MUNI ECON Information for supervisors of students in doctoral programmes of ECON MUNI 1. Standards of the supervisor.................................................... 2 2. The relationship between the supervisor, the doctoral board and the TAC....................................... 4 3. Announcing the topic....................................................................... 5 4. Admission procedure............................................................................. 6 5. Progress of studies............................................................................. 7 6. Projects and publications of doctoral students supervised by you..................................................... 10 7. Doctoral State Examination..................................................... 10 8. Dissertation and its defense............................................... 11 9. Completion of studies..................................................................... 13 10.Support................................................................................................................. 14. partners of Econ MUni.................................................................... 15 Contact details........................................................................................ 15 Information for supervisors of students in doctoral programmes of ESF MU Given the highly individualized form of the doctoral studies, the role of the supervisor and their relationship to the doctoral student are essential for their successful completion. Mutual coo‑ peration begins to take shape even before the start of the studies, when the academic provides advice to the applicant during the preparation of the dissertation project, and continues with con‑ ducting the research project, sharing experiences and recommendations in the field of scientific work, presentation of research results and publications. content www.twitter.com/veda_econmuni 2 3WWW.ECON.MUNI.CZphd@econ.muni.cz Doctoral studies are the first stage of an academic and scientific career, and it is the supervisor who accompanies students through it, who mentors them and shares their experience with them. The task and responsibility of the supervisors is to introduce the student to the research commu‑ nity and help them become accustomed to it. The supervisor is jointly responsible for the quality of the supervised doctoral research. Supervision also requires time and personal investment, which, on the other hand, enables the training of new colleagues for conducting scientific pro‑ jects of the supervisors and the possibility of their own further scientific development. What is expected from the supervisor: ― Regular communication – The supervisor continuously advises on the progress of the doc‑ toral research at joint meetings with the doctoral student, which take place at least twice a month. ― Involvement in the supervisor’s own scientific and research activity – The supervisor invol‑ ves the doctoral student in their own scientific and research activity. It is good practice for the doctoral student to publish their first article as a junior co­‑author of their supervisor. ― Consultations about the selection of courses, external courses or summer schools and ­­ the direction of self‑study – The supervisor, together with the doctoral student, defines the knowledge necessary for the preparation of the dissertation, and together they consult the course enrolment and recommendations for the direction of self‑study. ― Professional and methodological guidance of scientific and research activities – The stu‑ dent regularly presents the progress of their research to the supervisor, who provides the student with feedback, advises on the further direction of the research and addressing research problems. ­­ ― Feedback and cooperation during publications – The supervisor reads drafts of articles and makes comments on them, and above all can participate as a co‑author on the first article and thus pass on their know‑how to the students. ― Consultation when choosing a journal, conference – The supervisor recommends a sui‑ table journal or conference for the doctoral student’s research. ​​­ ― Consultation of a mandatory foreign internship – The supervisor advises the student on the choice of the foreign internship location and provides their contacts. The supervisor should already have a general idea of the possible places of internship at the beginning of the studies. In accordance with the principles and recommendations for effective and high‑ ‑quality doctoral studies at Masaryk University, they will jointly prepare a plan for a foreign internship during the first year of the studies. ― Feedback on the annual presentation of research results – The supervisor is present at the annual presentations of the student’s research results and provides feedback on them. ― Checking the expertise of the doctoral research within the field of studies and its concept with an emphasis on the possibility of completing the studies in the standard period. ― Prevention of mutual misunderstandings – The student and supervisor clarify their ambi‑ tions and expectations concerning the studies and possibly write them down in a  non‑binding memorandum at the beginning of the studies. What can the supervisor expect from the student? ― conscientious and timely fulfilment of duties and compliance with the study schedule, ― active communication, informing about progress and possible obstacles or problems, ― interest in the research topic, the desire to acquire new knowledge and skills, ― critical thinking, creativity and originality, ― respecting good practice in research, publication and citation, ― ability to work independently and in a team, ― openness in receiving feedback.