How can supervisors better support young researchers as they navigate their career paths?
At the University of Pécs, experts Héra-Tóth Andrea and Kalapos Judit Edina explored this question through a unique training developed within the EDUC-WIDE project. The result: a shared framework, new skills, and a growing community of practice around research career counselling.
What are the main challenges young researchers face when planning their careers, and how does the training help with this?
For young researchers, partnership and directness are very important, regardless of the supervisor’s age. Some PhD students see doctoral studies mainly as an extension of their university education and lack a clear vision of the career opportunities available after completing the degree. Alongside them are those who deliberately choose the research path. For many, financial security is a challenge, since research careers often start with lower salaries than those available in the private sector. Access to research tools and publishing opportunities is also limited.
During the training, participating lecturers could discuss the specific problems arising in their own fields, and share practices and experiences that worked well for them, which may help address these challenges.
What role does the in-person workshop play in the training as a whole, and what feedback have you received from participants so far?
The half-day, in-person workshop was designed to equip lecturers in the program with the skills to effectively support their PhD students and junior research colleagues in career planning. Beyond sharing best practices and experiences, the workshop also focused on developing participants’ career counseling competences. Together, we created the “6+1 Step Model” of research career counseling at the University of Pécs, based on both theoretical and practical foundations.
Participants highlighted the usefulness of clarifying and recording the process steps, particularly the importance of the very first step—defining the goal. Among the exercises, many valued the principles of good feedback and recognition, which can foster young researchers’ motivation, healthy self-confidence, and perseverance. They also appreciated the opportunity to connect with colleagues and exchange experiences.
How does the training support the development of unified counseling competences at the University of Pécs, and what impact might this have on the research community in the long term?
Supervisors can now guide young researchers in a consistent way, using the jointly developed “6+1 Step Model” of research career counseling. This framework helps them support students’ career planning, awareness, goal-setting, and the effective structuring of their collaboration. Where appropriate, it also makes room for encouraging alternative career paths. The model and methodology help sustain motivation, ensure steady progress, and secure publishing opportunities through the supervisors’ professional networks—altogether fostering a successful research career trajectory.
Another focus of the workshop was identifying and reflecting on the key support competences required for effective counseling, such as building trust, maintaining a supportive attitude, motivating, giving constructive feedback, and setting boundaries.
A particularly positive outcome was that a strong professional community was formed. After the workshop, participants themselves requested that email addresses be shared among the group to facilitate further collaboration and exchange of experiences.