Re/thinking Research Training: Scientific Productivity as the Beginning of a Life Program

Abstract

When we hear America, as Mexicans we think in American Continent, not just United States of America. Our reflection about doctoral programs therefore is based not in United States current and historical conditions surrounding this issue, but on LatinAmerican point of view that is extensive to lbero-Ametican countries. In th is book the editors posit that the doctoral degree in America (United States of America) is either taking two paths: the idea of university research or the doctorate itself. This book, they have said, takes on the second idea. Nevertheless in Mexico among other Latin-American countries both paths are useful even necessary. It seems to us that choosing the first path involves accepting doctorate conceptualized as an institutional goal, while the second one implicates the doctorate as an individual goaL Our proposal is to create a kind of bridge between both paths to integrate them as the core of the same goaL In this sense our point of view is that the key to have a successful doctoral program is to take it not only as a university research training program or only as doctorate it self, but a program for research teams consolidation.