­­­ Other principles concerning the work of supervisors of doctoral students are available in the Gui‑ delines of the Research & Development Office of the MU Rector’s Office No. 1/2021 Principles and recommendations for effective and high ‑quality doctoral studies at Masaryk University. Who can be a supervisor The supervisor’s task is not only to teach the doctoral student how to conduct quality research, but also how to publish such research and communicate it to the professional public. Therefore, the supervisor can only be an active researcher who, at least at the beginning of the studies, can involve students in their own research and who can publish their results in recognized journals in the field. Persons with the academic rank of associate professor or professor can supervise, i.e. guide doctoral students. In exceptional cases, on the recommendation of the doctoral board, non‑ ‑habilitated persons can also be appointed as supervisors – they are approved by the scientific board of the faculty always for specific students and their research topics. According to the recommendations of Board of Internal Evaluation MUNI, a  habilitated supervisor can supervise a maximum of three doctoral students at the same time, whereas a non‑habilitated supervisor can usually supervise one student. Above this rule, the total number of supervised students at ECON MUNI is closely linked to the annual evaluation of supervisors, who must meet the criterion of scientific and research performance and at the same time successful supervision of students. The doctoral board decides on the appointment of all supervisors. The proposal for the appo‑ intment of a supervisor for a specific degree programme is submitted by the chair of the doctoral board through the department administering the doctoral studies. This proposal is always sub‑ sequently discussed by the scientific board of the faculty. The doctoral board also decides on the possible change of the supervisor or their dismissal. In addition to the supervisor, a Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC), two other members of which have a professional focus complementing the supervisor's professional focus, also participates in the supervision of students. 1. Standards of the supervisor 4 5WWW.ECON.MUNI.CZphd@econ.muni.cz­­ The relationship between the supervisor and the tac Thesis Advisory Committees are composed of three members: the student's supervisor, an external member, usually working at a foreign institution, and an internal member, working at MU, with a professional focus complementing the supervisor's professional focus. The TAC is formed and appointed individually for each student by the Doctoral Board during the first semester of their studies. Its role is to oversee the progress of the student's studies and the quality of their research and to provide ongoing feedback. The TAC evaluates on an annual basis the progress of study/fulfilment of the ISP and the quality of research. On the basis of this evaluation, the supervisor approves the advancement to the next semester and the Doctoral Board approves the continuation of studies. Dual supervision of a doctoral student The student completes part of their studies at a foreign institution with which a so‑called cotu‑ torship or cotutelle agreement has been concluded for these purposes. In this case, the doctoral student has a supervisor at each of these institutions. The supervisor from a foreign institution usually has the same rights and obligations as the supervisor at the parent institution. The role of the doctoral board in doctoral studies is crucial, as it sets the conditions of studies in the degree programme and is responsible for their inspection and compliance, as well as for the inspection of the quality of the programme. It checks not only doctoral students and their studies and scientific research activities, teaching and the professional level of the degree programme, but also supervisors, and evaluates them. The relationship between the supervisor and the doctoral board The supervisor may or may not be a member of the doctoral board of the degree programme. The responsibilities of supervisors in relation to the doctoral board are set out in the MU Study and examination regulations – section 28. In relation to supervisors, the doctoral board mainly: ― Approves the research focus of dissertations and ensures that they are in accordance with the scientific and research activities of the supervisor. The supervisor submits a proposal for the research focus of the dissertation, including its title and a brief abstract, to the chair of the doctoral board. The supervisor may be invited annually by the doctoral board to revise and update the listed topics. ― Assesses the compliance of individual students’ study plans with the characteristics of the relevant doctoral programme. During the first term of studies, the student draws up a plan of the entire studies in cooperation with the supervisor, which is approved by the doctoral board. ― Evaluates the course of studies of individual students based on the annual presentation of the current state of research and the term evaluation of the supervisor completed in the rele‑ vant application in IS MU. At the beginning of each term, in agreement with the supervisor, the doctoral student fills in a term content plan, which the supervisor confirms. At the end of each term, the supervisor evaluates the doctoral student’s studies in the previous term. ― Performs annual evaluations of supervisors primarily on the basis of their scientific activity, the scientific activity of doctoral students and their successful advancement in the studies. 