{"id":114253,"date":"2020-06-03T10:47:43","date_gmt":"2020-06-03T08:47:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=114253"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:24:57","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:24:57","slug":"phd-students-in-dire-straits-demand-university-measures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2020\/06\/03\/phd-students-in-dire-straits-demand-university-measures\/","title":{"rendered":"PhD students in dire straits demand university measures"},"content":{"rendered":"

PhD students at Erasmus University have sent an open letter<\/a> requesting attention for the difficult position some are facing as a result of the coronavirus crisis. \u201cTemporary staff, certainly PhD students, have an uncertain position within the academic institution and, in our opinion, the university\u2019s \u2018business as usual\u2019 approach has an adverse effect on our health, safety and socio-economic position.\u201d The letter was signed by 94 people on Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n

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The letter initiators noted that the pandemic has left a lot of PhD students unable to continue their research. Many forms of data collection cannot continue and cannot easily be converted into alternative research data collection methods. The teaching load also increased for them as all the teaching suddenly needed be done online over the past few months. They also referred to a recent university survey that showed that PhD students have significantly higher problems with loneliness, worries and anxiety than other university staff.<\/p>\n

Serious problems<\/h2>

\u201cA number of PhD students have serious problems with data collection,\u201d explained Rick Everts. He is one of the initiators of the letter and is a PhD student at ESHCC. \u201cFor example, I have colleagues who were going to collect data at festivals this summer. None of these are going ahead. If you want to collect data in the same way, you\u2019ll have to wait a year. Other PhD students have put a lot of time and effort into digitising teaching.\u201d<\/p>\n

The letter\u2019s signatories have made several demands: extra time in the form of contract extensions, where necessary extra financing and a flexible approach to the credits they still need to obtain. \u201cWe find it really important that those PhD students who are hampered by the crisis are given a contract extension. Additional financing is also sometimes needed to start other forms of data collection. And as PhD students, we are also following education. These courses have largely been cancelled or postponed. It would make a huge difference if there were to be a flexible approach towards PhD students who have not yet obtained all the required credits.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reducing the quality requirements for a thesis is difficult, according to Everts. \u201cObtaining a doctorate is, after all, your calling card to make your way in academia.\u201d He is afraid that future employers will not take the circumstances into account. \u201cIf you obtain a doctorate using poor data or with a chapter less, this could have consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n

No off-the-shelf solutions<\/h2>

The authors of the letter understand that there will not be any immediate off-the-shelf solutions, stated Everts. \u201cTake my project, for example. That is financed by NWO. So I completely understand that they won\u2019t immediately have funds lying around to compensate everyone facing delays.\u201d His research is also delayed by at least a month due to additional teaching duties and problems with childcare. \u201cI can probably play catch-up, but that will take a huge effort.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe also know that the university is considering solutions for PhD students but has not identified any as yet. We\u2019d like to start a dialogue with them, which is why we wanted make the university aware of our views.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Executive Board was asked for a response to the letter on Friday, but a spokesperson says the board cannot respond until it has received the letter officially, which it hasn\u2019t yet.<\/p>\n

At the end of March, Promovendi Network Nederland (national network for PhD students) also called for leniency for PhD students<\/a>.<\/p>\n\t

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Update 4 June:<\/strong> The Executive Board has informed EM on Thursday that it would have an informal conversation with a delegation of PhD candidates. This meeting will take place on Thursday 11 June.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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Read the letter from the PhD students<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t