careers of external doctoral holdersduring my master’s, my supervisor (in china) was very strict...
TRANSCRIPT
Careers of External Doctoral
Holders
The chronicles of Chinese PhD candidates in the Netherlands
by Tung Tung Chan
Research Assistant, Working Group Career Studies
Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS)
The Number of Doctoral Conferrals in
the Netherlands
1
Internationalization
Country Share of international or foreign students by
level of tertiary education in percentages
Bachelor’s
or equivalent
level
Master’s
or equivalent
level
Doctoral or
equivalent
level
Netherlands 8,3 17 37
Belgium 8,2 20 37
Luxembourg 25 68 85
Germany 4,4 12 7
United Kingdom 13,7 37 42
2
Source: OECD (2016). Education at a glance 2016. OECD indicators
International students in the
Netherlands
3
Source: VSNU on International Mobility (September, 2016)
Internal vs. External PhDs
PhD
system
Internals
Employed by
the university
(on payroll)
Externals
Government
scholarship
Grant by
funding
agencies
Funded by
employer
Self
funded
4
Research question
How do Chinese Scholarship Council
(CSC)-funded PhD candidates at Dutch
universities perceive their situation?
5
Theoretical framework: Identity-
trajectory
6
Personal
lives
Academic
Identity
Learning
(Formal and
informal)
Interweaving of trajectory strands
1. Intellectual: written and oral contributions to the
field leading to recognition
2. Networking: present and past relationships which
serve as resources and responsibilities
3. Institutional: organisational responsibilities and
resources
7
Source: McAlpine & Amundsen (2011, p.178)
Habitus (Bordieu, 1990)
Social MaterialRituals
Practices
Utterances
Reinforces the principles of
classification which constitutes
the arbitrariness of culture
Bourdieu, P. (1990). The Logic of Practice. Polity Press.
Transnational Identity Capital
9
Kim, T. (2010). Transnational academic mobility, knowledge, and identity capital.
Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 31(5), 577-591.
Research
Method
10
Methodology
• 6 Dutch universities: Leiden University, TU Delft, TU
Eindhoven, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Utrecht
University, University of Twente
• Purposive snowball sampling method: External
Chinese doctoral candidates are difficult to reach
• Participants are selected across various disciplines,
gender, and age to ensure diversity of histories
• Saturation approach (Charmaz, 2006)
11
Sample description
• 10 CSC scholarship holders
• 6 Females, 5 Males
• Humanities, Computer Science, Occupational &
Health Law, Education, Applied Physics, Public
Administration, Industrial Design, Mechanical,
Maritime and Materials Engineering.
12
Instrument: Narrative Interview
“Every person’s life can be written as a book. I would like you to
think about your life now as if you were writing a book…”
13
Stages and Ages
人生阶段和年龄
Title
标题/描述
Stage 1:
Stage 2:
Stage 3:
Stage 4:
Stage 5:
Source: Lieblich, Tuval-Mashiach, & Zilber (1998)
Narrative Interview Part I
Four questions/directions for each stage:
1. “Tell me about a significant episode or a memory
that you remember from this stage.”
2. “What kind of a person were you during this
stage?”
3. “Who were significant people for you during this
stage, and why?”
4. “What is your reason for choosing to terminate this
stage when you did?”
14
Narrative Interview Part II
1. Additional elaboration regarding memories of
studying and working in the Netherlands as a PhD
student
2. Exploration of future life expectations of the
participant, after the PhD
3. Cultural experiences, questions regarding
memories of encounters and relationships with
Dutch persons during their time in the Netherlands
15
Research
Findings
16
China
17
Academic career development
Past
•Entrance Examination
•Nominated by home
university
•Study abroad
•Labor market
Present
• Intellectual
•Networking
• Institutional
Future
•Stay or leave?
•Academia or
industry?
18
Intellectual
19
Develop self-confidence
20
During my Master’s, my supervisor
(in China) was very strict and my
work was severely criticized. I
thought, if I can’t do well in this
academic environment, perhaps I
can do better elsewhere. I thought I
should do my PhD abroad to know
what I am worth.
My Dutch supervisor is
very supportive, he
made me feel like I
could do it. I wouldn’t
have made it without
him.
The happiest memories of
my PhD journey is when I
receive good feedback on
my work or when my
article is accepted.
He (Chinese supervisor)
told me to keep these
stupid questions to
myself and don’t bother
asking.
