What is the point of the PhD in this age of uncertainty: Reframing researcher education

In contemporary European societies, we are living through increasingly turbulent times characterised by rapid societal shifts driven by new technologies, communication methods, and work practices. Simultaneously, universities face mounting external pressures such as government policies, funding cuts, and reallocation. In this paper, we view these challenges as an opportunity to reconsider the fundamental nature of PhD education. If the PhD, as we currently understand it, did not exist, what should it aim to achieve? We address this question through a research-informed approach that combines our own and others’ studies on the PhD and post-PhD experience. We examine the spectrum of meanings associated with research, the variety of post-PhD careers, graduates’ and employers’ perspectives on graduate preparedness, the participation of non-academic stakeholders in research and PhD training, and the concepts of agency and purpose.