Is Doctoral Education A Priority? Doctoral Education Improvement as an Element of “Priority-2030†Universities’ Development Programs

This study aims to identify how often universities of the “Priority 2030†program offer measures for doctoral education improvement in their development programs, what these measures are, and how they correspond to the reasons for the low effectiveness of Russian doctoral education. The empirical study data were the texts of the development programs of the universities participating in the “Priority 2030†program (N= 121). The texts were analyzed using quantitative content analysis. Four measure groups were determined: financial support and employment of doctoral students, development of partnerships, improving the quality of selection and training of doctoral students and improving the quality of supervision. According to the results obtained, in general, the absolute majority of universities use doctoral education as an instrument to achieve the goals set by the program. Measures related to financial support and employment of doctoral students are the most common in universities of the “Priority 2030†(almost 75 % of universities plan to implement such measures). Diversification of programs, cooperation with industry, and increasing the quality of training of doctoral students are found in university development programs with less prevalence – from 12 to 50 % of universities plan to implement these measures. Finally, less attention in university development programs is paid to modifying the criteria and procedures for selecting doctoral students and improving the quality of supervision – only 5 % of universities announced such measures. The article also provides examples of implementation of these measures in particular universities. The results of the conducted research can be useful to the heads of doctoral departments of Russian universities to develop local measures of doctoral education improvement.