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Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies


Ewelina Niemczyk

Let./Vol. 69 (135)
Št./No. 2/2018
Str./pp. 144–159
ISSN 0038 0474

Rethinking research education in
globalised times: Perspectives of
European post-doctoral fellows
Abstract: In today’s globalised society, European universities have intensified their building of research
capacity and development of competent researchers. The rapidly changing research environment driven
by internationalisation, marketisation, technological advancements and innovative forms of research
calls for not only competent but also globally competent researchers. However, there have been few
explorations of the development of globally competent researchers. Even less is understood about educational practices and spaces that promote or prevent acquisition of the research competencies that
are necessary to conduct research across disciplines and borders. In order to address the existing gap
in the literature, this article explores the perspectives of eight European post-doctoral fellows. The
results showcase knowledge and competencies that globally competent researchers require to conduct
quality research. In addition, the results call attention to educational opportunities associated with
the acquisition of these competencies in higher education institutions. The findings reveal the need to
rethink current research education opportunities. Attention must be paid to (a) enhanced preparation
of competent researchers in a globalised world and (b) the challenges limiting the development of future
researchers. Although the findings of this study cannot be generalised across Europe, they are informative
for a wide audience, including established researchers, novice researchers and research management.
Keywords: globally competent researchers, research education, research capacity, post-doctoral fellows,
knowledge-based Europe, qualitative study, European context
UDC: 37.012
Scientific article

Ewelina Niemczyk, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow, Education and Human Rights in Diversity Research Unit,
Faculty of Education Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 11 Hoffman Street, 2531
Potchefstroom, South Africa; e-mail: ewelina.niemczyk@nwu.ac.za



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Research landscape in global times
Governments across Europe increasingly affirm the importance of innovation
and research capacity for achieving future prosperity within the global knowledge
economy (e.g. European Commission 2015; European Research Area 2016; Economic and Social Research Council 2014; Hallet and Fidalgo 2014). The increasing
focus on research competence and productivity comes from the fundamental link
between a strong culture of innovation and national prosperity (Chubb 2013).
Scholarly literature often refers to researchers and their research as main factors
assuring national productivity and innovation (Dobozy 2013) since knowledge has
become the most valuable resource and driver of production (Kefela 2010; Leydesdorff 2011). The importance of a more knowledge-based Europe is well reported
in Eurocadres’ (2016) newsletter: “Education is the generator of economic growth
and civilisation. Having more knowledge leads to innovations, job creation and
higher stability. Those with higher education tend to have shorter unemployment
periods than those without. Therefore, investing in education benefits the society
as a whole. Eurocadres believes that a strong European economy will be reached
by supporting higher education and research”.
A 2016 progress report of the European Research Area (European Commission 2017b) reveals Europe’s agency to respond to a dynamic and changing world.
The report indicates that the majority of European countries have made significant
progress in research excellence and development of national strategies for research
and innovation (R&I), which encourage internationalisation and international
researcher mobility. These strategies are developed via novel practices and innovative policies facilitating increased researcher mobility and grant portability.
For instance, the Money Follows Researcher Model is aimed at researchers who
continue their funded project in any country, regardless of the original association
or location of the funded researcher. Another important focus of R&I strategies is
close collaboration between ministries, research funding agencies and higher education institutions. Such collaboration is intended to maximise the alignment of
the prioritised initiatives and promote international and intersectoral perspectives.