2. The relationship between the supervisor, the doctoral board and the tac 3. Announcing the topic Supervisors propose dissertation topics that are in the same field as their own scientific research activities. Ideally, the topic of the dissertation is directly related to the research that the supervisor researches themselves. The dissertation should be written in a language that meets the stan‑ dards of the given scientific field. The topics of dissertations and related research are announced by the doctoral board based on the proposals of individual supervisors. Applicants for studies then choose the supervisor together with the announced topic directly in the application for studies. The research focus of the dissertation can also be proposed by the applicant. After mutual agreement, the supervisor forwards it to the doctoral board for approval. In addition to the title, the announced topic also contains a brief abstract. The offer of open topics is available on the website for applicants, where the list of announced topics for each supervisor complements their professional profile, including information on research focus, topics of currently supervised and already completed dissertati‑ ons, and publications. Supervisors can announce only as many topics as correspond to their free capacity to supervise doctoral students and as many as result from their annual evaluation and fulfilment of the criteria of scientific and research performance and successful supervision of students. 6 7WWW.ECON.MUNI.CZphd@econ.muni.cz 5. Progress of studies4. Admission procedure Applicants can apply exclusively for topics announced for a specific degree programme and their supervisors. After choosing the topic of the doctoral research and before submitting the study application itself, applicants contact the potential supervisor to whom they will send their CV and motivation letter. They should then discuss with the supervisor their planned research proposal. As one of the mandatory attachments to the application, the supervisor gives their written con‑ sent to the supervision of the applicant. As part of these consultations, applicants and supervi‑ sors should clarify their ambitions and mutual expectations regarding future studies. The entrance examination for all degree programmes takes place in two rounds. In the first round, the admissions committee assesses the originality and feasibility of dissertation projects, the motivation of individual applicants, their professional prerequisites and competence in English based on the content of the presented documents (dissertation project, professional CV, motivation letter, additional materials if applicable) and the consent of the supervisor. The second round takes place in the form of a discussion on the submitted dissertation project and selected research focus in front of the admissions committee. The admissions committee assesses the professional interest and level, motivation, knowledge of the field and the applicant’s overall readiness for doctoral studies. Part of the entrance examination is also an assessment of the level of knowledge of English by the admissions committee according to the required standards of the given programme. The supervisor is a member of the admissions committee or is present during the discussion. In justified cases, a personal interview can be replaced by a video conference after prior agreement. The current conditions of the admission procedure are always available on the official notice board of the faculty. Progress of studies The studies start with an enrolment for studies. The studies are highly individualized, yet they have firm rules and several milestones that must be met. The typical progress of studies showing the main activities and several milestones that must be met is evident in the following plan:In the first year, doctoral students mainly study courses. During the second year, they focus more on their dissertation research. The next two years are fully devoted to the work on the dissertation, publications, participation in conferences, or involvement in research projects. As part of their studies, students must also complete a mandatory foreign internship. After fulfiling all the obligations and conditions of the doctoral studies and after completing the doctoral research, the studies are concluded with the defense of the dissertation. With regard to the focus of the doctoral project and the research that is carried out, supervi‑ sors can recommend to doctoral students to register specific courses and to study suitable scholarly literature. Moreover, they can actively support their publication activities (e.g. through co‑authorship or assistance in choosing a journal), and they can also help in choosing a suitable conference for the presentation of research results or when choosing the most suitable institu‑ tion for the foreign internship. However, the main role is played by the supervisor especially in the preparation of doctoral research. At the end of each term, the supervisor evaluates the fulfilment or non ‑fulfilment of the stu‑ dent’s obligations. After studying the submitted materials, they assign an evaluation for the cour‑ ses evaluated by the supervisor and then express their agreement or disagreement with the student’s advancement to the next term. Once a year, the supervisors, together with the doctoral board, in the spring term with the TAC as wellt evaluate the current state of research of individual students based on their presentation. This typically takes place in the autumn term in the form of a conference organized annually by ECON MUNI (or individually at a meeting of the doctoral board), in the spring term at the individual meeting of students with their TAC. Semester Study Internship Research Study subjects 1 TAC evaluation Internal defence Major defence 109753 8642 8 9WWW.ECON.MUNI.CZphd@econ.muni.cz­­ Individual study plan At the beginning of the studies, by the end of the first term, the doctoral student, in cooperation with the supervisor, creates an Individual Study Plan (ISP) for the entire studies, which is then approved by the supervisor in IS MU and then approved by the doctoral board. The ISP is the basic document that governs the entire doctoral studies. It contains a plan of study obligations, a time schedule for the fulfilment of individual obligations and key study milestones, as well as a plan for scientific and research work, creative activities, the expected date of a mandatory fore‑ ign internship, pedagogical and self-development activities and a plan for participation in conferences, internships or summer schools for the entire period of four years of studies. The plan is completed and appro‑ ved only once during the studies, unless there is a major change, such as a change in the research focus of the dissertation. In such a case, it is re‑approved by the supervisor and the doctoral board after editing in the IS MU. Before the beginning of each term, students, in agreement with their supervisors, specify their plan of their study and research activities for the given term. At the end of the term, students fill in feedback on this term, and the supervisors then evaluate the fulfilment of the goals and agree on the advancement to the next term. Then the fulfilment of the ISP is evaluated by the doctoral board, which expresses its opinion on the continuation of doctoral students in their studies. Failure to fulfil the study plan or to register for the next term may result in sanctions (for example, in the form of a reduction or withdrawal of the scholarship), or may be grounds for the termination of studies. With regard to the set milestones of the studies, the docto‑ ral board may require mandatory fulfilment of certain conditions by a specific date. Failure to meet such a condition may be grounds for the termination of studies. If a student has problems with completing the term content plan or the individual study plan, the supervisor should be the first person the student contacts with a request for help or support in solving the situation. The structure of the individual study plan In the individual study plan, the student, after agreement with their supervisor, proposes a  schedule of their studies for the standard study period of 4 years. They state how they will proceed with their doctoral research and plan to fulfil all the obligations of the studies, which include in particular: ― completion of compulsory and optional courses (obtaining at least 240 credits per studies) ― passing the key milestones ― completion of a mandatory foreign internship (they specify in which period and where they plan to complete the internship) ― publications due to the mandatory preparation of 3 publications, of which 1 publication in a journal must be accepted for publication or in print before graduation, i.e. before the defense of the dissertation When evaluating the ISP, the supervisor mainly comments on the following points: ― whether the student shows sufficient progress in research and preparation of the dissertation with regard to the timely completion of the studies in the standard period of study extended by a maximum of 1 year ― the quality of the research (whether the research solves relevant questions and uses state-of -the -art methods and whether it is publishable in recognized journals in the field)‑­‑­‑ ― whether the student presents their research at relevant conferences and research seminars ― the foreign internship, if the student has completed it How to find ISP approval and evaluation in IS MU: IS MU > Personal administration > Supervisor > Doctoral students > Approval and evaluation of Ph.D. individual study plan Detailed information about the ISP for supervisors is available in the doctoral studies information on MUNI Employee Portal 10 11WWW.ECON.MUNI.CZphd@econ.muni.cz 6. Projects and publications of doctoral students supervised by you 8. Dissertation and its defenseThe role of the supervisor is decisive for the preparation of the dissertation and the subsequent successful defense. Continuous monitoring of the state of the doctoral research, mutual interac‑ tion between the student and the supervisor, methodological guidance and regular mutual mee‑ tings are important. When preparing the dissertation, supervisors