The PhD students feel well-integrated in the research environments at Health, and they work independently under adequate supervision. However, stress and loneliness are areas that the graduate school should pay particular attention to.

2021.09.06 | Eva Kristina Hindby Koszyczarek

In a questionnaire survey, the majority of the PhD students at Health answer that they are generally satisfied with the research environment, the quality of their work and what they learn during the PhD programme.

However, the questionnaire also gives reason to take a closer look at the students' well-being. Not surprisingly, the Covid-19 pandemic has led to concerns among the students about the quality of their PhD degree programme, the possibility of establishing networks and their job opportunities.

Additionally, one in four of the PhD students feel uncertain about what they are doing is good enough, while a third think about whether they are good enough to be a PhD student.

They have also been asked about the workload as a PhD student. Here, almost one in three say that the workload affects their private life.

One in five feel lonely at the workplace, and twelve per cent experience severe stress symptoms such as depression, stomach pain and amnesia. Head of graduate school Helene Nørrelund finds this worrying.

"The most alarming aspect of the survey is that there are students who feel lonely and experience stress symptoms. We can’t have that and we need to take a closer look at it. We need to look into who is experiencing this and what we can do to avoid it. We’re already in a dialogue with the PhD committee and the PhD association about this," she says.

Working together to create good well-being

The graduate school, the PhD committee and the PhD association will, among other things, test whether a mentor scheme can lead to better well-being, while also looking into whether the activities and events that exist for the students are visible enough. According to Helene Nørrelund, the international students experience a greater degree of loneliness and stress, and she therefore finds it important to look into whether the graduate school and the supervisors are good enough at helping them. She points out that well-being is crucial for the students' development:

"It's difficult to develop when you’re not thriving. The graduate school has to ensure the framework is in place, but the students spend a lot of time in the academic environments with their supervisors. So we have to work together to create good well-being. We need to delve even deeper into the survey and learn more about when it is the students experience self-doubt, and whether some of them are particularly affected by the workload and other factors."

"At the same time, it's important for me to say that the students shouldn’t be despondent if they occasionally doubt themselves. The world of research is demanding and unpredictable, and it’s therefore quite natural to experience uncertainty. It affects all researchers," says Helene Nørrelund.

Training independent researchers

However, on a general level the head of school is pleased with the results of the survey – especially as it comes following a ten-month shutdown due to Covid-19.

"I was a little nervous about conducting a survey after a ten month shutdown, and it’s not surprising to see that the coronavirus situation has had an impact on the students. But I'm very pleased that they’ve taken the time to complete the survey, so that we can learn about how we can create the best possible framework for the students," says Helene Nørrelund.

Another important aspect for her is to look at whether the graduate school is successful in living up to the objective in the PhD Order – to qualify the PhD students to independently undertake research, development and educational tasks in the private and public sectors. Helene Nørrelund believes that the responses in the survey indicate this:

"It's also one of the positive aspects of the responses – it appears we succeed in training independent researchers," she says.

Good relationship with the supervisors

When it comes to the range of courses on the degree programme, almost all of the respondents in the survey answer that the courses give them the opportunity to strengthen their general research qualifications. Four out of five also find that there is ample opportunity for exchanging ideas with others in the research environments, and that they find collaborating on research to be fun.

In addition, the survey shows that the PhD students have a good relationship with their supervisors, and that they find them to be friendly and appreciative. To the question of whether they are comfortable asking their supervisors for advice when there is something they are in doubt about, the majority answer yes.

"These are really positive results, and they also show that we have some fantastically competent supervisors who have a fruitful collaboration with the PhD students," says Helene Nørrelund.

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Facts:

• The study was carried out in January 2021.
• It was sent to a total of 2,130 PhD students at Aarhus University with a response rate of 74.4.
• At Health, 491 PhD students have responded to the questionnaire, which corresponds to 70 per cent.
• The survey is carried out every four years.
• The results of the study were published in July 2021.
• You can read the survey here.

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Kontakt: 

Head of graduate school Helene Nørrelund
Aarhus University, Health
Mail: hwn@au.dk 
Phone: 9350 8486