Transitions in Researcher Education and Careers

Researchers navigate dynamic transitions throughout their careers, moving between roles, institutions, countries, and career stages while assuming leadership positions. These transitions reflect the evolving nature of researcher education and careers across a constantly changing academic landscape. This book explores these movements through a synthesis of literature reviews, theoretical explorations, and empirical studies from institutional policy, local practice, and individual perspectives.

Organised into three themes The Evolving Scholarly Community, Contextual Transitions, and Career-Point Transitions, the book critically examines established concepts while introducing fresh perspectives, such as ethics leadership and the role of artificial intelligence in researcher education. It highlights the growing relationship between researchers, institutions, and societal bodies, whilst addressing the implications of increased mobility across national, cultural, and disciplinary contexts. Chapters span topics from PhD education to post-PhD careers and mid-to-late career transitions, showcasing a rich methodological scope and diverse theoretical approaches.

Offering valuable insights for those studying or navigating transitions from early to late career stages, this is an essential resource for researchers, educators, and policymakers interested in the complexities of researcher education and career transitions.

Erika Löfström is Professor of Education and Program Director in the Department of Education at the Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland.

Inge van der Weijden is Senior Researcher at the Center for Science and Technology Studies and PhD Coordinator at the University of Leiden, Netherlands.

Kelsey Inouye is a postdoctoral Research Associate at the Department of Education, University of Oxford, and a Supernumerary Fellow at Jesus College.

Søren S. E. Bengtsen is an Associate Professor, PhD, at the Department of Educational Philosophy and General Education, Danish School of Education (DPU), Aarhus University, Denmark.