Eurodoc opposes downgrade in status of Dutch PhDs

A Dutch reform to register PhD candidates as students rather than as employees goes against good practice, European doctoral researchers have said.

In a statement on 19 March, the European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers stated its opposition to the reform proposed by the Dutch minister for education, culture, and science, Jet Bussemaker, to change the status of PhD candidates. In the Netherlands, most of them are considered members of staff.

According to Eurodoc, the reform contradicts the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, and means a step backwards for the Dutch system.