgets endelige indstilling. Tilbagemelding fra akademisk råds medlemmer Der skal aktivt meldes tilbage fra akademisk råds medlemmer. Ingen indsigelser Såfremt der ikke er indsigelser sendes der udelukkende svar/tilkendegivelse til sekretæren for akademisk råd. Indsigelser Såfremt der er bemærkninger og/eller indsigelser sendes der svar/tilkendegivelse til alle på akademisk råds mailliste. Side 1 af 2

89 Alle bemærkninger/kommentarer der måtte indkomme under en skriftlig høring, vil blive forelagt og drøftet med dekanen/formanden - hvorefter der vil ske tilbagemelding til akademisk råd via mail. Et medlem kan ligeledes begære en sag behandlet på det førstkommende møde i akademisk råd. Ved tvivlsspørgsmål vil sagen altid blive behandlet på det førstkommende møde. Inhabilitet Såfremt et medlem erklærer sig inhabil i relation til behandling af en konkret sag informeres sekretæren herom. Sekretæren informerer de øvrige af rådets medlemmer med information om, at den efterfølgende korrespondance ikke sendes til pågældende medlem. Vedkommende er ikke stemmeberettiget i den aktuelle sag. Medlemmet skal selv oplyse ved tilbagemeldingen, at sag nr. XX ikke er behandlet grundet inhabilitet. Kontaktpersoner Der skal sendes mail til sekretær for akademisk råd og HR-medarbejder Dini Boer dbo@adm.aau.dk. Evaluering Proces for skriftlig høring evalueres på akademisk råds møde i januar 2016 mhp. at drøfte den fremadrettede proces for nedsættelse af bedømmelsesudvalg og for evt. tildeling af ph.d.-grader. Side 2 af 2

90 Det Sundhedsvidenskabelige Fakultet - Fortegnelse over sager godkendt af Dekanen i perioden Periode Institut Kode Ansættelse/genansættelse af videnskabelige assistenter Fra Til Michael Brun Jensen HST A2 Kenneth Kastaniegaard HST 1F Steffan Wittrup Christensen HST A2 Aziza Azimi DCM A2 Alex Skovsbo Jørgensen HST A2/1F Clara Schaarup HST A2 Steen Møller Hansen HST 1F Christine Benn Christiansen DCM 2F Tanja Kim Jensen HST 1F Federico Arguissain HST 1F Ansættelse/genansættelse af Klinisk Assistent Joanna Eliza Szpejewska DCM 1F Thure Overvad DCM 1F Christian Kruse DCM A2 (u) Ansættelse/genansættelse af Klinisk Lærer Sigve Wilhelm Christensen DCM A1 (u) Jeanette Hauge Kristensen DCM A1 (u) Chris Bath Søndergaard DCM A1 (u) Sazan Al Kole DCM A2 Chris Andersen DCM A2 Ansættelse/genansættelse af adjunkter (tidsbegrænset) Andrew Stevenson HST A1 Thorvaldur Palsson HST A1 Anne Randorff Højen HST A1 Sabata Gervasio HST A1 Ken Steffen Frahm HST A1 Jakob Dideriksen HST A1 Andreas Petri DCM A2 Ansættelse/genansættelse af PostDoc Michael Rützler HST A2 (i) Kristian Kjær Petersen HST (1) bev. Ansættelse af klinisk lektorer

