CONFERENCE
The University of Latvia (UL) has hosted the first in-person meeting of the Doctoral School's International Advisory Council, during which international experts assessed the doctoral education strategy and provided recommendations for its further development.
The meeting was attended by Board members from Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Norway and Portugal, as well as the UL Vice-Rector for Research, Associate Professor Guntars Kitenbergs, the Vice-Deans for Research of the respective faculties, and the UL Doctoral School team. The discussions reviewed the progress achieved to date and identified key challenges in the governance of doctoral studies.
Opening the meeting, the UL Vice-Rector for Research, Associate Professor Guntars Kitenbergs, outlined the University’s strategic directions for research development. The Director of the Doctoral School, Professor Zanda Rubene, presented the doctoral process strategy, the progress of its implementation, and current developments.
The International Advisory Board paid particular attention to the transition to the new doctoral model, emphasising that clear and consistent communication with doctoral candidates and the relevant structural units is essential during periods of change. The experts noted that ambiguities arising during the transition period may pose risks to the academic process; therefore, regulations, deadlines and responsibilities must be communicated regularly and in a clear and accessible manner.
The University’s progress towards a more structured approach to monitoring doctoral candidates’ advancement was assessed positively. The Board recommended the introduction of regular progress checkpoints to enable the timely identification of challenges and to ensure more effective support for doctoral candidates. At the same time, the experts underscored the need to balance quality requirements with available resources in order to avoid placing an excessive burden on academic staff.
The discussions further highlighted the importance of early conflict resolution in the working relationships between doctoral candidates and their supervisors, as well as the need for flexible arrangements for doctoral candidates with differing funding and employment circumstances, who—without appropriate support—may face an increased risk of attrition.
Meetings of the International Advisory Board constitute an important instrument in the continued development of the Doctoral School, providing independent evaluation and an international perspective on the quality of doctoral studies.
The establishment of the UL Doctoral School forms part of the activities implemented within the framework of the Recovery and Resilience Facility project “Internal and External Consolidation of the University of Latvia” (No. 5.2.1.1.i.0/2/24/I/CFLA/007), carried out by the University of Latvia in cooperation with BA School of Business and Finance. It builds upon the enhancement of doctoral studies initiated under the European Social Fund project “Strengthening Doctoral Capacity at the University of Latvia within the Framework of the New Doctoral Model” (No. 8.2.2.0/20/I/006).
The translation was prepared with the assistance of DeepL and ChatGPT, and reviewed by the editorial team.
