Jim Been new PhD Dean - 'I hope to alleviate certain pressures that PhD candidates might feel'
The Associate Professor at the Institute of Tax Law and Economics is one of two PhD deans at Leiden Law School and started in this position on 1 October 2023.
Been succeeds Irma Mosquera Valderrama. She held the position from 1 January 2021 and is now Professor of Tax Law.
‘Hands-on’ experience
The position of PhD dean has existed for some time within the faculty. Been, who himself did his PhD at Leiden Law School, can still recall his intake interview with the PhD dean some 13 years ago now. He has not forgotten the challenges of doing a PhD either: 'It can be quite a stressful time. You often go through ups and downs doing research. And you place high demands on yourself – I experienced that myself at the time.’ As PhD dean, Been hopes to alleviate certain pressures that PhD candidates might feel by helping them 'establish a clear framework for the research. For example, in the area of legal-empirical research, a research method an increasing number of researchers are interested in. I have extensive experience in that field and am happy to think along with PhD candidates and their supervisors about it.’
Role of the PhD dean
A PhD takes five years on average. Officially, a new PhD candidate and their supervisor meet the PhD deans only during the first year of the PhD programme. However, throughout the entire duration of the PhD they are available to support both supervisors and PhD candidates. ‘I would like to emphasise to PhD candidates that if there’s anything they’d like to discuss at a later point during their PhD, we’re more than happy to help.’ Been sees his predecessor Mosquera Valderrama as a good example: ‘She’s a warm and approachable person’.
During the PhD
Intake meeting
At the start of the PhD, the PhD dean holds an intake meeting with the PhD candidate. Been: ‘We tell them all about the academic opportunities at the faculty, for example by explaining what courses they can take. But we also think along with them about their academic career, or a career outside academia, and the tools they will need. Other more informal matters are also mentioned. For instance, our faculty has a PhD community and drinks and other activities are organised especially for PhD candidates. We encourage all PhD candidates to join in with these activities if they would like to.'
'We’re like a mediator – we’re there for both the supervisor and the PhD candidate'
Evaluation meeting
In addition, the PhD dean plays an important role in the evaluation meeting every PhD candidate has, generally speaking nine months after the start of their PhD programme. That meeting determines whether the PhD candidate may continue their research. The PhD dean chairs the meeting and represents both parties. Been: 'We’re like a mediator – we’re there for both the supervisor and the PhD candidate. We help manage mutual expectations. Is the PhD candidate receiving sufficient supervision? Or, conversely, is the PhD candidate sufficiently involved in faculty life? We check whether the PhD candidate is complying with the training programme and help shape its content – for example, by providing suggestions for courses or research methods. We also help to consider the PhD candidate's teaching load. Is too much being asked of them?'
Other tasks at the faculty
The PhD deans also have other tasks. Among other things, they are involved in policy, and also the career event which helps PhD candidates to consider the period after the completion of their PhD. The PhD deans also play a role in the annual award of the Meijers grants.
Contact
Been generally carries out his work as PhD dean on Fridays. From Monday to Thursday, you can find him in room A2.53. His email address is: j.been@law.leidenuniv.nl.
Besides Been, Hilde Wermink, Associate Professor at the Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology, is also PhD dean. Wermink has held the position for almost two years now (article in Dutch).