91 Søren Hagstrøm DCM A1 (u) Helle Damgaard Zacho DCM A1 (u) Ansættelse af studielektorer Karsten Ulrik Niss HST 1F Pia Britt Elberg HST 1F Ansættelse/genansættelse af Klinisk professorer Niels Bentzen DCM 1F Opsigelser Charlotte Sørensen HST Steffan W. Christensen HST Christine Benn Christiansen DCM Ulrik Baandrup DCM Ansættelse/genansættelse af undervisningsassistenter Søren Valgreen Knudsen Sabrina Just Kousgaard Kasper Sørensen Hiva Alipour Gustav Valentin B. Sørensen HST HST HST HST HST Opslag af stillinger Klinisk lektor ved ACT (KL201431) Klinisk lektor i kirurgi (KL201430) Kodeforklaring A1: Ansættelse med opslag; A1 (u) kommer udefram; A1 (i) intern ans. A2: Ansættelse uden opslag (tidsbegrænset); A2 (u) kommer udefra; A2 (i) intern ans. 1F: 1. forlængelse 2F: 2. forlængelse G: Genansættelse O: Oprykning Å: Overtaget fra Århus iflg. Aftale mel. Region Nordjylland og Aalborg Sygehus

92 Det Sundhedsvidenskabelige Fakultet Forskerskolen MAB 561/ Referat af ph.d.-udvalgsmøde den med indstillinger til Akademisk Råd. Tilstede: Afbud: Referent: Ole K. Andersen (OKA) Thomas Graven-Nielsen (TGN) Ulrik Baandrup (UB) Trine Fink (TF) Erik Berg Schmidt (EBS) Michael Kruse Olesen (MIKO) Kirstine Sneider (KS) Lone Sarauw (LSAR) Helen K. Kristensen (HEK) Steve Rees (SR) Søren Risum Kristensen (SRK) Maria Bredvig (MAB) 1. Godkendelse af referat fra møde den Referatet blev godkendt. MAB vil fremover arbejde på at få referaterne udsendt kort tid efter mødet. 2. a. Nedsættelse af bedømmelsesudvalg for cand.med. Søren Ballegaards ph.d.-afhandling: Pressure pain sensitivity of the chest bone as a new biological measure of physiolology, Institut for Medicin og Sundhedsteknologi Ph.d.-udvalget godkendte bedømmelsesudvalget. b. Nedsættelse af bedømmelsesudvalg for cand.polyt. Kresten Kjær Petersens ph.d.-afhandling: Chronic pain after total knee replacement, Institut for Medicin og Sundhedsteknologi Ph.d.-udvalget kunne ikke godkende bedømmelsesudvalget. Ph.d.-udvalget vurderer ikke det ene af de foreslåede eksterne medlemmer af bedømmelsesudvalget som ekstern, da han ser ud til at være klinisk lektor på AAU. Der bedes derfor fremsendt forslag til et nyt eksternt medlem. Såfremt instituttet er uenig i dette, bedes der venligst fremsendt en redegørelse herfor. c. Nedsættelse af bedømmelsesudvalg for cand.med. Jacob Moesgaard Larsens ph.d.-afhandling: The St. Jude Medical Riata defibrillator lead Forskerskolen ved Det Sundhedsvidenskabelige Fakultet Telefon: Fax: Aalborg Universitet mab@adm.aau.dk Niels Jernes Vej Aalborg Øst

