Training Activities Programme
Training Plan
Activities of the Doctoral School
Character
Optional
Hours
12
Description
It is planned as a course with compulsory attendance, with a theoretical explanation of each of the modules, which will be accompanied by a series of practical exercises which the participants must perform throughout the sessions.
Results
The doctoral student will acquire the necessary tools to access, evaluate, use and disseminate information in an ethical manner.
Assessment systems
It is an on-site seminar, and therefore attendance is compulsory and will be monitored by means of signatures for each of the modules. At the end of the activity the tutor will be given a report allowing an assessment of the acquisition of the skills associated with this activity.
Character
Optional
Hours
40
Description
These are intensive residential seminars lasting a week. They are conducted in English in an inter-disciplinary and multicultural environment. Forty researchers from each university, in their second year of doctoral training, receive extensive training designed for their future vocational integration in a socio-labour environment not exclusively linked to research at universities and/or public and semi-public centres. All the activities are dynamised by personnel specializing in the organization of doctorials and the facilitation of teamwork. The scheduled activities include visits to companies, research centres and cultural entities selected from both sides of the border, the testimonies of executive doctors and entrepreneurs and teamwork for the joint preparation of an innovative project which will be submitted at the end of the encounter. Participation in the doctorials is optional and does not entail any enrolment fee. All the maintenance, accommodation and transport costs will be financed by the organizing universities, with the help of the funding obtained from the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Aquitaine-Euskadi cooperation fund of the Basque government.
Results
The doctoral students acquire practical training in communication, innovation, teamwork, leadership and entrepreneurship. Based on the testimonies and experiences of different professionals working in companies and associations in the field of culture and language, as well as visits to companies and associations, the students come into direct contact with professional experience. These seminars have an inter-disciplinary approach, grouping the students together in units which combine different universities of origin and areas of knowledge. The experience should provide a wealth of knowledge about how to articulate a future professional project both in and outside the University.
Assessment systems
The whole procedure for the doctorials is overseen by a pedagogical cabinet, with professional advisers who will provide continuous feedback on the group activity and monitor the work done every day by the doctoral students. Once the latter have enrolled for the doctorials, attendance and active participation in the sessions is compulsory.
Program activities
Character
Compulsory
Hours
30
Description
Development of students' oral expression in English for academic purposes.
Results
Communicating properly in English to achieve a better performance in the mobility activities, as well as participation and attendance at international conferences.
Assessment systems
Control of attendance and/or passing of an objective test. Supervision by the tutor. In the event that the performance of the students in this activity is evaluated, the exact instructions for conducting the test will be provided by the person responsible for the training activity, with the approval of the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Program.
Character
Compulsory
Hours
4
Description
These programs facilitate the management of information and documentation, as well as the computerized management of bibliographical references (Reference Manager, EndNote and RefWorks).
Results
Initiation in the handling of the main personal computer programs for bibliographical management. Management of the bibliography by means of the tasks performed by these programs: "collecting" bibliographical references from all the main databases and information sources and, secondly, automating the task of formatting the bibliography before presenting it.
Assessment systems
Control of attendance and/or passing of an objective test. Supervision by the tutor. In the event that the performance of the students in this activity is evaluated, the exact instructions for conducting the test will be provided by the person responsible for the training activity, with the approval of the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Program.
Character
Compulsory
Hours
30
Description
Development of students' written expression in English for academic purposes.
Results
Improvement in specialized academic writing in English, providing greater autonomy when writing the research works.
Assessment systems
Control of attendance and/or passing of an objective test. Supervision by the tutor. In the event that the performance of the students in this activity is evaluated, the exact instructions for conducting the test will be provided by the person responsible for the training activity, with the approval of the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Program.
Character
Compulsory
Hours
40
Description
Attendance at workshops and specialized seminars, as well as national and international conferences, in order to present some of the research work results which are obtained during the realization of the thesis. The students, guided by their tutors and/or directors, will choose and schedule the conferences, seminars and scientific meetings they can attend, according to their needs and availability. However, meetings related to the lines of research of their doctoral theses are suggested as being of interest to the students. The students must prepare a presentation or paper for at least one event of this type and defend it. The activity therefore consists of the following phases: - Selecting the most suitable conference for the presentation. - Preparation of the written paper and the oral presentation or a poster format. - In situ presentation by the doctoral student. - Writing of a brief report on the most interesting work which, in the doctoral student's opinion, is presented at the conference.
Results
The following learning results are established for the activity: - Acquiring the ability to select the most appropriate forum for the research work underway. - Acquiring the ability to communicate the development and results of the research in a scientific forum. - Learning to communicate in public and exchange ideas on the lines of research of the thesis with people from other institutions working in the same area. - Being able to participate in the scientific discussions which take place at a national and international level in their field of knowledge. - Acquire the ability to establish contacts with other researchers from institutions different from that of the doctoral student. - Acquiring the ability to synthesize the relevant information of the different presentations and plenary lectures.
Assessment systems
Supervision by the thesis director and tutor. Control of attendance and/or presentation of a paper or poster. The corresponding attendance certificates and certificates of the presentation of the paper or poster will be submitted. The thesis directors will be responsible for ensuring control of the following deliverables: - Certificate of attendance at the congress. - Synthesis report with a critical appraisal of other interesting contributions, in the doctoral student's opinion.
