Maritime Professional Doctorate launched

Source: SWZ|Maritime

From 2023, master graduates will be able to follow a professional doctorate track at a Dutch university of applied sciences.

Such a PD is the practice-oriented equivalent of PhD tracks at universities where the candidate conducts research at a university of applied sciences at the highest level. The Minister of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) has designated a number of sectors that may start a PD pilot.

The maritime sector is one of the selected areas. The maritime sector faces major challenges in the areas of sustainability, (cyber)security and digitalisation. To preserve the maritime sector, its innovative capacity must be strengthened. In this respect, more practice-oriented research can play a crucial role in making the sector safer and more sustainable. Technological solutions to meet these challenges are emerging from academia. However, without a deep understanding of the daily practice of the sector, it is hardly possible to exploit the full potential of these developments. The professional doctorate can bridge this gap by making knowledge practically applicable and feeding the insights back into academic research