PhD pedagogy and the changing knowledge landscapes of universities

PhD supervision is increasingly embedded in frameworks that link research to issues of knowledge transfer involving the translation of knowledge to domains outside the university where it can be taken up and applied. This tends to require research that goes beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries and raises questions of the nature of knowledge relationships required in this context. This paper draws on the work of Basil Bernstein to identify the organisational, knowledge and interpersonal relationships that these changes now require, describing the nature of the work involved in weakening boundaries between disciplines and its implications for supervisor/student relationships. The paper then outlines the challenges this presents to universities, with specific reference to the humanities and social sciences, attempting to implement strategic programs reconciling pedagogic requirements with the quality, impact and completions they must attest to in order to secure public funding.