ABSTRACT
This chapter gives a summary of the historical development of doctoral education in Denmark, and it provides a discussion of the current situation. In particular, the authors argue that Denmark is at the cutting edge of doctoral supervisor development, which is due to a number of interconnected factors.
First, doctoral education has undergone substantial changes over the last 30 years, which has led to increased intake of students and increased formalization and greater responsibility for the supervisor role. In response to these changes, all universities have been pushed to ensure the competence development of their supervisors. The programs offered today cover a wide range of themes and are permanent, institution-based, and discipline-specific. They are mainly targeted at new supervisors, though. However, some programs have proven successful in reaching the senior supervisors, both nationally and institutionally.
Secondly, there is a strong tradition for mandatory teacher training programs for academic staff in Denmark, which has cleared the way for implementing supervisor development programs.
Thirdly, there is a national network on doctoral supervision that, for more than a decade, has provided a continuous professional forum for academic developers to share and qualify their services together with peers in an open and trustful atmosphere.
