Doctoral Education Research in the Global Context: Pathways and Knowledge Production

Abstract

This seminar provides an overview of international doctoral education research across the global context, examining the complexities of doctoral pathways and the role of the doctorate in global knowledge production. The speakers will introduce their latest research projects on doctoral education, ranging from the navigation of admission processes and the negotiation of student identities and career trajectories to the conceptualisation of doctoral research as a coherent body of knowledge. By exploring how these dimensions intersect, the seminar will feature a critical discussion on how the changing academic landscape and rising competition influence both the student experience and the ways in which doctoral knowledge and contributions strengthen global research capacity.

Speakers

Catherine Montgomery is Professor in the School of Education and Deputy Executive Dean (Global) for the Faculty of Social Sciences and Health at the University of Durham. She has a particular interest in transnational higher education in China and East Asia. Her recent work focuses particularly on mobilities and immobilities in international higher education and the internationalisation of curriculum and knowledge. She is Editor of Compare: a Journal of International and Comparative Education.

Jisun Jung is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include the academic profession, doctoral education, master's education, and graduate employability, primarily within the East Asian context. She serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Higher Education Research & Development.

Rille Raaper is Professor and the Director of Research in the School of Education at the University of Durham. In 2023/2024, Rille acted as the Co-Director of the Institute of Advanced Study at Durham University. Her research interests lie in the sociology of higher education, primarily concerned with the marketisation of higher education and the particular implications market forces have on current and future students. 

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