PERCEPTIONS OF INTERNATIONALLY TRAINED DOCTORS REGARDING THEIR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: TASKS, MOTIVATIONS AND CHALLENGES
Keywords:
international PhD holders, research career, academic career, non-academic career, hybrid career, ParaguayAbstract
The majority of doctoral candidates begin their studies intending to become academics and the doctoral programme usually prepares them for this role. Despite these expectations, recent research has highlighted the difficulties that early career researchers face in finding full-time academic positions, leading to increased migration to the non-academic sector. However, we know little about how the PhD prepared them for these non-academic trajectories. This interpretative study analysed the professional trajectories of Paraguayan International PhDs holders and evaluated the extent to which their international doctoral training prepared them for their current roles. Twelve Paraguayan PhDs who obtained their degrees in foreign universities participated in the study by completing a questionnaire prior to an in-depth interview and a timeline of their academic and work trajectories. The results show the existence of both academic and non-academic trajectories. In both cases, the main limitation to developing a career as a researcher is the bureaucracy at the structural and organisational level to access positions in line with training and to obtain funding for the execution of projects. The results suggest the need to provide comprehensive state policies aimed at the (re)integration of new international PhDs holders into the labour market.
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