Education

PhD students should have independent mentors

With the number of foreign PhD students at TU Delft increasing % from 13 percent in 1993 to 31 percentin 1999 % TU Delft is conducting a survey to inventory the problems encountered by foreign students.

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PhD students should be supported by an independent mentor who can help them their problems, according to a TU Delft work-group that studied the reasons why most PhD theses take longer than expected to complete. Only 34 percent of all PhD students succeed in defending their thesis within five years.

‘Having a mentor would especially benefit foreign students at the start of their projects, because that’s when they encounter more problems, like arranging visas and health insurance,’ says work group member, Joost Groot Kormelink. Later in the research project process, when students encounter specific research-related problems, an attentive mentor would ensure that students quickly overcome their particular crisis. Because the number of foreign PhD students is increasing, the TU Delft working group, together with PROMOOD (the association of PhD researchers), compiled a questionnaire, which will determine if foreign students have special needs that have yet to be satisfied.

PhD-students who aren%t employed by TU Delft (because they are financed by another organisation) won’t receive a questionnaire, because PROMOOD doesn%t have their addresses. However, these students can request a questionnaire by mailing Reimo Nickel: r.nickel@offshore.tudelft.nl

With the number of foreign PhD students at TU Delft increasing % from 13 percent in 1993 to 31 percent

in 1999 % TU Delft is conducting a survey to inventory the problems encountered by foreign students.

PhD students should be supported by an independent mentor who can help them their problems, according to a TU Delft work-group that studied the reasons why most PhD theses take longer than expected to complete. Only 34 percent of all PhD students succeed in defending their thesis within five years.

‘Having a mentor would especially benefit foreign students at the start of their projects, because that’s when they encounter more problems, like arranging visas and health insurance,’ says work group member, Joost Groot Kormelink. Later in the research project process, when students encounter specific research-related problems, an attentive mentor would ensure that students quickly overcome their particular crisis. Because the number of foreign PhD students is increasing, the TU Delft working group, together with PROMOOD (the association of PhD researchers), compiled a questionnaire, which will determine if foreign students have special needs that have yet to be satisfied.

PhD-students who aren%t employed by TU Delft (because they are financed by another organisation) won’t receive a questionnaire, because PROMOOD doesn%t have their addresses. However, these students can request a questionnaire by mailing Reimo Nickel: r.nickel@offshore.tudelft.nl

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