Character
Hours
176
Description
Mobility stay at a centre belonging to another university or prestigious research institution. The mobility actions are aimed at enhancing the exchange and mobility of students on the doctoral program by means of programs and mobility aids which can be established or which students can apply for, allowing them to carry out some of the training activities designed on this program. In particular, the aim is to: (1) Promote the attendance and participation of the doctoral students on the program in training activities which take place at other universities and research centres, related to the lines of research contained in the doctoral program and which may be of interest to the trainee researchers. It is conceived as a short-term stay (less than one month). (2) Facilitate the realization of stays lasting longer than one month (recommended three months) at prestigious foreign research centres, conducting research work relevant to the doctoral training and the realization of the doctoral thesis and allowing the enrichment of the lines of research of the different research groups. Each student, guided by his or her tutor and/or director, will select and decide on the host centre for the research stay and the best time to carry it out. Together with the host group, the objectives to be pursued during the stay will be defined and established and the work plan to be followed will be defined.
Results
Be able to join other research groups and/or collaborate in their lines of research work. Exchange knowledge and research results. Learn new research methodologies and techniques and be able to apply them in the conducting of research activity. Fluency in another language (English).
Assessment systems
A report on the activities conducted and the certificate of the person responsible for the research group (tutor of the host centre) where the stay has been performed. Supervision by the thesis director and tutor. Monitoring and report by the tutor of the host centre.
Character
Compulsory
Hours
10
Description
Explanation of techniques for public speaking, provision of tips and tricks for improving the presentation of reports and papers in public.
Results
More effective public speaking. Learning to speak for others. Learning that audiences adhere better to one kind of vocabulary than another.
Assessment systems
Control of attendance and/or passing of an objective test. Supervision by the tutor.
Character
Compulsory
Hours
15
Description
Specific seminars taught within the Doctoral Program, covering subjects related to the lines of research of the program.
Results
Acquiring knowledge in specific topics related to the lines of research of the Program.
Assessment systems
Control of attendance. In the event that it is considered relevant, a short report on the contents of the seminar should be submitted. Supervision by the tutor. The activities will form part of the student activity document, which will be regularly reviewed by the tutor and the thesis director and supervised by the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Program.
Character
Compulsory
Hours
15
Description
Presentation by the teams of the ongoing research, facilitating greater communication between the teams in addition to seeking synergies. The trainee personnel will also take part in this pooling. The seminars will be organized by the people responsible for the different lines of research of the Doctoral Program, possibly involving speakers of the program itself and other prestigious guest researchers. Using audiovisual media, the speaker will develop an advanced research topic, focussing on what the most appropriate tools are for the particular topic and why they have been selected.
Results
The following learning results are established for the presentations of the work groups: - Acquiring capacity for critical analysis in the face of the materials submitted by fellow researchers. - Acquiring the ability to communicate with other senior researchers by conducting questions or by requesting more information on specific aspects of the research work. - Acquiring the ability to communicate, in writing, the conclusions drawn on both the material submitted and the research tools. - Opening up of the research to other teams. This allows the resolution of doubts and the more effective routing of the research processes.
Assessment systems
The seminar organizers will ensure control of the following aspects: - Compulsory attendance. - Drawing up of a concluding report by the doctoral student.
Character
Compulsory
Hours
100
Description
Preparation of at least one scientific publication, written in English and adapted, which has undergone at least one revision by a prestigious international journal in the field of research (a journal listed on the SSCI database). Each student, guided by his or her tutor and/or director, will select and decide on the research results to be published, the journal to which he or she will send the publication and the moment decided on to do so. The activity consists of the following phases: - Compilation of the research results which are intended to be sent for publication. - Reflection on the coherence between the hypothesis formulated and the results achieved. - Selection of an impact magazine whose scope fits the work performed. - Preparation of the article in English and adapting to the demands of the magazine. - Sending of the article and monitoring of the state of evaluation. - Analysis of the response of the editor and reviewers. Conclusions and future actions. Throughout their stay on the doctoral program, the students will prepare at least one publication for an internationally-renowned journal. This activity will preferably be performed from the second year of enrolment on the program onwards in the case of full-time students and from the third year onwards in the case of part-time students.
Results
The following learning results are established for the activity involving diffusion in prestigious publications: - Acquiring the ability to make a critical analysis of the correlationship between the hypothesis formulated and the results obtained. - Acquiring the ability to classify magazines by their impact and their thematic objective. - Acquiring a capacity for synthesis, communication and discussion and for new and complex ideas by means of the preparation of a quality manuscript in English, to be published in a renowned journal within the scientific community, designed for its revision by external peers. - Acquiring the ability to assimilate the criticisms and suggestions of the reviewers, using this feedback to redirect the research work.
Assessment systems
A copy of the sent manuscript and a certificate of reception/acceptance by the journal will be submitted as well as, if appropriate, corrections to the original manuscript, unless publication is achieved within three years (for full-time students) or five years (for part-time students), in which case a printed copy of the published manuscript will be submitted. The thesis directors will be responsible for ensuring control of the following deliverables: - Manuscript sent to the selected magazine. - Revision received and, if appropriate, corrections to the original manuscript.