Abstract:

The expansion and consolidation of the Portuguese science system is a recent phenomenon which was achieved, to a great extent, through the internationalisation of research and, specifically, of doctoral education. In a first stage, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s, the lack of critical mass to train doctoral researchers implied outward mobility of Portuguese individuals to obtain a PhD abroad. In a second stage, the installed research capacity following the return of these researchers to Portugal led to the formulation of policies which favoured doctoral training in national institutions by means of individual research grants (Heitor et al. 2014). In this second stage, Portugal started benefiting from brain gain, as more and more international PhD candidates enrolled in Portuguese institutions.

The internationalisation of science and research also represents a means of boosting the attractiveness and innovation capacity of a country in a context of globalisation and competition for resources. Thus, attracting the best researchers has become increasingly valued in European and national policies, with many countries investing in marketing to attract researchers to work in their institutions as a means of supplying the ‘brain power’ for their research and innovation agendas (Knight 2013). Portugal has also followed this trend. The government identified science as a high priority and the internationalisation of research and knowledge production has been a key element of the science policy (Patricio 2010; Heitor et al. 2014).

This study aims to explore the internationalisation of doctoral research in Portugal over the past five decades, by analysing the trends of PhDs awarded to Portuguese citizens abroad and of PhDs awarded in Portugal to foreign citizens. The analysis relies on a national database of all the doctoral students and theses recorded in Portugal, either awarded in the country or recognised following the award of the degree abroad. The evolution over the period in question will consider variables such as country of PhD award or country of international PhD candidates, gender and disciplinary area.

Findings show that the proportion of Portuguese PhD candidates studying abroad declined during the analysed period, from around 60% in the 1970s to around 10% after 2010. European countries have been the main destination of Portuguese PhD graduates studying abroad (over and above 80%). North America used to be a relatively popular destination (around 20% of Portuguese PhD graduates) between 1980 and 2000. However, its weight declined, amounting to less than 10% currently. Regarding international PhD candidates in Portugal, their numbers have increased steadily especially after 2000, amounting to around 20% in the period 2010 to 2016. Most come from non-European countries. These findings show that Portugal’s research and science base has strengthened and that its attractiveness for international researchers is rising.

References:
[1] Heitor, M., Horta, H., & Mendonça, J. (2014). Developing human capital and research capacity: science policies promoting brain gain. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 82, 6-22.
[2] Knight, J. (2013). The changing landscape of higher education internationalization – for better or worse? Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 17(3), 84-90.
[3] Patrício, M. T. (2010). Science policy and the internationalisation of research in Portugal. Journal of Studies in International Education, 14(2), 161-182.

Keywords:

Doctoral education, research policy, internationalisation, mobility, PhD.