The PhD at the End of the World

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xii

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2. The PhD at the End of the World: Provocations for the Doctorate and a Future Contested –Introduction

   • Robyn Barnacle, Denise Cuthbert

   Pages 1-7

3. Is Geo-logy the New Umbrella for All the Sciences? Hints for a Neo-Humboldtian University

   • Bruno Latour

   Pages 9-23

4. Down to Earth – The PhD Lived-Experience

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 25-25

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   2. STEM PhD Student Preparation in the Eras of Cross-sector Convergence and Global Climate Crisis: An Autobiographical Exploration

      • Bryan G. Moravec, Matthew M. Mars

      Pages 27-44

   3. Operationalising Research: Embedded PhDs in Transdisciplinary, Action Research Projects

      • Diego Ramirez-Lovering, Michaela F. Prescott, Brendan Josey, Mahsa Mesgar, Daša Spasojevic, Erich Wolff

      Pages 45-64

5. Earthing the PhD Curriculum

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 65-65

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   2. Postformal Learning for Postnormal Times

      • Susan D. Porter

      Pages 67-81

   3. How Might the (Social Sciences) PhD Play a Role in Addressing Global Challenges?

      • Lynn McAlpine

      Pages 83-99

   4. A Public and Persuasive PhD: Reforming Doctoral Education in the Outreach-Focused University

      • Denise Cuthbert, Robyn Barnacle

      Pages 101-115

   5. Remaking the PhD in US Higher Education: An Assessment

      • Deane E. Neubauer

      Pages 117-128

6. Earthing Beyond the PhD

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 129-129

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   2. “I’m Sorry, but It’s Kind of Business.” Crisis, Critique and Care in and Beyond the PhD

      • Ruth Müller

      Pages 131-142

   3. Doctoral Creativity as an Epistemological Force in Saving and/or Destroying the World

      • Liezel Frick

      Pages 143-153

   4. The Contribution to Climate Change Research of the Professional Doctorate and PhD: More of the Same but of a Different Flavour?

      • Paul Gibbs

      Pages 155-168

7. Theorising an Earthy PhD

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 169-169

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   2. Expert Not Specialist: Doctoral Ecologies for Focused Frogs and High-Flying Birds

      • Ross Gibson

      Pages 171-179

   3. The PhD Revolution: World-Entangled and Hopeful Futures

      • Søren S. E. Bengtsen

      Pages 181-196

   4. Resituating the PhD: Towards an Ecological Adeptness

      • Ronald Barnett

      Pages 197-210

8. Back Matter

   Pages 211-212

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This book addresses a world-wide audience with reference to a global problem: how the PhD can serve the planet.  It examines the role of the PhD, in and of itself, and, as representative of research, the university and evidence-based knowledge, in relation to global crisis and the future of humanity. As such, it speaks to the scholar, the teacher, the policy-maker and the administrator concerned with the role of higher education’s highest award at a time of great global crisis. The approach is critical in that it offers diverse views on these issues and does not seek to privilege one single school of thought. The collected articles span theoretical reflections on key issues through to case-study examples of how PhDs are being deployed and re-thought to address global issues.

• PhD addressing global issues
• Environmental issues and education
• Sustainability education
• PhD and sustainability education
• Role of the PhD in climate crisis
• Role of the PhD in in global challenges
• Environmental crisis and epistemological crisis
• Bruno Latour
• Ronald Barnett
• PhD in Artificial Intelligence Times
• Sustainable PhD
• Ecological ontology
• Education and equity studies
• Future of higher education
• Post-truth

• School of Graduate Research, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia

  Robyn Barnacle, Denise Cuthbert

Robyn Barnacle is a research education specialist and coordinates professional development programs for higher degrees by research supervisors and candidates. Robyn's research is in the area of higher education and focuses on doctoral education.


Denise Cuthbert is the Dean of the School of Graduate Research at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. Her research interests are focused in two main areas: adoption, family formation, children and mothers and higher education research with a focus on research education and researcher development.

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