EuPRAXIA expert contributes to high-level European debate on the future of doctoral training

Professor Carsten P. Welsch, EuPRAXIA-DN coordinator and EuPRAXIA-PP WP2 leader, joined senior European research leaders in Brussels last week for a high-level discussion on the future of doctoral education and the added value of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks.

The event, More Than a PhD: The Added Value of MSCA Doctorates, was hosted by the European Research Executive Agency on 24 - 25 June and brought together policy makers, university leaders, doctoral education specialists and MSCA experts to examine how doctoral training can best prepare researchers for successful careers across academia, industry and wider society.

Photograph of the REA main building in Brussels where the event took place.

Professor Welsch was invited to contribute to the panel discussion on The State of Doctoral Training in Europe, chaired by Klaus Haupt, Head of Unit for MSCA Doctoral Networks at the European Research Executive Agency (REA). The panel brought together senior voices from the European Commission, the European University Association, REA, research leaders and program managers from across Europe, reflecting the strategic importance of doctoral education to Europe’s research and innovation landscape.

Professor Welsch’s contribution was based on his exceptional track record in designing and leading international postgraduate research training programs. As Director of two STFC Centres for Doctoral Training in Data Intensive Science, Coordinator of six pan-European doctoral networks and past Chair of STFC’s Education Training and Careers Committee, he has played a leading role in shaping how early-career researchers are trained for complex, interdisciplinary and international research environments.

His programs have trained more than 100 Marie Curie Fellows and helped establish models of doctoral education that combine scientific excellence with international mobility, cross-sector exposure, transferable skills, public engagement and strong cohort identity.

The Brussels event also marked the launch of a new European Research Executive Agency report, The Added Value of MSCA Doctorates: A Mixed-Methods Study. The study provides the first large-scale systematic comparison of MSCA Doctoral Networks with other doctoral programs and surveyed around 6,800 doctoral candidates and supervisors worldwide.

Its findings strongly support the value of the MSCA model. More than nine in ten surveyed participants agreed that MSCA Doctoral Networks provide added value compared with other doctoral programs. The report also found that MSCA researchers achieve strong career outcomes, with a high share employed within one year of completing their doctorate and significantly greater likelihood of securing roles in business or other non-academic sectors compared with non-MSCA peers.

The report highlights the features that make MSCA Doctoral Networks distinctive, including international collaboration, intersectoral experience, interdisciplinary mobility, team-based supervision and better support structures. Seven in ten MSCA PhD researchers reported interdisciplinary mobility, while eight in ten MSCA supervisors said their research project would not have been possible without MSCA doctoral funding.

These findings closely align with Professor Welsch’s long-standing approach to postgraduate research training. He has championed doctoral education that goes beyond a traditional apprenticeship model, preparing researchers to operate confidently across disciplines, sectors and borders. His work has helped demonstrate that world-leading research training must combine deep technical expertise with collaboration, adaptability, communication and leadership.

Following the event, Klaus Haupt thanked Professor Welsch and fellow panelists for their contributions, highlighting: “Your insights and your expertise enriched the discussions and provided invaluable food for thought for all attendees.” He added that the panel’s contributions “underscored the importance of the MSCA programme in shaping the next generation of doctoral training in Europe” and would “inspire further dialogue and action.”

Professor Welsch’s invitation to the panel recognizes Liverpool Physics’ international standing in accelerator science, data-intensive research and postgraduate training. It also underlines the University’s role in shaping the future of research careers at a time when Europe is placing renewed emphasis on talent, mobility, collaboration and skills for a rapidly changing research and innovation environment.

To access the full report, please visit this site.