The relationship between doctoral researchers and their supervisors influences the pathway and success of a doctoral project and is a crucial factor for the start of an academic career (Ives & Rowley 2007). It is thus all the more important that both parties deal with the perspective, expectations and needs of the other side.

With the project “What supervisors want” InGrA sheds some light on the relationship between supervisors and their doctoral students. The project was carried out in 2023.

The project consists of the following parts:

• Introduction to the project
• Results of the online survey of doctoral students on supervision
• Portraits of interview participants
• Interviews with supervisors (in German)
  • Prof. Dr. Daniel Wefers (Food Chemistry)
  • Prof. Dr. Jenny Haase (Spanish and American Literature and Culture), 
  • Prof. Dr. Ingo Heilmann (Plant Biochemistry) 
  • Prof. Dr. Konstanze Senge (Economic and Organisational Sociology).
• Interview: main take-aways (in English)

To provide information and guidance for doctoral students we have approached supervisors in four departments at MLU. In semi-structured interviews we asked them about their perspective and experiences in the supervision of doctoral students. This was preceded by an online survey in which doctoral researchers had the opportunity to ask their questions and thus helped to shape the interview guidelines. Enjoy the reading. Hopefully, we can broaden your perspective on doctoral supervision and What supervisors want.

More at the website What supervisors want