Transcript THE POVERTY TRAPS’ CAUSES AND SOME EMPIRICAL …

Doctorate Holders in Italy: Fields of Study and Career Paths
Department of Management and Quantitative Studies
University of Naples “Parthenope” (Italy)
Gennaro PUNZO and Antonella ROCCA
BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION
High levels of education improve human capital,
foster economic development, promote occupability
and reduce labour market mismatches
Doctoral Education
fostering an independent habit of mind through the furthering of
independent research capacities that enable PhD graduates to create new
knowledge and conduct research in the field of their choice (UNESCO, 2006)
attracting talented minds and developing their ability to act as major
agents of creativity, innovation, knowledge transfer and problem solving
in order to contribute to the progress of the wider society (LERU, 2007)
AIMS AT
(Third cycle of the Bologna process)
training tomorrow’s knowledge workers in the light of three principles:
INTERNATIONALITY – INTERDISCIPLINARITY – INTERSECTORALITY
(European Commission, 2010)
AIM OF
THE WORK
TO INVESTIGATE THE RELEVANCE (FORMAL AND SUBSTANTIAL) OF PHD
EDUCATION IN ITALY AND THE QUALITY OF THE RESEARCH-TRAINING PROCESS
EFFECTIVELY SOCIETY RECEIVES APPROPRIATE
AND NECESSARY COMPETENCIES?
IS THE PhD DEGREE
REQUIRED TO ACCESS WORK?
PRELIMINARY STATISTICS
ECONOMICS AND
STATISTICS
SOCIAL
LAW
H
U
M
A
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I
T
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S
A clear divide exists between the North and the
South/East Europe (except for Portugal)
In Italy, the share of PhD holders (with a gap in
favour of females) is still below the EU-27 average
DATA SOURCE AND METHODOLOGY: A PROBIT MODEL FOR DOCTORATE RELEVANCE
The analysis draws upon the 2009 Survey on Doctorate Holders’ Vocational Integration which aims at detecting the employment conditions
of PhD graduates (5 and 3 years after graduation) and subjective opinions about the relevance of their doctoral experience and degree
The probability that the ith doctorate holder has proved relevant (formal and substantial) with the attained job is
formulated in the cumulative standard logistic probability distribution function:
exp X 
 i  P yi  1 | X   P y     X  
1  exp X 

*
i

where the LATENT variable (y*), that is connected with the relative advantage to obtain a job coherent with the
PhD degree, is supposed to be linearly related to the observed x’s through the structural model (Long, 1997):
1
yi  
0
y    xi    i
*
i
if
if
yi*  
*
yi  
MAIN EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE
CAREER OUTSIDE UNIVERSITY
ACADEMIC CAREER
INTERNATIONALITATION
+


BEING YOUNGER
DOCTORATE HOLDERS
Sub-national
perspective
Proxiex of efficiency
of PhD production
Scientific
Sectors
Proxiex of quality of the
research and training process
-


as crucial ways of improving
efficiency of PhD production
process, both for academic
and not-academic careers
Doctorate seems to be more relevant for less remunerated jobs
Relevance is higher for the Economic and Juridic areas (ref. humanities)
No significant territorial divide exists
Spending a period abroad and getting experience of working in
international research communities are intrinsically valuable processes
References
- European Commission (2010), Europe 2020 Flagship Initiative Innovation Union
(http://ec.europa.eu/research/innovation-union/pdf/innovation-union-communication_en.pdf)
- League of European Research Universities (2007), Doctoral studies in Europe: excellence in researcher training, LERU
- Long J. Scott (1997), Regression Models for Categorical and Limited Dependent Variables. London: Sage Publications
- UNESCO (2006), Form Follows Function – Comparing Doctoral Training in Europe and North America, German Rectors Conference and Unesco-CEPES
- Doctorate relevance is directly related to the quality of course
portfolios (i.e., research schools, teaching, experience abroad)
- Evidence of different patterns between genders in labour
markets exist (discrimination?)
- Different scientific areas denote different relevance for PhD
holders