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It is vital to ensure that higher education institutions contribute to innovation
(European Commission 2017a). In order to foster academic excellence and innovation, many European countries have increased their funding for the development of
highly qualified researchers to compete internationally. Matthias Egger, President
of the Research Council in Switzerland, stated that the country needs “young researchers who are critical thinkers and question existing knowledge or develop it
in novel ways - such research leads to innovation and is therefore crucial to Switzerland’s economic prosperity and affluence” (Swiss National Science Foundation
2017). The above-mentioned arguments validate universities’ growing roles in the
knowledge-based economy and the associated expectations for higher education to
produce highly skilled researchers.
Governments, funding agencies and research universities committed to promoting strong research programmes continue to introduce actions and regulations
to attract international talent in a globalised world. Some of those actions include
provision of research and mobility grants for international students and postdoctoral
fellows, attractive employment packages for established researchers and special
positions for distinguished scholars. Through different grants and scholarships,
research excellence and development of competent researchers and innovators are
maximised. As indicated by the Association of Commonwealth Universities (2016,
p. 2), producing quality research is a core mission of most universities, but it can
only be achieved if investment is made in those responsible for research production.
Williams (2005) argued that “globalization has altered both the context and
substance of university education, advanced research and doctoral training” (ibid.,
p. 15). Global competitiveness in research and the generation of university research
rankings are part of the contemporary higher education system (Deem et al. 2008).
Their existence reflects the growing emphasis on research performance by nations
determined to pursue innovation agendas (Boud and Lee 2009; Connell 2004). This
emphasis is evident in the global model of the research-intensive university, which
is characterised by a strong focus on research productivity and researcher development (Mohrman et al. 2008). As indicated by the European Commission (2015): “In
order to compete globally we need more people to follow a career in research and
to then provide them with the foundations for an open labour market. Therefore,
Europe must be transformed into an attractive continent that supports innovation,
knowledge creation and encourages researchers to stay”.
Higher education institutions play a key role in education of researchers able
to meet globalised expectations for their future careers within and outside academia (L’Association Pour L’Emploi des Cadres... 2010). However, little is known
about effective ways to foster the capacity for excellence in research and scholarship (Walker et al. 2008). The use of new methodologies and digital technologies,
promotion of international collaboration and inclusion of multi-disciplinary and
multi-sectoral perspectives continuously transform the way in which research is
conducted and shared. New research practices within a changing research environment encourage new methods of data collection and dissemination, communication
within and between research communities, multidisciplinary and international collaborations and dissemination of research findings to non-research communities.

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These ongoing advances result in demand for new tools, skills and approaches to
the training of globally competent researchers able to engage in research studies
across disciplines and geographic borders.
It is imperative to acknowledge that the researcher profession and ways of
researching are changing. Nowadays, researchers function in different environments than in the past; therefore, it is vital to effectively support excellent research
and the development of competent researchers. Existing literature identifies some
competencies beyond research skills and scientific expertise that researchers need
in an interconnected world, including the ability to communicate with researchers
across disciplines (APEC and Deloitte 2010; Brogt 2007), interpret multilingual
research (Weijters et al. 2013), secure funding from different sources (APEC and
Deloitte 2010) and be aware of context-specific ethical practices (McGinn and Tilley
2012; Szostak 2013). However, evidence regarding which research opportunities
within higher education institutions contribute to effective acquisition of these
competencies is randomly reported.
This article, which is based upon qualitative analysis, is meant to (a) showcase
knowledge areas and competencies that globally competent researchers require to
conduct high-quality ethical research and (b) explore educational opportunities that
promote and challenges that prevent or limit acquisition of these competencies in
the European higher education context.
Key terminology
Prior to describing the research design, this section clarifies the terminology
and expressions employed in this article.
The term research education refers to spaces and practices designed to equip
novice researchers with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to conduct
quality research and engage in research communities across disciplines and borders. Research education spaces refer to research learning opportunities that allow
postgraduate students to increase their research knowledge and skills as well as
discover responsibilities associated with being researchers. In the European context,
research education spaces in postgraduate programs may include research courses;
a research thesis, in which a student undertakes independent study under the supervision of an experienced researcher; research assistantships, in which students
assist research supervisors with their research projects, and/or research workshops.
The term globally competent researchers was coined by Niemczyk (2015) as part
of her international post-doctoral research. The preliminary findings (Niemczyk
2018) provide the following emerging definition of a globally competent researcher:
“A globally competent researcher possesses knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes
necessary to conduct respectful and rigorous research in diverse contexts. Globally competent researchers are aware of a wider world, critical global issues and
their impact on education in different contexts. They are committed to collaborate
within multicultural and multidisciplinary settings. Globally competent researchers
value diversity, social justice, and manifest intercultural sensitivity conducting

