New comparable data on young researcher's mobility patterns available: what are the consequences for European Research Policy?

Why do doctoral candidates go abroad? What are the most important obstacles they still face? To which extent do links to their home country persist? Do mobile researchers want to return, stay, or move to a further country? Which type of mobility is most common and is appropriate fund- ing available? These kinds of questions have been subject to speculation so far. With the results of a recent survey conducted by Eurodoc, the European Council of doctoral candidates and junior researchers, in cooperation with INCHER, a HE research institute in Kassel (DE), we now have a clearer picture. Eurodoc started this major under- taking in 2008 to counteract the shortage on comparable data on crucial topics like motives for pursuing a doctor- ate, career paths, funding, supervision, generic skills and mobility. Also, a number of other studies regarding researchers’ mobility and framework conditions have recently been conducted; they are complementary in that they concen- trate on a different target group, or examine different questions. The session will provide an overview on data which is currently available. The session will be closed by the presentation of an Italian best practice in the survey and analysis of data concerning University degrees and graduates and PhDs employability: AlmaLaurea.