Legal Status of Doctoral Students and Scientific Consultants: Problems and Possible Solutions

Introduction. The article studies the issue of assessing the effectiveness of modern domestic doctoral studies through the prism of the legal status of doctoral students and scientific consultants. Taking into account the critical role of doctoral studies in the training of researchers of the highest level of qualifications who have an academic degree of Doctor of Science, as well as the current regulations and the specifics of training in doctoral studies, the totality of rights, responsibilities and guarantees provided to doctoral students and scientific consultants requires consideration and critical assessment.

Materials and Methods. The use of methods of formal legal analysis, coupled with consideration of the positions of researchers on the issues of improving the system of state scientific certification, made it possible to identify a number of positions that require clarification in regulatory legal acts, or are not regulated at all, despite their high importance in creating conditions for the preparation of research in doctoral studies.

Analysis. The current regulation of material guarantees ensuring the activities of doctoral students and scientific consultants is considered, and the insufficiency and uncertainty regarding certain regulations in this matter is identified. The issue of the responsibility of a scientific consultant for the dishonest performance of their duties is also touched upon, the scope of which is currently determined by the parties independently, which is subject to motivated criticism. A separate aspect of providing conditions for the implementation of research work by doctoral students is the issue of providing them with long-term leave, which is currently covered only by general regulations tied to the ten-year experience of the relevant specialist, which has been criticized in the context of the need to reduce the average age of scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel.

Results. The set of measures proposed by the author is aimed at increasing the efficiency of the doctoral education institute, which is an important element of the state scientific certification system, the potential of which is currently not revealed and requires development.

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