2: The Enduring and Evolving Doctorate

Featuring stories from early career researchers Alfred, Amy, Harry, Jane, Lucy, Mark, Ole and Steve

In this chapter, we will explore the tension between the enduring and evolving purposes of doctoral design. The enduring purpose of the doctorate is to nurture early career researchers who can sustain the academy, service the professions and deliver socially impactful research (Rudd, 1975). The enduring purpose was challenged with the birth of the European doctorate in the ninth century, when concerns for the employability of graduates were raised (Ruano-Borbalan, 2022). This prompted the emergence of the evolving purpose of the doctorate to respond to social conditions.