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and reporting research”. A knowledge-based economy relies on the production and
use of ideas, knowledge, information and skills to promote economic and social
development rather than physical labour. A knowledge-based economy places new
expectations on higher education institutions to prepare competitive researchers,
making it relevant to this research. Research competencies are understood to be
a constellation of abilities, understandings, skills and values that enable globally
competent researchers to act effectively and ethically in a given research space or
situation.
Research design
Research Method
This paper is based on a large international study designed to explore the
development of globally competent researchers that are able to engage in multinational, multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral projects. The qualitative study is rooted
in interpretive research. As indicated by Given (2008), in interpretive research,
meaning is disclosed, discovered and experienced, and the focus is on sense-making,
description and detail. Therefore, meaning-making in order to understand a given
social phenomenon is the primary goal of interpretive research.
Sample
As part of a larger study, this paper relies on the responses of eight post-doctoral
fellows in education from five European countries (Croatia, Great Britain, Ireland,
Poland and Spain) on a comprehensive open-ended questionnaire. The participants
are of both genders, although they are not equally distributed (6 females and 2 males).
Data collection
Data was collected between June and July 2016 via SurveyMonkey from
members of a European comparative education society. All members were invited
to participate in a larger study. The data gathered from European post-doctoral
fellows was purposefully selected from a larger pool of participants to inform this
article.
Data analysis
Data analysis involved reading the eight open-ended questionnaires and coding
text addressing the objectives of this paper. The coding process involved generating
initial codes, grouping similar codes that represented patterned responses and ar-

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riving at a more manageable number of themes (Braun and Clarke 2006). For the
purpose of this paper, the perceptions of eight post-doctoral fellows are reported
under two themes: (1) knowledge and competencies expected of globally competent
researchers and (2) educational opportunities associated with preparation of globally competent researchers. Both themes are complimented with excerpts from
post-doctoral fellows’ responses (1–8) to provide authentic illustrations of the
findings.
Investigations of the development of globally competent researchers primarily
focus on novice researchers, and the voices of post-doctoral fellows sometimes fall
into the cracks between doctoral students and established researchers (Micoli and
Wendell 2018). Therefore, it was important to investigate post-doctoral fellows.
In addition, this investigation is narrowed to one specific discipline, education, in
order to acquire a thorough understanding of the phenomenon. Inclusion of multiple fields of study at this point could add an additional level of complexity and
detract from the objectives of this article. The development of novices as globally
competent researchers was chosen as the area of focus as they are expected to transition from knowledge consumers to knowledge producers (Lovitts 2005) and are
vital to the 21st-century global knowledge economy (Evans 2010). As emphasised
by the Association of Commonwealth Universities (2016), investments should be
made in systems and processes that enhance the research capacity of institutions
via emerging talent.
Findings
This section is organised into two themes that emerged from the qualitative
analysis. Each theme is linked to relevant international studies to directly situate
the views of post-doctoral fellows in the broader literature and address the objectives of this article.
Knowledge and competencies expected of globally competent researchers
According to the participants, researchers’ global competence requires specific knowledge, skills and values. Post-doctoral fellows identified multiple areas
of knowledge as necessary to conduct high-quality, ethical research in diverse
contexts. The most frequently reported areas include comprehensive knowledge
of one’s own discipline, strong knowledge of research methodologies and methods,
culture-specific knowledge and knowledge of global education policies, human rights
and context-specific ethical regulations. The following two excerpts exemplify the
responses of most participants.
Basically, such a researcher should be well versed in [his or her] own discipline,
have a strong knowledge of research methodologies and methods, understand cultural differences and culture specific knowledge. Global times call for researchers

