Data show the reduction of academic positions in Italy and invite
to reconsider the role of PhD education and training as the
highest level of university education. In fact, although PhDs seem
to have a little advantage over Master’s level graduates in the job
market, only about 10% find a job at universities. This suggests
that changes in PhD programmes might be needed to match
students’ needs and job market requirements. However, the
opposite is also true with employers, either in the public or private
sector, who should try to absorb more PhDs and use their skills
and expertise. The aim of this special issue is to analyse PhD education in Italy
with a focus on planning and urban studies programmes by
emphasising the perspectives of PhD candidates and freshly
awarded Doctors since they are generally neglected in reform
processes.
All authors who contributed to this special issue reflected on the
same aim stressing different implications and perspectives. The
topics investigated are: matching between students’ expectations
and institutional goals, the international mobility of PhD
candidates, experiences of international PhD students in Italy, and
the evolution of two of the oldest PhD programmes in planning in
Italy at Sapienza, Rome and Iuav, Venice