should recommend scholarly literature to students, teach them to present research results, whether when participating in an international or national conference or when preparing expert publications. Dissertation The dissertation is submitted as a monograph or as a collection of essays/articles. The form of the dissertation will be clarified by the supervisor and the student as early as possible during the course of studies. The formal requirements for the scope, structure and content of the disserta‑ tion are determined by the guidelines of the Vice‑Dean for Research. Dissertation defense Students apply for the defense of their dissertation after fulfiling all study and other obligations (obligation to publish in journals to the prescribed extent, completing a foreign internship) and obtaining at least 240 credits. The overview of obligations for the completion of studies is summa‑ rized in the ECON MUNI Directive Study in doctoral study programmes and its organisation. The dissertation defense takes place at the ESF MU in two rounds – an internal and a major defense. Internal defense This is a defense of the first version of the dissertation conducted in the presence of members of the department, organized by its head. For the internal defense, the reporter’s opinion is pre‑ pared, which evaluates the quality of the dissertation and the degree of fulfilment of the requi‑ rements set for dissertations in the given scientific field. The purpose of the internal defense is the assessment of the quality of the dissertation by the academic community of the department. At the same time, it provides students with the opportunity to incorporate possible criticism and recommendations from the reporter’s point of view and from the internal defense before the major defense. Major defense The dissertation defense marks the end of the entire doctoral studies. It consists in the presentation of the conducted research and its results and in the subsequent expert discussion with the members of the board. It takes place in front of the doctoral defense board, for the appointment and proceedings of which apply the rules according to the MUNI Study and Examination regulations - article 34. As a rule, the reviewers of the dissertation, who are appointed by the relevant Vice-Dean on the recommendation of the doctoral board, also participate in the defense. ­­ The main content of doctoral studies is research work, which doctoral students carry out under the supervision of their supervisor. Upon agreement, they can also participate in external pro‑ jects led not only by their supervisors, but also by other researchers. The nature of the research work should be related to the topic and methodology of the student’s dissertation. Doctoral stu‑ dents are required to prepare at least three articles thematically corresponding to the focus of their dissertation during their studies. Of these, at least one article must be published during the course of studies in a journal that is indexed in the Web of Science or Scopus database. 7. annual tac evaluation The annual TAC evaluation of the student's progress and quality of their research is an important milestone and control point for feedback on how the doctoral research has progressed over the past two terms. The annual TAC evaluation is conducted in the form of a  discussion on the submitted documents, which doctoral students submit no later than two weeks before the TAC meeting. This document mainly contains the definition of the doctoral research, its goals and investigation procedure, proposed methods and research questions. In the subsequent presentation students, in addition to the status of their research, also inform the TAC about the progress of their studies and the plan of activities for the next period. The annual TAC evaluation is always organized in the spring term. The student prepares the required documents for the TAC evaluation and presents the current state of their research and studies to TAC, then fills the semester evaluation into the IS MU, so that the supervisor can fill the evaluation summarising the annual evaluation of the entire TAC and approves the advancement to the next semester no later than on 31 May. 12 13WWW.ECON.MUNI.CZphd@econ.muni.cz During the entire course of studies, the supervisor comments on the fulfilment of the study con‑ ditions and the fulfilment of the individual study plan. These statements by the supervisor are authoritative for the advancement of students to the next terms and phases of studies. The role of the supervisor is also crucial for the successful completion of studies of the student, providing them with methodological and moral support. The supervisor is also present during the annual presentation of the current results of the students’ research, the Doctoral State Examination and the dissertation defense. If the supervisor finds deficiencies in the fulfilment of the individual study plan and study conditions, they must inform the doctoral board. The doctoral board discusses the case in the presence of the student and the supervisor and, in justified cases, proposes termination of stu‑ dies due to the failure to meet the requirements. 