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who can navigate outside their own culture and respectfully collaborate with others
who do not share their values or accepted norms. There is also need for competence
in terms of regulations and universal educational policies.
(Post-doctoral Fellow 3)
Knowledge of the research/project field - knowledge of the research/project methodology - ethical values - human rights protection - tolerance to various perspectives…
(Post-doctoral Fellow 6)
Referring to the knowledge of competent researchers, the majority of participants brought attention to the importance of cultural intelligence outside of one’s
own discipline, research methods and research methodology. Cultural intelligence
can be defined as a multidimensional capacity that supports effective functioning
within new cultural contexts and includes elements related to cognition, motivation
and behaviour (Ng and Earley 2006). The cognitive element can be understood as
knowledge, awareness and self-awareness, while the motivation element involves
perseverance and appropriate goal setting related to cultural interaction (Earley
and Peterson 2004). The behaviour element is closely connected to actions that
adjust or adapt one’s behaviour according to the cultural environment. One of the
participants described cultural intelligence as follows:
There are some key features they [globally competent researchers] should have,
especially: willingness, openness and readiness to experience other cultures and
attitudes - lack of feeling of superiority coming from, belonging to a specific group
(professional, gender, ethnical, religious, etc.) - getting to know other [than] their
own attitudes towards basic concepts (knowledge, research, relationships, but also
time, space, etc.) - using the source of references coming from different environments - highlighting and promoting less ‘obvious’ sources of knowledge (e.g. the
ones rooted in native cultures)
(Post-doctoral Fellow 5)
In terms of competencies, post-doctoral fellows reported that globally competent researchers need to be open-minded and respectful of diverse viewpoints and
ethical values. Globally competent researchers also need the ability to (a) integrate
knowledge from various disciplines, (b) work within and across different cultures
and (c) share knowledge and experiences. In addition, researchers should possess
advanced information technology skills, good communication skills, linguistic
skills and the ability to speak a foreign language, preferably English. In addition,
according to two of the participants, globally competent researchers should possess
the following:
…ethical values - human rights protection - tolerance to various perspectives co-operation/team work/ good communication skills - IT skills. The only additional
knowledge is the mutual language fluency, very likely English.
(Post-doctoral Fellow 6)

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Willingness to share own knowledge and experiences, knowledge of cultures
worldwide, foreign languages, ICT, ability to cooperate with different types of people,
ability to integrate knowledge from various disciplines, etc.
(Post-doctoral Fellow 8)
The above-mentioned knowledge and competencies call for reflection about
what kind of understandings, skills and attitudes should be desired and expected
from globally competent researchers. Focus on those capacities is also necessary to
explore and evaluate how postgraduate programs, senior researchers and research
supervisors engage the new generation of researchers in research learning. To
that end, it is also vital to explore the ways in which higher education institutions
enhance senior researchers’ mentoring skills. As reported by Levine (2007), the
shortcomings of postgraduate programmes are in part due to the lack of highquality scholars who are productive researchers and skilled mentors for doctoral
students. According to Leech (2012), a possible reason for the shortage of skilled
and knowledgeable researchers is the lack of quality control based on clearly defined standards of what it means to be a good researcher or conduct high-quality
educational research. Levine (2007) recommends to “establish effective means of
quality control within the education research community […] and to investigate
doctoral programs to the extent they employ rigorous and appropriate standards”
(ibid., p. 77). It is thought that universities produce a high number of PhDs who
are average researchers yet are not in a position to conduct research and influence
public opinion (Cyranoski et al. 2011).
Understanding the multiple capacities that competent researchers require in
the global nature of research is only a first step; there must also be an understanding
of the educational opportunities that promote or prevent novice researchers from
acquiring research knowledge and competencies. The next theme addresses these
complexities of research education.
Educational opportunities associated with preparation of globally competent
researchers
Participants listed several educational opportunities for novice researchers
to be shaped and nurtured. Some post-doctoral fellows indicated that the ability
of their institutions to produce globally competent researchers needed to improve. The following research education spaces and practices were reported to
be essential for equipping researchers with global competence: research methods
courses and workshops, research ethics training, research assistantships, research supervision, mentorship, staff and student mobility and international
collaboration:
There are research workshops, qualitative and quantitative research methods
courses, thesis research under the supervision of a mentor, research assistantships where students assist research supervisors with their research projects.

