Study Reveals Adaptation of Doctoral Education to New Dynamics in Portugal

Knowledge production is currently experiencing a period of increasing complexity, interdisciplinarity, and collaboration among various stakeholders. These transformations significantly impact doctoral education, demanding greater adaptability in its foundations, objectives, methods, and expertise.

A recent study, conducted by Sónia Cardoso (Lecturer at Universidade Lusófona – Porto University Centre) and Pedro Videira, examines how doctoral education in Portugal has been adjusting to the increasingly broad boundaries of knowledge creation.

Published in the prestigious journal Higher Education, the study is based on a qualitative analysis of the websites of 118 doctoral programmes across 27 Portuguese universities, as well as focus groups and individual interviews with 31 doctoral candidates from 11 programmes at three public universities.

The findings suggest that doctoral education in Portugal has evolved from a predominantly theoretical foundation to a more practice-oriented approach, simultaneously emphasising both applied and fundamental research, with growing value placed on interdisciplinarity and scientific collaboration.

The publication also highlights that, although interdisciplinarity and collaboration across different fields of knowledge are widely promoted, significant challenges remain. The traditional structure of academic departments can hinder the integration of interdisciplinary pathways and, in some cases, the emphasis on applicability may compromise the production of innovative theoretical contributions.

At the methodological level, a shift towards models that encourage partnerships between universities and external sectors is observed, reflecting a reconfiguration of knowledge production modes. However, the researchers caution against the risk of excessive instrumentalisation of doctoral research, which could limit academic freedom and scientific creativity.

Despite these challenges, doctoral education in Portugal has shown a growing commitment to adapting to the new dynamics of knowledge production, promoting a balance between fundamental and applied research, encouraging interdisciplinary approaches, and fostering collaboration among diverse knowledge agents.

Access the Full Article

Cardoso, S., & Videira, P. (2024). Adapting doctoral education to an evolving knowledge landscape: insights from Portugal. Higher Education, 1-7. View Full Citation

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