Introduction

The “Expert Centre R&D Monitoring” Research Group at Ghent University focuses on Human Resources in Research. This includes the production of doctoral degrees, the careers of doctoral holders and research mobility.
Ghent University develops several indicators to support the monitoring of academic Human Resources in Flanders.  In addition, the centre provides explanations for these indicators and offers advice to the Flemish government and universities. A permanent database for academic appointments combined with survey results also allows for prospective research into the careers of Ph.D. graduates, with particular focus on intersectoral and international mobility.

Contacts:
Karen.Vandevelde(at)UGent.be
Katrien.DeBoyser(at)UGent.be

Research Domains

1. Academic careers

The academic world changes constantly: the number of students at the bachelor, master and doctoral level rises sharply. However, the number of places for independent academic staff doesn’t increase at the same pace. This has major implications for the career prospects of researchers in academia. More and higher demands are being made on those who are pursuing an academic career. For the majority of doctoral students, a Ph.D. is no longer the stepping stone to a lifetime appointment at the university. Therefore increasing attention in doctoral education is given to employability in other sectors.This leads us to address various research questions, such as:

- Who gains a Ph.D.? What are the influencing factors?
- What is the value of a Ph.D.?
- How do young researchers view their professional careers?
- How can we stimulate intersectoral and international mobility amongst academic researchers?

Contact: Gert.Vandergoten(at)UGent.be

2. Human resources in research Flanders-database

ECOOM Ghent has established a structured database with data on all researchers at the Flemish universities. Besides study history and information such as gender, age and nationality, also information on their academic appointments and doctorate degree is collected. Each year, this information is being updated. With this information careers of academic researchers in Flanders can be adequately mapped.

The HRRF-database is also used to deduct indicators on doctoral careers and the production of doctorate degrees. These indicators are reported to each university in Flanders and to the government. These indicators include, amongst others:

- The population of researchers at the Flemish universities: research field, position and personal characteristics
- Entries of researchers: research field, position and personal characteristics
- Ph.D. degrees: numbers, succesrates and Ph.D. production rates
- Time-to-degree: research field, position and personal characteristics

Contact: Sofie.Jacobs(at)UGent.be; Svetlana.Jidkova(at)UGent.be

3. Intersectoral mobility

This work package focuses on the career ambitions and employment of doctorate holders in business sectors (e.g. industry & services) and the trajectories they make once they are employed outside academia.

Central questions are:
- What are the career perspectives of doctoral candidates across different fields of science?
- Are doctoral candidates adequately prepared to start a non-academic career?
- Why do doctorate holders start a career outside the university?
- What are the career possibilities of doctoral candidates across different fields of science? In which sectors do doctorate holders end up?
- Why do employers employ doctorate holders?
- To what extent can increased intersectoral collaboration smoothen intersectoral mobility?
- Does the career of doctoral holders differ from the career of master graduates?
- Does the career of doctoral holders now differ from the past?
- In what ways is the investment of the government and universities in doctorates valuable?
- What is the situation of Flanders compared to the international picture?

Quantitative and qualitative research methods are combined to gain insight in this subject.

Contact: Hannelore.DeGrande(at)UGent.be

4. International mobility

One of the key aims of the European Commission is to  develop a dynamic knowledge economy in Europe. In order to achieve this, the Lisbon Strategy has recommended the creation of a European Research Area in which researchers can move freely between European member states and where international mobility is regarded as an asset to a researcher’s career.
Our investigation covers the mobility of Flemish researchers abroad as well as of foreign researchers gaining experience in Flanders. Mapping the mobility process of researchers and developing indicators concerning incoming and outgoing mobility are the most important aims of this research topic.

The research questions are:
- How mobile are the Flemish researchers when it comes to international mobility?
- What are the most important push and pull factors for international mobility?
- Which problems do Flemish researchers experience when they stay abroad?
- How many foreign researchers are working at Flemish universities?
- How attractive is Flanders for foreign researchers?
- Do the host universities benefit from the presence of foreign researchers?

Contact: Annik.Leyman(at)UGent.be

Surveys

The survey of Junior Researchers (SJR)

This survey, concerning the careers of young researchers, was held in the autumn of 2008 at the universities of Antwerp, Brussels (VUB), Ghent and Hasselt. This websurvey was sent to 5976 researchers, of which 43,5% completed the questionnaire.
We tried to gain insight in the study and employment history of the respondents, their current employment at the university, the process of their doctorate and their future aspirations. With the results of the survey we were able to  provide policy-relevant information to various authorities and insights which will serve the needs of the social partners and the Flemish government.
At the end of 2009 the report is presented to the public by minister Ingrid Lieten.

Exit survey

The Exit survey focuses on the career paths of those who leave the university, with or without a Ph.D.. The survey deals with the three central themes of ECOOM, namely academic careers, intersectoral mobility and international mobility. In addition, the questionnaire investigates whether researchers went abroad or cooperated with other sectors during their employment at the university; why they leave the university; what they find important in choosing a job; which sector they intend to go; which function they intend to take up and which skills they find important for their future career.

The survey started at Ghent University in the spring of 2009. It also has been introduced in Antwerp in 2009 and starts in Brussels and Hasselt in the autumn of 2009.

Survey of Senior Researchers (SSR)

A survey will be held in 2010 among senior researchers at Flemish universities (postdoc and professors) to gain insight into their career paths, career perspectives, cooperation with other sectors and their experiences with international mobility. Results will be available in 2011.

Student Survey

In May 2008, Ghent University organised a survey amongst final year students to gauge their interests in an academic career. The survey also contained questions about international and intersectoral mobility. In 2009 the data retrieved from this survey were made available for ECOOM-UGent and will be analyzed and interpreted in the context of other research projects on research careers.

Careers of doctoral holders (CDH)

In 2010 Eurostat and the OECD will launch a new series of the CDH-survey throughout a number of countries. ECOOM-UGent will support the carrying out of the survey by the Federal Science Policy Office in Belgium.