93 Det Sundhedsvidenskabelige Fakultet Forskerskolen advisory Experience from a Danish nationwide cohort, Institut for Medicin og Sundhedsteknologi Ph.d.-udvalget godkendte bedømmelsesudvalget. d. Nedsættelse af bedømmelsesudvalg for cand.polyt Sofyan Hammads ph.d.-afhandling: Intra-cortical Brain Computer interface systems based on advanced digital signal processing techniques, Institut for Medicin og Sundhedsteknologi Ph.d.-udvalget godkendte bedømmelsesudvalget. e. Nedsættelse af bedømmelsesudvalg for cand.polyt. Steffen Vangsgaards ph.d.-afhandling: Modulations of the human trapezius muscle H-reflex following eccentric exercise", Institut for Medicin og Sundhedsteknolog Ph.d.-udvalget godkendte bedømmelsesudvalget. 3. Krav om erfaring med vejledning/bedømmelse i bedømmelsesudvalg for alle medlemmer? Sekretariatet fremsender link til notat om bedømmelsesudvalgets sammensætning. Mindst et eksternt medlem skal have erfaring med ph.d.-bedømmelse. Det vil sige, det er ikke det samlede udvalg altså kan det ikke være den interne bedømmer, som har erfaringen. 4. International evaluering af forskerskolen endelig rapport og diskussion af initiativer o Introduktionskurset. Kan vi kombinere vores nye introkursus omkring videnskabelig redelighed/etik med praktiske forhold omkring ph.d. -planen (svarende til Tek-Nats introkursus) og gøre dette obligatorisk? o Kan internationale summer-schools være mulige ph.d.- kurser? o Forbedring af 6-mdr evalueringen o Vejlederkorpset: hvorledes sikres løbende, at alle vejledere har de fornødne kompetencer? OKA gennemgik baggrunden for den internationale evaluering. Det har været en lang proces. Herefter gennemgik OKA hovedpunkterne i rapporten. Processen med at implementere punkterne fra evalueringen skal finde sted hen over efteråret. Det vil sige, at der f.eks. skal ligge en færdig plan for et introkursus til næste møde i ph.d.-udvalget. På næste møde i ph.d.-udvalget skal det diskuteres, hvad der kan medregnes i de 30 ECTS kurser. F.eks. sommerskoler, studiekredse mv. Evalueringen anbefaler, at der følges op på, at alle vejledere deltager i et vejlederkursus inkl. erfarne vejledere. TGN: Ønsker ikke at tvinge folk til at deltage i kurser, som de ikke ønsker at deltage i. I stedet kunne man bede hver vejleder indlevere et dokument/notat, Forskerskolen ved Det Sundhedsvidenskabelige Fakultet Telefon: Fax: Aalborg Universitet mab@adm.aau.dk Niels Jernes Vej Aalborg Øst

94 Det Sundhedsvidenskabelige Fakultet Forskerskolen som beskriver deres syn på vejledning, og hvorledes de vil gribe vejledning an, og hvordan de vil udvikle sig. Vejlederne skal reflektere over det at være vejleder. Men Forskerskolen skal selvfølgelig også kunne tilbyde noget til nye vejledere. OKA: Det eksisterende vejlederkursus skal stadig køre, men man kunne overveje at hente kursusholdere ind fra kurset for erfarne vejledere, som snart afholdes i Vejle og høre, om de ville køre et kursus i Aalborg. Oplæg på næste møde vedr. kvalitetssikring af vejledning. EBS: Man kunne rundsende en anbefaling til alle vejledere, når vejlederkurset nærmer sig og give de bedste anbefalinger med. Således at folk bliver opmærksomme på kurset. MAB: Oplyser at der pt. er to tilmeldte til vejlederkurset i november, heraf én fra SUND. Vedr. forbedring af halvårsevalueringen fik evalueringspanelet den gamle version af evalueringen uden portfolio-dokumentet. Det vil sige, at punktet faktisk allerede er imødekommet. 5. Generelle ph.d.-kurser 2015 TGN: På TEKNAT har man besluttet, at man kører de samme generelle kurser i 2015 som i 2014 minus de kurser, som er blevet aflyst. SUND har fået mulighed for at byde ind med forslag til nye kurser. OKA: Umiddelbart er der formentlig ikke nogle SUND generelle kurser, som vil have interesse over en bred kam inden for både TEKNAT og SUND. Økonomirammen skal fastlægges, inden den konkrete planlægning kan finde sted. Opfordrer til at programmerne allerede nu går i gang med at indkalde kursusforslag inden for de enkelte programmer. 6. Meddelelser TGN: Da Institut for Læring og Filosofi ikke længere er en del af Det Sundhedsvidenskabelige Fakultet, er man ved at kigge på en ny mulig programansvarlig for Health Education, Organisations and Ethics. 7. Eventuelt Intet. Forskerskolen ved Det Sundhedsvidenskabelige Fakultet Telefon: Fax: Aalborg Universitet mab@adm.aau.dk Niels Jernes Vej Aalborg Øst

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