Abstract:

Research groups at universities (RGU) are necessary not only to produce scientific activity but also to train doctors. However, RGUs do not have juridical entity, so they coexist with the rest of university structures (departments, faculties, schools, rector’s offices,...). As a result, in addition to the administration laws (local, national or European), there are rules and regulations coming from the different university entities that significantly affect the everyday life of the RGUs. Consequently, their leaders must deal with those external restrictions and need to have appropriate tools to visualize the way in which their RGUs are managed, in order to accommodate new challenges to the course of their scientific activity.

In this context, the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) is doing a big effort to internationalize its academic and scientific activity. Regarding the training of doctoral Students, the Master and Doctoral School (Master eta Doktorego Eskola, MDe) has the challenge of promoting this internationalization. With this aim, a new training course has been designed and implemented to detect the way in which RGUs are accommodating the internationalization in the doctorates’ formation plans. The course is directed not only to RGU leaders but to the rest of the research community (senior and junior). The objective is to make a diagnosis on the matter at the UPV/EHU in order to facilitate the incorporation of new practices when needed.

Taking into account the above mentioned aspects, we present the design and implementation of the course “RGU management: process maps, doctorates and internationalization” and its impact on the attending people. The course uses the double-diamond methodology which is divided into four distinct phases: discover, define, develop and deliver. The methodology itself is also discussed as the double-diamond one is intended to creatively engage stakeholders to find solutions to complex problems in terms of co-design.

Keywords:

Doctoral School, internationalization, doctoral studies, co-design of actions, double-diamond methodolgy.