DTU has developed a PhD supervision programme to strengthen PhD supervisors' well-being and confidence in their supervisory role so they can help give DTU's PhDs the best start to their research careers. The programme is aimed at both experienced and inexperienced PhD supervisors at DTU.
The sun shines into the room where around 25 PhD supervisors talk about when they experienced their first success in their PhD programme. The answers are as diverse as the group, but the goal of the exercise is clear. As a PhD supervisor, you have an essential role in helping students achieve their first success. This exercise equips supervisors to consider how they work to build the PhD student's confidence and belief in their abilities.
The scene takes place during the fourth and final module of DTU's PhD supervision programme, which is about supporting the well-being of both supervisors and PhDs.
New holistic programme
DTU has joined forces and developed a joint programme aimed at all DTU's PhD supervisors to give the university's PhDs the best possible framework for professional and personal development and well-being.
The total programme of four modules runs over the spring or autumn semester. The first online module introduces the rules, frameworks and regulations surrounding the three-year PhD programme. The following three modules focus on the role of a supervisor and how to train a researcher. They work with specific tools for dialogue and aligning expectations, and the final module focuses on the well-being of everyone involved in the process.
DTU has previously offered stand-alone courses, e.g., frameworks and rules or supervision methods, for DTU's departments. However, developing a comprehensive programme aimed at all DTU's PhD schools is new. The programme was created in collaboration between DTU and external consultant Mirjam Godskesen, who, for many years, taught DTU's PhD supervisors in the Methods and Tools course.
Tina Elisabeth Bahrenscheer, Management and Organisation Consultant at DTU, has focused on creating a holistic education when designing the programme modules:
"PhDs are a large group of employees at DTU. We know from our annual PhD surveys organised by the PhD Association that some are stressed to a degree that affects their well-being and results. That's why it's a priority for DTU to support them as best we can, and we know that their main and secondary supervisors mean a lot to their process and success," she says.
"That's why we've put together a training programme that gives the supervisors tools to support the PhDs in building their sense of mastery so that they take more and more responsibility for their project over time. It takes security and a healthy and inclusive work environment to dare to challenge and develop your professionalism, and the supervisors help facilitate this. This is the backbone on which we have built the programme."
An important network
Back in the classroom, the supervisors are still in group discussions. For the first part of the day, they shared in a confidential space what they perceived as challenges to their well-being and security as PhD supervisors. The second half of the day focuses on the well-being of PhDs and the community they form as PhDs at a department and in a research group.
Iben Stjerne is an associate professor at DTU Engineering Technology and a new PhD supervisor at DTU. She has significantly benefited from the programme:
"The programme has given me insight into what kind of university DTU is, my role, and where I can expect help. And not least, it has given me a network that I will draw on. We've shared our experiences, both good and bad. We've also discussed and worked with the uncertainty and doubt that is part of being a counsellor and teacher. One of the things I've particularly taken away from this last module is the feeling of being in control and having someone to reach out to. That's valuable."