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They contribute in enhancing students’ knowledge and skills in a certain research/project field and methodology, ethical values, co-operation skills and
IT skills.
(Post-doctoral Fellow 6)
… [Through] signed international agreements, it’s possible to replace [exchange] workers and students what permits flow of information... relationships are
built, new skills are formed, desirable attitudes [are acquired] including openness,
experience is exchanged.
(Post-doctoral Fellow 2)
The educational opportunities listed above represent current spaces and
practices employed at participants’ institutions to train future researchers, mainly
postgraduate education students. The responses reveal that, outside of formal spaces
such as research courses and workshops, engagement in other educational activates
provides an educational environment for developing researchers (Nicolas, 2008).
The fellows often mentioned the importance of supervision and mentorship as well
as international collaboration. International literature has found that research
supervisors are expected to nurture the development of novice researchers (Strike
et al. 2002) and provide them with educational opportunities that advance the
development of their research skills and identities as researchers (Grundy, 2004).
According to Miller and Salkind (2002, p. 15), “there are no shortcuts in
becoming a competent researcher. It involves a great deal of time and practice
in every sense of the word. An increasing number of experiences in different settings leads to enhanced competence.” Similarly, Lee and Roth (2003) argue that
“becoming more fully engaged and becoming an expert are two sides of the same
coin” (ibid., paragraph 11). The scholarly literature indicates that exposure to
diverse research learning opportunities highly contributes to the development of
competent researchers.
There is no doubt that higher education institutions need to engage in systematic planning to provide high-quality research education. Although it is impossible
to predict the outcome or success of a researcher’s development, it is possible to
create conditions under which globally competent researchers can flourish. According
to the participants, the above-mentioned research learning spaces and practices
provide conditions that are conducive to the development of global researchers. In
agreement with the participants’ views, the literature (Niemczyk 2015; Rossouw
and Niemczyk 2016) highlights the importance of postdoctoral students’ engagement in hands-on research learning and international collaboration. McWey et
al. (2006) argue that research development in postgraduate programmes involves
more than taking research methods courses and completing a thesis; it involves a
broad range of educational opportunities for students to connect and apply their
theoretical knowledge to research practice.
When describing research learning opportunities, participants also emphasised the existing limitations at their respective institutions. Most participants
reported lack of funding as the main factor limiting research learning opportunities.

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Participants pointed out the financial constraints faced by academic institutions,
which in turn limit the amount of money allocated for students’ mobility (e.g.
conference attendance, international collaborations). Two participants from two
different countries identified the current political system as a condition limiting
the development, including financial development, of their institutions:
Fighting political system the quest for better conditions for the development
including financial. Striving to maintain the openness and internationality... [In]
my Institution there is a requirement to lead international work, but the University
very little supports this activity.
(Post-doctoral Fellow 2)
Nowadays, due to [the] economic crisis, it has to do mainly with the shortage
in funding.
(Post-doctoral Fellow 3)
Two post-doctoral fellows brought attention to policies and regulations related
to research education. One participant reported a lack of institutional regulations
pertaining to research education. The second identified the implementation of
existing polices in practice to be challenging.
There are policies aimed at assuring the quality of research education but they
[policies] very often [are] only on paper and their level of universality is so high that
it’s impossible to introduce and see concrete activities.
(Post-doctoral Fellow 3)
The majority of participants reported that funding constraints limited the
development of novice researchers. In other words, even if research supervisors and
mentors are dedicated to connecting their students to the international research
community, they are limited by the amount of internal funding allocated for the
research development of postgraduate students or by the high competition for
external funding (Niemczyk 2015).
It is important to note that co-participation of novices and expert researchers
in research communities contributes to the development of researchers’ identity.
Pyhältö et al. (2009) claimed that postgraduate students develop their identities as
researchers by engaging in research communities and doing research. However, to do
so, they need opportunities to acquire a sense of belonging to research communities.
The lack of regulations regarding research education can be highly problematic.
First of all, there is a need for a clear guidance and expectations for postgraduate
programmes and research supervisors to provide educational research learning
opportunities. Without clear rules and responsibilities, it is impossible to assure
any form of accountability for those involved in research education. In addition,
regulations safeguard novice researchers, who may find themselves in vulnerable
positions due to the power dynamics between novices and established researchers
(Hinchey and Kimmel 2000; Löfström and Pyhältö 2012).

