Five European Rectors‘ Conferences from Germany, France, Poland, Switzerland and the UK jointly published a Declaration on Doctoral Training in the Member States of the European Union. The Declaration emphasises, among others, that independent research performance should remain the centre of doctoral studies.  The Declaration also welcomes the diversity in Doctoral Training opportunities and systems in different Member States see no need for the standardisation of Doctoral Training in Europe.

Many points of the Declaration emphasize the importance of doctoral candidates to acquire transversal, soft and generic skills - that could be helpful not only for careers in science, but for the broader science-based job market, as well as for the job market outside of science. Related to this aspect, it is emphasized the importance of intellectual risk-taking and creativity and regular exchange between doctoral candidates from different scientific disciplines.