Supervision and Support
The OGC has two PhD mentors:
The quality of supervision provided to doctoral candidates is an important factor in the success of doctoral research projects. The OGC therefore places a high priority on constantly improving the quality of the supervision provided to its doctoral candidates. The institute regularly organises meetings for doctoral candidates, candidates may participate in intervision groups and the institute has a bookshelf and a newsletter specifically for doctoral candidates. Doctoral candidates at the OGC also participate in participatory bodies at the institute, faculty and university levels in order to advance their interests in the decision-making process.
The faculty provides more information on supervision and support for doctoral candidates on the Graduate School of Humanities website.
Quality evaluation for candidate supervision
Over the past few years, the OGC has been analysing the quality of the supervision provided to doctoral candidates and has developed guidelines for continued improvement. In 2007 and 2008, Hans Sonneveld and Karin Scager (IVLOS/Netherlands Centre for Graduate and Research Schools) performed a study of the supervision provided by the OGC. Their evaluation analysed the following elements:
- the didactic method
- process management
- research expertise
- interpersonal relations
- integration and socialisation of the candidate.
Sonneveld and Scager interviewed both candidates and supervisors on these issues, and they included their conclusions in an evaluation report: De kwaliteit van de Promotiebegeleiding bij het Onderzoeksinstituut Geschiedenis en Cultuur (The Quality of PhD Supervision at the Research Institute for History and Culture, 4 November 2008). OGC used their recommendations to draw up plans for even more improvements in candidate supervision.
PhD supervisor manual
A group of six young PhD supervisors at OGC under the leadership of Hans Sonneveld drew up a PhD Supervisor Manual (26 January 2009; pdf in Dutch). The manual provides guidelines for selecting doctoral candidates, communicating expectations, mentoring practice and styles, and monitoring the progress of a project. It also includes instructions on how to recognise problems and deal with them effectively. These guidelines meet a need that has long been recognised in the academic community.