9. Completion of studiesThere are at least two reviewers and none of them is employed by the university. At least one of the reviewers must be from a foreign institution (except Slovakia). If the reviewers of the dissertation are not also members of the board for the dissertation defense, they participate in the non ‑public part of the meeting with an advisory vote only. Upon prior agreement and if required by external circumstances, reviewers may participate in the dissertation defense via video conference. At the invitation of the coordinator for doctoral studies, the supervisor submits their opinion on the dissertation, which the student has the right to read at least 7 working days before the defense. The doctoral student must submit the application for the defense in the spring term no later than on 31 March, and in the autumn semester no later than on 15 October, in order to guaran‑ tee taking the exam in the given term. In the case of belated submission of the application, the doctoral board decides on the possible completion of the exam within the given term. The spe‑ cific date of the defense is proposed by the doctoral board and determined by the relevant Vice- Dean. Along with the dissertation, the doctoral student also submits a professional CV, a list of published and accepted works and an overview of publications and scientific research activities. Course of the defense In the introductory part, the student briefly presents the goals of their work, investigation methods and main results and benefits. This is followed by a presentation of the reviewers’ reports, their conclusions and questions for further explanation in the defense. The student first responds to the reports and questions of the reviewers, the dissertation defense then continues with the dis‑ cussion of all participants. The board asks questions in the broader context of the given field of studies and research and tests the students’ theoretical and methodological knowledge. The board discusses the result of the defense in a closed session. In a secret vote, the committee decides whether the student passed the defense or failed. The bursar of the board takes a written record of the course, voting and evaluation of the dissertation defense, which the chair, members and reviewers confirm with their signatures. Further information on the dissertation defense is available for supervisors in the information on doctoral studies on the Employee Portal. 14 phd@econ.muni.cz Comprehensive administrative support for supervisors is provided by the Research and Projects Office, specifically the coordinator for doctoral studies. ECON MUNI supervisors have the opportunity to use a wide range of all faculty and university services. IT services Access to MS Office 365 is automatically provided to all employees at MUNI. The faculty offers various programmes for study or work use. You can use various repositories for data storage, as well as for their backup and archiving. Language Centre (LC) Do you need to strengthen your language skills, help with the correction of the translation of an expert article or a grant applications in a foreign language? Then the Language Centre is here for you. Pedagogical Competence Development Centre (CERPEK) Do you lack confidence in your pedagogical competence and would you like to strengthen and further develop it? Then use the services of CERPEK MU. An elaborate mentoring concept is available to you. MU Technology Transfer Centre (CTT) The assistance with the transfer of research results into practical applications (software, metho‑ dologies, results of applied research) is offered by the MU Technology Transfer Centre. CTT also provides advice on the intellectual property and ensuring its protection. Centre for International Cooperation (CIC) The Centre for International Cooperation of Masaryk University provides methodological support and at the same time coordinates MUNI’s activities in the field of international cooperation. CIC administers international exchange stays of students, teachers, researchers and other employees and maintains bilateral relations with foreign universities. Discrimination and specific needs Support Centre for Students with Special Needs Teiresiás The Teiresiás University Centre is available to students with specific needs. Students’ Advisory Services / psychological support A psychological counseling service is available free of charge for MU students in the form of personal or online consultations. It is intended for students in a difficult life situation, which com‑ plicates their studies. 10. Support­­ ECON MUNI is supported by a number of partner companies, especially from the field of finance, banking and personnel management. Partners choose the possibilities of involvement in faculty activities or cooperation on research topics. Detailed information can be found at www.econ.muni.cz/en/cooperation/contact‑us/faculty‑partners ­- MU Rector’s Office Žerotínovo nám. Arne Nováka 617/9, 601 77 Brno, tel.: +420 549 491 011 Location of the Faculty of Economics and Administration MU Lipová 41a, 602 00 Brno Pisárky, GPS: 49.1935806N, 16.5774303E Dean: prof. Mgr. Jiří Špalek, Ph.D. Vice ‑Dean for Research and Doctoral Studies: doc. Ing. Rostislav Staněk, Ph.D. Research and Projects Office, Coordinator for Doctoral Studies: tel.: + 420 549 496 693, e‑mail: phd@econ.muni.cz Website: https://www.econ.muni.cz/en Partners of Econ MUni Contact details portal.muni.cz MUNI ECON Author: Lucie Přikrylová Issued in November 2024 DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND OTHER STRATEGIC AREAS TO SUPPORT RESEARCH AT MU (HR4MUII) NR. CZ.02.2.69/0.0/0.0/18_054/0014703