Let’s put on our yes-hats
PhD students can experience going from being dependent to becoming independent and, finally, interdependent. We must support this process actively and positively.
Freely translated, the PhD Order states the following:
§ 1. The PhD degree programme is an education programme for becoming a researcher and qualifies the PhD student on an international level to work independently with research, development and teaching tasks in the private and public sectors, where the prerequisite is a broad knowledge of research.
Article 2. The PhD degree programme is completed primarily by carrying out research under supervision.
This means that the student must balance between being independent and being supervised.
In the first week of October, Bent T. Christensen, Henrik Skovgaard and I participated in a mini-workshop where, among other things, we discussed this challenge across all of Aarhus University’s faculties.
An important take-home message was that as a student you should ideally go through a process where you move from being dependent to independent and, finally, interdependent.
I believe it is important that supervisors and students both are aware of that movement throughout the PhD process since the supervisory form and relation between the two parts change over time.
This issue will be brought up in the programme committee and integrated in next year’s Grand Meeting where ”Thesis Writing” will also be on the agenda. The Grand Meeting 2018 will be held in April and we would like to appeal to both students and supervisors that they don their yes-hats and participate in the meeting. The members of the PhD committee put in a lot of work and effort to develop the scientific programme and our three student members do likewise to organise the programme for the students on the evening before the meeting.
Yes, for sure, we will participate in this event, just as it should be completely natural to participate in fellow students’ scientific seminars, qualifying exams and defences, come to the coffee breaks and section meetings, and contribute to the scientific and social environment that a work place comprises.
So – put on your yes-hat and enjoy the following description of various Danish ways of saying yes provided by Copenhagen Language Center:
