HRA Monday Lecture on Good Supervision

Monday, 7 June 2021, 4-5:30 pm, the event takes place in English

Structured in two parts, this session will open the lecture series with an overview by Stan Taylor of the key findings of an international project, which has sought to compare and contrast the extent to which supervision has been professionalized in 21 countries across the globe. Karen Clegg will then focus on the UK experience, exploring the multiple roles that supervisors play, how they are being trained and supported and the emerging discussion around best practice and professionalization of doctoral supervision.

Stan Taylor and Karen Clegg, representatives of the UK Council for Graduate Education and both experienced experts in the field for many years, seek to inspire, through reference to empirical evidence and practice, debate about what constitutes good and best practice in supervision. This will be achieved by comparing the ways in which different countries and individual institutions have adapted to the changing cultural and economic contexts in which they operate and to look in greater detail at one case study, that of the United Kingdom.

Professor Stan Taylor was formerly Director of the Centre for Academic and Researcher Development at the University of Durham, UK. He has facilitated workshops for supervisors in universities across Europe and in the Far East. He is an active researcher and has numerous publications in the field. He is Chair of the Research Supervisor Network of the UK Council for Graduate Education, a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Recent publications include:

• Taylor, S. (2021) Towards Describing the Doctoral Education Landscape. UK Council for Graduate Education.
• Taylor, S. and Humphrey, R. (2021) A Guide for Research Supervisors in Organisations Outside Higher Education. UK Council for Graduate Education.
• Taylor, S., Kiley M. and Holley, K.A. [Eds.] (2021) The Making of Doctoral Supervisors. London, Routledge. For details https://bit.ly/2IWMbDa
• Kumar, S., Kumar, V. and Taylor, S. (2020) A Guide to Online Supervision. UK Council for Graduate Education.

Dr Karen Clegg is Head of the Research Excellence Training Team at the University of York, UK and is responsible for the strategic development of the University's support and provision for postgraduate research students, research staff and doctoral supervisors. Karen is an elected member of the UK Council for Graduate Education (2020 - 2023) and is currently leading a UKCGE project exploring Best Practice in Doctoral Supervision sponsored by the Wellcome Trust and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Karen is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a trained coach and an experienced conference speaker. Recent relevant publications:

• Braccia, E., Clegg, K., Davies, J., Palmer, N. and Smith, M. (2021) Crisis as Opportunity: the challenges for (Business) Doctoral Schools. In Global Focus, the EfMD Buisness Magazine.
• Taylor, S. and Clegg, K. (2021) Towards a framework for the recognition of good supervisory practice. In Lee, A. and Bongaardt, R. (Eds). The future of doctoral education, Routledge. 

Monday, 14 June 2021, 4-5:30 pm, the event takes place in English

Sometimes PhD supervision feels natural and easy, but in other cases it is much more of a challenge to be an effective and supportive supervisor. Research shows that highly effective doctoral supervisors invest in building up a trustful relationship from the beginning and are very aware of cues that indicate whether their PhD students are thriving and progressing. To become a good supervisor for a broad variety of PhD students it is helpful to professionalize your supervision, so you are no longer solely dependent on the ‘good chemistry’ between you and the PhD student.

Basic communicative tools can help you detect what kind of support each PhD student needs and help you build a constructive relationship. At the lecture, we will give a brief introduction to:

• Active listening which can help you detect how you best support each new PhD student
• Gurr’s alignment model which can facilitate a dialogue on independence and support
• Meta communicative strategies to make your feedback more effective

These tools have proven to be very helpful for supervisors at all career stages. The seminar will also allow you to briefly discuss your supervision experiences with the other participants.

Mirjam Godskesen, PhD, is an independent consultant and researcher with an affiliation to Aalborg University in Denmark, where she was formerly an Associate Professor. She has facilitated and developed workshops for doctoral supervisors since 2008 and now leads workshops across Europe. Her particular focus is upon how supervisors can raise their awareness on communication in their supervisory practice.

Gitte Wichmann-Hansen, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Research Director at the Centre for Educational Development, Aarhus University. She has 20+ years of experience with running supervisor development programs in Higher Education institutions. Based on her research, she has developed a rich showcase of concrete advice on how to promote independent students, who drive their own research projects forward.

Recent publications include:

• Wichmann-Hansen, G., Godskesen, M., & Kiley, M. (2020) Successful development programs for experienced doctoral supervisors – What does it take? International Journal for Academic Development, 25(2), 176-82. The article was shortlisted for Article of the Year Award.
• Wichmann-Hansen, G. & Godskesen, M. (2020) Doctoral Supervision in Denmark. In S. Taylor, M. Kiley & K.Holley (Eds.), The Making of Doctoral Supervisors (pp. 46-54) London, Routledge.

Best Practice an der Universität Hamburg

Montag, 21. Juni 2021, 16-17 Uhr, die Veranstaltung findet auf Deutsch statt

Regelmäßige, strukturierte Feedbackgespräche sind, neben der intensiven Vermittlung von Fachexpertise, der entscheidende Schlüssel für eine gute Betreuung, die neben der eigentlichen Doktorarbeit auch die Karriereentwicklung von Nachwuchswissenschaftlerinnen und Nachwuchswissenschaftlern in den Blick nimmt. Genau an diesem Punkt setzt der für Promovierende der Universität Hamburg, entwickelte Individual Development Plan (IDP) an. Durch spezifische Fragen und Aufgaben unterstützt ein IDP die Selbstreflexion von Promovierenden und ermöglicht die Definition konkreter Schritte zur Erreichung von Karrierezielen – auch über die Promotion hinaus. Als ein schriftlich dokumentiertes Format können Promovierende und Betreuende den IDP gemeinsam für die klare Kommunikation von Erwartungen und Perspektiven sowie auch zur Vermeidung von möglichen Konfliktfeldern nutzen.

• Der IDP als Tool der Karriereentwicklung (internationale Perspektiven und Entwicklungen)
• Vorstellung des IDP an der MIN Fakultät
• Erfahrungswerte und Anwendungsmöglichkeiten

Prof. Dr. Ingenuin Gasser, Prodekan für Internationalisierung und Nachwuchsförderung an der MIN Fakultät der Universität Hamburg

Dr. Nora Glaubrecht, verantwortlich für die Projektkoordination und Umsetzung eines Individual Development Plan als unterstützendes Element der Karriereentwicklung an der MIN Fakultät der Universität Hamburg

Projekt zur PROmovierendenBEtreuung (PROBE), gefördert durch Projektmittel der Joachim Herz Stiftung an der MIN Fakultät der Universität Hamburg