With more and more quality-assurance procedures, do PhD students get better training today? Not necessarily!
How were PhD students trained thirty years ago? The student received individual supervision from his/her supervisor, from start to end. The student took as much time as needed. The student may request to change supervisor if he/she wants to.
How are PhD students trained today? The student received individual supervision from his/her supervisor. In every four to six months, they meet a Supervisory Board. They have to convince the Board that (1) The student has made sufficient progress. (2) The supervisor has given the student appropriate supervision. In other words, both the student and the supervisor are being monitored.
The Supervisory Board will write a report to the Research Progress Committee. The Committee's job is to judge: (1) The student has made sufficient progress. (2) The supervisor has given the student appropriate supervision. (3) The Supervisory Board has done its job in monitoring the student and supervisor. In other words, the student, supervisor and the Supervisory Board are being monitored.
The Research Progress Committee has to report to the Dean.
With so much quality-assurance procedures in place, surely students get better training, and get a better chance to complete their studies?
Not necessarily! An incompetent or irresponsible supervisor would be able to put all the responsibility on the students. A Supervisory Board that doesn't care can make sure that all the boxes are ticked in the form. The same applies to the Research Progress Committee. Students who do not make sufficient progress will be withdrawn.
Should the student fails to complete, nobody in the university has much to lose. None of them will be responsible for the failure (as long as all the forms are filled in).
Apart from conscientious supervisors, nobody cares about whether a student graduates or not.
Conscientious supervisors would still be good supervisor in the old system thirty years ago.
The difference is:
thirty years ago, students and supervisors did not have to report to the many boards and committees.
They could concentrate on research.
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