In this episode, Heledd Jarosz-Griffiths welcomes Professor Stan Taylor, Honorary Professor at Durham University and leading expert in doctoral supervision, to discuss the evolving landscape of doctoral supervision, its challenges, and future directions. With extensive experience and contributions to doctoral education, Stan shares valuable insights on effective supervision practices, inclusivity, and emerging trends.
Key takeaways:
• Evolving Challenges in Doctoral Supervision: Stan Taylor outlines key challenges supervisors face today, including Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), power imbalances, technological advancements such as AI, mental health support, career diversification for PhD graduates, and the need for proper recognition and resources for supervisors.
• Inclusive Supervision Practices: Stan emphasises the importance of adopting empathetic, pastoral supervision styles, creating peer support networks, addressing biases, and remaining flexible to accommodate diverse student needs. He advocates for proactive EDI practices to support non-traditional doctoral candidates.
• Shifts in Supervisor-Researcher Relationships: The relationship between supervisors and PhD researchers is shifting from a traditional master-apprentice model toward a more balanced, collegial relationship. This shift empowers researchers and promotes a collaborative and inclusive research culture.
• UKCGE Accreditation for Research Supervision: The UK Council for Graduate Education's accreditation has significantly impacted doctoral supervision by encouraging reflective practice and professional development. Supervisory observations and associate supervisor schemes have emerged as valuable tools for improving supervision quality.
• Future Directions in Doctoral Education: Doctoral supervision is increasingly oriented toward applied and entrepreneurial research, involving partnerships with industry and non-academic sectors. Stan highlights the 'industrial PhD' model as a promising approach, requiring supervisors to develop new collaborative skills and adapt to working beyond academia.
Links, resources, and initiatives mentioned in the episode:
• UK Council for Graduate Education (UKCGE)
•Good Supervisory Practice Framework
•UKCGE Research Supervision Recognition Programme
•Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
•Royal Society of Arts
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