Academic and non-academic career paths of international and domestic PhD holders

Some countries have strong culturally rooted practices and policies to incentivize their PhD candidates to develop their doctoral studies abroad. Their programs provide cultural and methodological diversity opportunities and globally oriented career prospects. In the last years, many of those countr...

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Main Authors: Laura Diaz Villalba, Montserrat Castelló Badía
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidad de Deusto 2025-06-01
Series:Tuning Journal for Higher Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://tuningjournal.org/article/view/3126
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author Laura Diaz Villalba
Montserrat Castelló Badía
author_facet Laura Diaz Villalba
Montserrat Castelló Badía
author_sort Laura Diaz Villalba
collection DOAJ
description Some countries have strong culturally rooted practices and policies to incentivize their PhD candidates to develop their doctoral studies abroad. Their programs provide cultural and methodological diversity opportunities and globally oriented career prospects. In the last years, many of those countries are increasingly developing their own domestic doctoral programs, which may offer career benefits due to their strong connections to the local research and academic environment. The career paths of 126 PhD holders working in Paraguay, a country in which doctoral studies abroad intersect with national-based doctoral programs, were examined using the ECRID survey. The perceptions of those who completed their doctoral studies domestically and those who studied abroad were compared in terms of the usefulness of the skills provided by their respective PhD programs. The results showed that most PhD holders in Paraguay work full-time in the academic sector. The percentage of PhD holders employed in non-academic roles reflects the diversity of career options available to PhDs holders in the Paraguayan labour market. Furthermore, results indicated how the participants re-signified the skills acquired during the doctoral program to adapt them to various professional settings. This process underscores the emerging demands of the current labour market and the necessity for universities to adjust doctoral training models to better equip graduates for diverse professional paths. This adjustment includes institutional support to reduce cultural shock and subsequent burnout levels. Pioneering results from the Paraguayan context provide empirical evidence to enrich the reflection on the resources and opportunities for PhD holders at both structural and organizational levels. Received: 4 July 2024  Accepted: 13 January 2025
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spelling doaj-art-46ed642096374d348ebe87c07bcab84e2025-08-20T03:28:26ZengUniversidad de DeustoTuning Journal for Higher Education2340-81702386-31372025-06-0112110.18543/tjhe.31263126Academic and non-academic career paths of international and domestic PhD holdersLaura Diaz Villalba0Montserrat Castelló Badía1Universidad de Barcelona, SpainUniversitat Ramón Llull, SpainSome countries have strong culturally rooted practices and policies to incentivize their PhD candidates to develop their doctoral studies abroad. Their programs provide cultural and methodological diversity opportunities and globally oriented career prospects. In the last years, many of those countries are increasingly developing their own domestic doctoral programs, which may offer career benefits due to their strong connections to the local research and academic environment. The career paths of 126 PhD holders working in Paraguay, a country in which doctoral studies abroad intersect with national-based doctoral programs, were examined using the ECRID survey. The perceptions of those who completed their doctoral studies domestically and those who studied abroad were compared in terms of the usefulness of the skills provided by their respective PhD programs. The results showed that most PhD holders in Paraguay work full-time in the academic sector. The percentage of PhD holders employed in non-academic roles reflects the diversity of career options available to PhDs holders in the Paraguayan labour market. Furthermore, results indicated how the participants re-signified the skills acquired during the doctoral program to adapt them to various professional settings. This process underscores the emerging demands of the current labour market and the necessity for universities to adjust doctoral training models to better equip graduates for diverse professional paths. This adjustment includes institutional support to reduce cultural shock and subsequent burnout levels. Pioneering results from the Paraguayan context provide empirical evidence to enrich the reflection on the resources and opportunities for PhD holders at both structural and organizational levels. Received: 4 July 2024  Accepted: 13 January 2025https://tuningjournal.org/article/view/3126academic careernon-academic careerphd holderdomestic phd holderinternational phd holdersdoctoral competences
spellingShingle Laura Diaz Villalba
Montserrat Castelló Badía
Academic and non-academic career paths of international and domestic PhD holders
Tuning Journal for Higher Education
academic career
non-academic career
phd holder
domestic phd holder
international phd holders
doctoral competences
title Academic and non-academic career paths of international and domestic PhD holders
title_full Academic and non-academic career paths of international and domestic PhD holders
title_fullStr Academic and non-academic career paths of international and domestic PhD holders
title_full_unstemmed Academic and non-academic career paths of international and domestic PhD holders
title_short Academic and non-academic career paths of international and domestic PhD holders
title_sort academic and non academic career paths of international and domestic phd holders
topic academic career
non-academic career
phd holder
domestic phd holder
international phd holders
doctoral competences
url https://tuningjournal.org/article/view/3126
work_keys_str_mv AT lauradiazvillalba academicandnonacademiccareerpathsofinternationalanddomesticphdholders
AT montserratcastellobadia academicandnonacademiccareerpathsofinternationalanddomesticphdholders