How to network in international doctoral programs

-similarities and differences in doctoral programs

Professor, Dr. Ekon Odd Jarl BorchBodo Graduate School of Business

Bodo, Norway

The doctoral program of Bodo Graduate School of Business

• The doctoral program consists of:–  Completion of an independent piece of research in

active collaboration with the academic advisor and other researchers

– An approved set of doctoral courses (40 ECTS) – Participation in active research environments, both

national and international– Research dissemination that is closely linked to the

dissertation in progress• Formal contract with guarantee that the student

participates actively in a research environment

Doctoral courses in the Bodo-program

• Quantitative methodology course

• Qualitative methodology course

• Broad entrepreneurship course

• Academic writing course

• Specialized entrepreneurship course. f. ex. Community entrepreneurship

The PhD-research process in Bodo• Supervising committee with external professors• Informal paper writing courses every semester with

external professors• Frequent feedback from main supervisor in the first phase• At least one of the PhD-courses outside the institution

preferably abroad• Participations in 2-3 international conferences a-year • Writing papers with international colleagues• Taking part in joint research projects with

external participants• International publishing• Participating in arranging research conferences

Fields of international networking and cooperation within the PhD-programs

1. Exchange of professors• Create an entrepreneurship faculty pool with professors willing to

contribute to programs in other institutions • Student Advisory committees with professors from other countries• Informal paper writing workshops with international faculty • PhD-courses with broad participation from other institutions and with

international faculty2. Create broad packages of doctoral courses with participation from

several countries3. Create PhD-student network

• with social exchange at the most visited conferences • Stimulate writing papers with colleagues from other countries• Facilitate publication in journals

4. International joint research projects• Students taking part in international research projects• Joint financing for example within EU

5. International joint PhD-programs