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The limitations reported by participants closely resonate with the findings
of international studies, indicating participants’ concerns are well-founded and
should be seriously taken into consideration.
Reflections and recommendations
This paper is based on analysis of data obtained from eight post-doctoral fellows. Their perceptions and experiences at their respective institutions and beyond
indicate the need to rethink the educational opportunities meant to prepare future
researchers. Nowadays, researchers function in different environments than in the
past; therefore, it is vital to support excellent research through the development
of globally competent researchers. Higher education programmes need to consider
ways to make research education more effective and better prepare researchers for
their roles and responsibilities in global society.
The participants identified several competencies required by researchers,
including comprehensive knowledge of one’s own discipline, research methodologies and cultural intelligence. The findings also indicate that preparing researchers
to become globally competent involves the development of communication and
technological skills and high-quality mentorship. Exponential technological advancements are transforming the way research is being done and shared (e.g. data
collection, data management). In addition, the knowledge and competencies that
globally competent researchers must possess are substantial and growing. Thus,
participants mentioned research learning spaces that allow for the acquisition of
multiple competencies. Research knowledge and skills can be acquired through
strategic means of instruction. However, the development of cultural intelligence
and sensitivity calls for spaces of reflection and critical examination. Dedicated
space within a programme for novice researchers to examine themselves as researchers, reflect on systemic inequalities and evaluate the degree of unfairness
or discrimination in diverse contexts may be beneficial.
Mentors serve a fundamental role in introducing novice researchers to research knowledge and innovative research practices. Therefore, there is a need to
connect novice researchers with academic mentors and imbed mentoring into the
institutional culture. However, the list of skills that established researchers must
possess in order to mentor novice researchers is extensive, and to provide highquality research training, faculty members may need to update their mentoring
skills. Thus, universities may need to provide such professional development
spaces for senior researchers. The institutions share responsibility for supporting
mentorship of novice researchers and ensuring that their system prioritises and
incentivises good faculty mentoring behaviours and practices.
The challenges identified by the participants, such as financial constraints
and limited regulations pertaining to research education, need further attention. As the global landscape continues to evolve to favour knowledge-based
economies and innovation, private and public funding needs to increasingly subsidise the cost of excellent scholarship. To promote novice researchers’ engage-

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ment in the global research community, it is essential to support their mobility.
This can be achieved by providing additional funding for novice researchers
in the form of new and expanded scholarship programmes and research grant
programmes.
European higher education institutions are also encouraged to evaluate their
existing regulations and practices related to financial support of researchers. For
example, if current practices are based on the researcher’s length of service or
qualifications, a new practice could be developed to address novice researchers’
developmental needs via incentives and objectives. Taking an institutional approach to supporting the development of globally competent researchers may
shape the research culture for researchers at all stages of their careers and ensure
that promising researchers retain motivation to continue developing their global
competence and productivity. There is also need for regulations that outline the
roles and responsibilities of those involved in research education, especially to safeguard the potentially vulnerable position of novice researchers. Higher education
programmes need a sound accountability system to provide research training and
professional development opportunities for novice researchers.
Across European nations, and across the globe, the expectations for postgraduate
education and research training are changing. According to the presented literature,
the role of research in universities is expanding and researchers’ expectations are
becoming more complex. It seems obvious that if the dynamics of research shift along
with researchers’ expectations, then it is necessary to re-think current research
education in higher education institutions. In short, if European nations aim to
be globally competitive in terms of research capacity and output, then increased
attention needs to be devoted to preparation of globally competent researchers.
European postgraduate programmes should consider what is expected of globally competent researchers and evaluate the effectiveness of their programmes for
educating researchers who are capable of meeting these expectations. The existing
living definition (Niemczyk 2018) of a globally competent researcher provides conceptual clarity regarding the expectations for competent researchers able to conduct
high-quality ethical research in diverse contexts. The definition may also serve as
a starting point to set guidelines for research programmes preparing novices to
conduct research in a globalised world.
Each country relying on the global knowledge economy needs to build and
sustain strong innovative research and research training environments. Notably,
different European countries feature different starting points for this development
(including historical developments of higher education institutions) at various
levels of infrastructure, human capital or financial capacity. As researchers conduct research in new ways, research learning spaces and practices must stimulate
the acquisition of progressive research knowledge, skills and values. Researchers
are driven by intellectual and creative inquiry, but research learning is shaped
by the environment in which it is carried out. Postgraduate programmes need to
demonstrate the ability to serve as a platform to shape competent researchers able
to undertake research in a globalised world. This can be only accomplished when
critical reflection and exposure to innovative research practices.

