Professor, associate professor, assistant professor, lecturer, PhD researcher: the academic world is a smorgasbord of titles. In the Netherlands, only a ‘full’ professor may use the title ‘professor’ and wear a gown at academic ceremonies, but is that hierarchy still desirable? Why isn’t everybody professor? It was the Young Academy, a society of young researchers, associated with the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, among others, who started the ball rolling at UM. They have argued for a revision of the rights around PhD tracks. It would mean that associate and assistant professors, who now often take on the role of second supervisor, would automatically be granted ius promovendi (the right to act as the supervisor), be allowed to wear a gown during the ceremony, and call themselves ‘professor’.
Equality
In terms of the gown, things at UM are going to change. Rector Pamela Habibović said that from now on, all members of the PhD supervision team and the Defence Committee may wear a gown. “The ceremonies are very familial, celebratory, and it’s nice for the PhD candidate if everybody wears a gown. Moreover, we want to emphasise the equality within the Defence Committee.” The Eindhoven University of Technology has taken it one step further: associate and assistant professors will also be allowed to wear a gown at other academic ceremonies, such as the Dies or the opening of the academic year. “We won’t be doing that. After all, we all have different positions, so there are differences.”
Title
What about the Young Academy’s other request, the title of ‘professor’? In the Netherlands, only ‘full’ professors are permitted to call themselves that. That is set down in the law and that is what UM will follow. But, “when the context ‘requires’ it”, explained Habibović, assistant professors may also call themselves professor, for example, in an international setting in which everyone does. It’s perfectly normal in places like Belgium or the United States. “Then it would be weird if you’re the only one who doesn’t. It would be a matter of trust, though. We expect that researchers will be careful about using their title.”
And what about during a defence ceremony, can an associate or assistant professor in that ‘atmosphere of equality’ use the title ‘professor’, or be referred to as such? “There are no objections should the chair say: ‘I now invite such and such... professor... to speak’ when referring to an assistant professor, but it won’t be explicitly set out in our regulations.”
And finally, what about the ius promovendi? In Maastricht, “anybody who holds a PhD” – including assistant professors – can serve as a supervisor, explained Habibović. “That was already in our regulations.” She admits that it is still uncommon in practice. But if an assistant professor has enough experience, then they might say: ‘I deserve to be a primary supervisor’. It is examined on a case-by-case basis, said Habibović. So it would not be an automatic right, such as the Young Academy would like. A request from an assistant professor to serve as supervisor must first be approved by the dean. Professors and associate professors don’t have to take that extra step.