Academic and non-academic career paths of international and domestic PhD holders

Keywords: academic career, non-academic career, PhD holder, domestic PhD holder, international PhD holders, doctoral competences

Abstract

Some countries have strong culturally rooted practices and policies to incentivize their PhD candidates to develop their doctoral studies abroad. Their programs provide cultural and methodological diversity opportunities and globally oriented career prospects. In the last years, many of those countries are increasingly developing their own domestic doctoral programs, which may offer career benefits due to their strong connections to the local research and academic environment. The career paths of 126 PhD holders working in Paraguay, a country in which doctoral studies abroad intersect with national-based doctoral programs, were examined using the ECRID survey. The perceptions of those who completed their doctoral studies domestically and those who studied abroad were compared in terms of the usefulness of the skills provided by their respective PhD programs. The results showed that most PhD holders in Paraguay work full-time in the academic sector. The percentage of PhD holders employed in non-academic roles reflects the diversity of career options available to PhDs holders in the Paraguayan labour market. Furthermore, results indicated how the participants re-signified the skills acquired during the doctoral program to adapt them to various professional settings. This process underscores the emerging demands of the current labour market and the necessity for universities to adjust doctoral training models to better equip graduates for diverse professional paths. This adjustment includes institutional support to reduce cultural shock and subsequent burnout levels. Pioneering results from the Paraguayan context provide empirical evidence to enrich the reflection on the resources and opportunities for PhD holders at both structural and organizational levels.

Received: 4 July 2024 
Accepted: 13 January 2025

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Author Biographies

Laura Diaz Villalba, Universidad de Barcelona, Spain

Pre-doctoral researcher at the University of Barcelona (Spain) and a member of the Seminar on Identity & New Trajectories in Education (SINTE) research team (www.sinte.me). Her research primarily focuses on the identity development of early career researchers and doctoral training. Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Barcelona, Spain. Her work involves investigating how novice researchers develop their professional identities and the various factors that influence their academic growth and success. The contributions to the field aim to enhance the understanding of the challenges faced by emerging scholars and to improve support systems within academic institutions. Additionally, she explores the transfer of competencies acquired during doctoral training to nonacademic sectors.

Montserrat Castelló Badía, Universitat Ramón Llull, Spain

Full Professor of Educational Psychology and Director of the Research Institute of Applied Psychology at the FPCEE Blanquerna, Universitat Ramon Llull in Barcelona, Spain. She is also the Principal Investigator of the Seminar on Identity & New Trajectories in Education (SINTE) research team (www.sinte.me), recognised and funded by the Generalitat de Catalunya. Since 2019, she has been a numerary member of the Institut d’Estudis Catalans. She is also a member of the Faculty Evaluation Committee of the Agency for University Quality of the Generalitat de Catalunya (AQU). She has held editorial roles in several academic journals and has reviewed numerous papers as an anonymous peer reviewer. Her research interests include academic writing, identity development of early career researchers and regulatory strategies in educational settings. With extensive experience in her field, her work has contributed significantly to understanding how early career researchers navigate their professional journeys and develop their academic identities.

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Published
2025-06-30
How to Cite
Diaz Villalba, Laura, and Montserrat Castelló Badía. 2025. “Academic and Non-Academic Career Paths of International and Domestic PhD Holders”. Tuning Journal for Higher Education 12 (1). https://doi.org/10.18543/tjhe.3126.