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This study provides a glimpse of the knowledge and competencies globally
competent researchers require to conduct high-quality research in diverse contexts.
The next step will be to explore the specific practices, lessons and experiences
through which these competencies are effectively transferred. More comprehensive
research is needed in order to get to the core of research learning opportunities
as well as their associated limitations. The open-ended questionnaire provided a
testing ground for future in-depth exploration via interviews.
In conclusion, challenging times and complex social issues call for world-leading
research and researchers. Increasing value is assigned to research as an important
output for higher education and for society more broadly. However, this has not
yet resulted in a shift in European institutional culture to sufficiently prioritise
and support research capacity building and the development of globally competent
researchers. This paper makes a case for enhancing the development of emerging
global researchers, who are a vital academic resource for their ability to perform
cutting-edge research and who contribute to national prosperity.
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Ewelina NIEMCZYK (Univerza North-West, Republika Južna Afrika)
PREMISLEK O IZOBRAŽEVANJU RAZISKOVALCEV V ČASU GLOBALIZACIJE: POGLEDI
PODOKTORSKIH RAZISKOVALCEV
Povzetek: V sodobni globalni družbi univerze v evropskem prostoru vse več prizadevanj vlagajo v
razvoj raziskovalnih kapacitet svojih raziskovalcev. Glede na dejstvo, da se raziskovalno okolje hitro
spreminja pod vplivi internacionalizacije, komercializacije, tehnološkega napredka ter inovativnih oblik
raziskovanja, se tudi od raziskovalcev pričakuje, da bodo vse bolj prisotni v mednarodnem prostoru. Toda
raziskav na tem področju je razmeroma malo. Še manj pa je razumevanja, kako izobraževalne prakse
v visokošolskem prostoru bodisi spodbujajo ali morda ovirajo pridobivanje kompetenc, ki so nujne za
uspešno interdisciplinarno in v mednarodni prostor vpeto raziskovanje. Da bi vsaj nekoliko presegli
odsotnost tovrstnih razprav, v tem prispevku predstavljamo rezultate kvalitativne raziskave o stališčih
osmih evropskih podoktorskih raziskovalcev. Na podlagi rezultatov lahko sklepamo, kakšno znanje in
kompetence bi morali usvojiti globalno kompetentni raziskovalci, da bi lahko kakovostno raziskovali.
Ob tem opozarjamo tudi na možnosti, ki bi jih morale zagotavljati visokošolske institucije, ki mlade
izobražujejo in razvijajo njihove kompetence. Na tem področju bo potrebno obstoječe prakse temeljito
premisliti. Več pozornosti bi bilo treba posvetiti: (a) boljši pripravi mladih raziskovalcev na globaliziran
svet ter (b) oviram, ki omejujejo njihov razvoj. Čeprav rezultatov ni mogoče posploševati, so ugotovitve
dovolj zanimive za širše bralstvo, med drugim tudi za uveljavljene raziskovalce, tiste, ki na to področje
šele vstopajo, pa tudi za tiste, ki se ukvarjajo z vodenjem raziskav.
Ključne besede: globalno kompetentni raziskovalci, izobraževanje raziskovalcev, raziskovalne zmožnosti, podoktorski raziskovalci, na znanju temelječa Evropa, kvalitativno raziskovanje, evropski kontekst
E-naslov: ewelina.niemczyk@nwu.ac.za