'We have only been able to achieve this by working closely together as applied universities'

Back in 2010, when the Veerman parliamentary committee referred to the third cycle in higher education, the symbolic seed was sown for the introduction of the Professional Doctorate: the opportunity to gain an applied doctorate within higher professional education. Thirteen years on and that seed has grown into a new shoot on the higher professional education tree.

The case for a PD really took off at the end of 2019, with the release of a position paper by the Netherlands Association of Universities of Applied Sciences and the Universities of the Netherlands. This mentioned plans for the further development of the binary system. Along with the third cycle in higher professional education as possible valuable addition to the current system. Later that same year Saxion, Utrecht, Hanze and Amsterdam applied universities began developing a PD pathway. Today, two thirds of Dutch applied universities are involved in seven task forces linked to the different domains. Ten applied universities are involved in the field of Health & Wellbeing.

Historic breakthrough

Saxion has been involved in the development of PDs from the very beginning and has contributed substantially to five of the seven task forces in recent years, namely: Learning & Professionalisation; Technology & Digitisation; Leisure, Tourism & Hospitality; Energy & Sustainability; and Health & Wellbeing. Saxion has made a major contribution across the entire spectrum in terms of the programme team and work groups in the areas of finance, policy support and quality assurance.

Developments are now moving full steam ahead. Jan Jukema, Professor of Personalised Care at Saxion’s Smart Health Research Group, is leader of the Health & Wellbeing task force. A role that he fulfils together with Professor Lia van Doorn from Utrecht University of Applied Sciences: “Nationally there are now 135 places available for those who want to start a PD pathway in one of seven domains in the near future,” tells Jukema. “Our domain Health & Wellbeing has been given 26 places, including three at Saxion. It may not seem much compared to the number of PD candidates, but everything is still in the process of being set up. This small number of students still represents a giant step for higher professional education.”

Full range of education

Jukema outlines the development of higher professional education: “The title of bachelor was introduced, the first master’s degree programmes were created. The Associate Degree Implementation Act came into force on 1 January 2018. There are now 326 AD programmes available, which helps establish an important bridge with senior secondary vocational education (MBO). Things were simmering slowly for a few years in the run up to establishing the PD, but for such a structural change you need to get all stakeholders onboard: ministries, the cabinet, parliament and of course the executive boards of the applied universities. You must all want to head in the same direction together. And now the education range, as Minister Dijkgraaf so aptly puts it, is complete with the introduction of the PD.”

Uniqueness of the PD

What characterises the PD? “It is an applied study programme which prepares professionals to facilitate change by using research initiatives to intervene in professional practice. PD candidates learn to develop practical knowledge, processes and products in order to establish and validate interventions for complex practical issues. The emphasis is firmly on applied research. A traditional PhD thesis, in the classical sense, lets you generate knowledge. A PD not only lets you generate practical knowledge but also bring about changes in practice. You can demonstrate this change by means of a scientific paper, but also with learning or development products or a critical network analysis. Such as a method that increases access to healthcare for vulnerable groups, or for example a robot that provides support in a manufacturing process.”

“All components, as we know them from years of writing research proposals for the Taskforce for Applied Research SIA, are included as elements in this pathway. For example demand articulation, forming networks, state of the art, road maps for change and knock-on effects in education, the professional field and society. Relevant products can be produced for all these elements, which can also be included in the PD candidate’s portfolio. These then demonstrate: ‘I function at EQF level 8’. The highest educational level.”

Impact on education and practice

Those with a master’s qualification who start a PD embark on a pathway lasting on average three to six years. A pathway where change management, applied research, leadership and networking all play an important role, according to Jukema. Just as facilitating the product: the impact and effects that it will have on education and practice. “That’s where you find the differences in emphasis between candidates. It’s about intervening in complex practices with the assistance of a variety of research initiatives. Characteristically through networking, short-cycles, multiple iterations: all typically unique to higher professional education.”

Interventions for complex issues

What does that ask of education? “A candidate needs to master the appropriate research methods, but also remain focused on practice: how is this characterised in practice, what views are to be found regarding change, who are the stakeholders, what are the major societal challenges? For example in the field of Health & Wellbeing: concrete issues confronting poor and low-literacy diabetics who also have to remain living at home. This multi-faceted problem could be the subject of a PD pathway which could lead to an intervention developed from practice with potential for upscaling.

Region

The introduction of the PD in higher professional education will help strengthen regions, including the Eastern Netherlands. Jukema: “We also do this as Saxion, for our local region. We want our region to continue to flourish. There are plenty of opportunities. In our RAAK, NWA, NWO, and ZonMw projects there will soon also be room for PDs, in addition to the current PhDs. Those can and have to be able to co-exist, alongside one another. It also strengthens regional networks through new partnerships. For example with Regional Training Centres (ROCs), where lecturers can also take a PD after their master’s. This means the whole educational column for the region is covered. This is immensely important for retaining talent and developmental strength."

"In the next four years Saxion has fourteen PD positions spread over all domains. I’m full of confidence regarding this pilot scheme and hope that social organisations and businesses will soon be saying: ‘We want our people to be trained and educated at your, or another, applied university.’ It’s most probably going to take off in a big way. I recently spoke to a large teaching hospital. They see the PD pathway as an attractive prospect. For example when it comes to the career development of nurses.”

Three pathways

The PD pathway will soon be available via three routes. As a continuous line: bachelor’s, directly followed by a master’s and a PD. Jukema: “We will probably not have such candidates straight away. It is one of my dreams that people from their first year HBO-V can complete the pathway to PD in eight years. We see that already happening in America.” The second route will be taken by internal candidates (mainly lecturer-researchers). “At Saxion we already have such a candidate. And I hope that we can appoint an external candidate next year. That is the third variant for the PD pathway.” And the title? Jukema: “This still needs to be legally set, but I’m confident it will be worked out satisfactorily. Of course, we’re now under scrutiny. And that’s the way it should be. We now have a sound national quality framework.”

Saxion Research and Graduate School

Jukema is proud of how Saxion presented itself during the process: “It bears witness to leadership and having a strategic vision of applied research, that we were already with our organisation, at the forefront of facilitating this several years ago. A logical step is that you also adjust your programme portfolio accordingly. Anka Mulder, president of our executive board, was responsible for this at a national level. Hans Vossensteyn and Cindy Kuiper of the Saxion Research and Graduate School played a key role in the coordination both internally and nationally. Furthermore, heads of schools, lecturers and various policy and quality assurance staff stood up to tackle this job together. Also in close consultation with national bodies. This has also made it possible for our Executive Board to fit the PD into our applied university.”

Jukema is equally positive about the broad cooperation among Dutch applied universities on this subject: “We have only been able to achieve this by working closely together as applied universities from a common interest. We have also done this in a typical higher professional education way: thinking, doing, trying, reflecting, adjusting. It is important to take account of all stakeholders and their interests.” As far as Jukema is concerned, higher professional education has finally reached maturity with the introduction of PDs. “Now that we operate on all levels, we can work with, and complement our partners in, senior secondary vocational and academic education in tackling the societal challenges facing us today. In that respect you can now hold applied universities accountable for their responsibility and role. I would even dare to call this a historic educational breakthrough.”