Radical shift in academic culture
21
In China, your PhD
supervisor is your boss. I
am his employee and I
must do everything he
asked.
He is the expert in the field.
He decides our research
direction, what we should
read, write and do. If you do
exactly what he says, you will
lead a comfortable and easy
academic life. Clearly, he
knows what he’s doing.
Fear of failure and rejection
22
Student: Should I do A or B?
Supervisor: What do you think?
Promotor: What about option C, D, E, & F?
Student: I would like to hear your expert opinion and I will do
whatever you decide to be the best option.
Teachers as powerful role models
23
“Even though he never said
it, I can feel that he has
high expectations for me,
and I want to show him I
can do it.”
When I look at the
lives of my promotor
and supervisor, I don’t
think this is the kind
of life I want to live.
Unclear expectations
• Graduation criteria is not explicitly mentioned
• Political insensitivity
24
I’m caught in
between the
feud of my
supervisor and
promotor.
I have never done a
presentation in China.
(Applied Physics)
Habitus 2:
OrthodoxyHabitus 1:
Heresy
Adjectives used when describing…
Humble
谦虚
Direct 直接
25
Networking
26
27
I don’t know
what I’m
buying at the
supermarket…
I can’t read the
menu during the
Christmas party at
our university
dinner…
Low English
proficiency,
Dutch is not
useful,
Research is my
main focus
Understand the
Dutch culture,
Communicate
with others,
Improved social
life
Desire to establish Dutch friendships
28
I would advice any Chinese
students to make Dutch
friends. It’s difficult but I wish I
have done it, participate in
more social activities.
The fondest memory
I had was drinking
with my colleagues
and participating in
team building
activities. I enjoy
getting to know
them.
I mingle better with
internationals because the
Dutch are more private and
guarded. It takes a while for
them to open up to you.
International Collaboration
29
I was a Erasmus Mundus
Joint Master Degree
student, I completed the
second semester of my
master’s in TU Delft and
decided to stay for PhD.
I was here for a 6
months exchange
during my Master’s.
I told myself I have
to come back again.
There was a research
project collaboration
with my university,
that’s how I heard
about this university
in the Netherlands.
Introduced by personal networks
30
My senior was doing
her PhD here and
she told me it’s a
great experience.
I only applied to
TU/e because a
friend of a
friend is
studying here.
My Master’s supervisor
introduced me to this
Dutch scholar as there is
a match in our research
interest.
What PhD candidates can do? How to
establish presence…
1. Ask as many questions as possible. Know what you
don’t know, clarify expectations.
2. Learn Dutch A1 level. Improve English proficiency
by speaking out more.
3. Be social, join activities organized by university.
Consciously invest time and energy to make Dutch
friends.
4. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Observe and ask others
to show you how it’s done.
5. Shift in mindset – adapt to the flat hierarchical
relationship within the university.
31
Academia or Industry?
32
Institutional
33
Academic and psychological support
34
TU Delft Go/No Go evaluation
was launched in 2015 to curb
attrition rate and to ensure the
quality of the PhD candidates.
I think PhD students are
especially prone to mental
health issues. I’m glad the
TU/e PROOF course gave
us a workshop about that,
and where we can seek
help.
We have a CSC pre-arrival
workshop prior coming to the
Netherlands, which is very
general and emphasized too
much on mental health
issues…
Where do mental health issues come
from?
1. Uncertainty – about the PhD progress and
graduation criteria
2. Anxiety – how to interact with others, language
issues, how to be polite but direct
3. Insecurity – imposter syndrome, criticism from
others
4. Isolation – no one to communicate with, feeling
like an outsider, no social life besides academic
35
Polarity in management
• Market orientation
• Laissez-faire
• Entrepreneurship
36
• Political orientation
• Micromanagement
• Apprenticeship
What can Dutch universities do to
better welcome Chinese PhDs?
1. Chinese/International buddy system
2. Targeted workshop for specific skills, create a safe
space or provide a platform whereby PhDs can do that
amongst themselves: communication skills, critical
thinking skills, academic writing skills, research
methods…
3. Throw a nice and big party every once in a while
4. Walk through all communication channels with PhDs –
who, what, where, when. Create specific guidebook for
externally funded PhDs.
5. Discuss process-oriented vs. goal-oriented guidance
through the help of psychometrics/personality test
6. Provide a fixed workspace for PhDs
37
Chinese Studies vs. Migration Studies
Leiden University Maastricht University
38
