The European University Association - Council of Doctoral Educaton (EUA-CDE ) 2025 Thematic Peer Group (TPG) consists of representatives from 23 universities across 14 European countries. The members come together to address challenges related to partnering with non-academic sectors in doctoral education, and to explore strategies for overcoming these obstacles.
The second workshop focused on identifying key barriers and success factors in doctoral-level collaboration with non-academic stakeholders.
The meeting began with a brief recap of the first workshop in Oslo, presented by Jari Hämäläinen, former Vice-President for Research and Innovation at Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology and Chair of the TPG.
This was followed by a roundtable discussion, where TPG members reflected on their experiences and shared new insights gained since the first meeting.
After lunch, the program continued with presentations by four external speakers, followed by a Q&A session and group discussion:
- Dominique Coster, Technical and Network Development Manager, BIRD Belgium
- Jessie van Houcke, Project Manager for External Talent, Johnson & Johnson
- Sohail Luka, Policy Officer, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, European Commission
- Joke Dufourmont, Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships Manager, Joint Research Centre, European Commission
Successful collaboration with external partners
Six members of the TPG were invited to present good practices related to collaboration with the non-academic sector at their respective institutions.
Monica Fagerlie from the University of South-Eastern Norway (USN) showcased the work carried out within INRESCOS. She highlighted how the research school supports early-stage PhD students in technology through structured internship opportunities in industry, aiming to strengthen the relevance and impact of doctoral research beyond academia. You can find some good examples here. The initiative also fosters long-term partnerships between universities and companies, and contributes to the professional development of doctoral candidates by exposing them to real-world challenges and innovation environments.
The workshop concluded with a shared sense of progress and inspiration among the participants. Looking ahead, the group is excited to reconvene for the third TPG meeting, which will take place at Dublin City University (DCU) in Dublin on February 5–6, 2026. The upcoming session will continue to build on the insights and practices exchanged so far, with a focus on deepening collaboration between doctoral schools and non-academic partners.