Production of STEM PhD Graduates: First decade of the ASTHRD and ERDT Programs

Abstract

The first decade (2007–2018) of implementation of the Advanced Science and Technology Human Resource Development Program (ASTHRDP) and the Engineering Research & Development for Technology (ERDT) Program was examined to identify possible best practices and continuing challenges encountered in the production of new Filipino PhD graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The ASTHRDP and the ERDT Program, started in 2007 by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in partnership with selected Philippine higher education institutions (HEIs), aimed to produce more STEM PhD and MS graduates. The DOST identified ten (10) and eight (8) out of 1900 HEIs, to partner with, in the initial implementation of ASTHRDP and the ERDT, respectively. From 2008 the total number of PhD and MS scholarships awarded per fiscal year both increased at an average annual rate of 18% (PhD: 302 to 893; MS: 956 to 2,832, respectively). The PhD and MS scholarship packages enable an awardee to study fulltime for three and two academic years, respectively. From 2007 to 2015, 662 ASTHRDP PhD scholarships were awarded and produced 373 PhD graduates from 2007 to 2018, with a graduation efficiency rate of 56.34%. The corresponding ERDT rate was 48.13% with 268 PhD scholarships awarded and 129 PhD scholars graduated. The ASTHRDP partner institutions performed at varying individual efficiencies, with the Visayas State University at 100% (with all 16 PhD scholars graduated), University of the Philippines Diliman at 34.34% (34 out of 99), UP Los Baños at 65.59% (162 out of 247). For ERDT, UP Diliman had a graduation rate of 61.1%. The availability of more dissertation research supervisors was identified as a key factor towards improving the ASTHRD and ERDT PhD graduation rates. A number of recommendations are proposed with the aim of improving the program graduation efficiency and producing more highly trained scientists and researchers to serve the national interest.