Data reveals more women taking on doctoral studies

More women taking on doctoral studies and a continuing influx of highly-qualified foreign workers are major factors in a rapid growth in PhDs in Ireland, writes Education Correspondent Niall Murray.

Recent Census 2016 data flagged the 30% growth in the number of people with a PhD in five years.

It rose from just under 22,000 in 2011 to 28,759 when the last census was taken in April 2016.

Analysis of the details by the Irish Examiner reveals that there was a significantly bigger rise in the number of women with a doctorate degree.

The relevant figures grew by nearly 3,800, or by 42%, from under 9,000 to 12,643. However, male PhDs were up just 23% from 13,018 to 16,016.

This has helped to close the overall gap, meaning women now make up 44% of those with PhDs in Ireland, up from 41% in five years.

The corresponding gender figures for Irish PhD holders are up by very similar proportions, to 11,346 men and 9,406 women.

Irish people still account for just over 70% of those with a PhD in this country, but the data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) suggests the economy is still relying on economic immigration of highly-qualified workers.

After the 20,750 Irish PhDs, one-third more than in 2011, UK citizens are the next-largest nationality. The 1,769 UK nationals in Ireland with a PhD represents a modest 3% increase in five years.

PhD nationalities

• Irish: 20,752 (+33% since 2011)
• UK: 1,769 (+3%)
• US: 803 (+31%)
• German: 521 (+23%)
• Irish-US: 451 (+39%)
• Italian: 428 (+63%)
• French: 407 (+26%)
• Irish-UK: 316 (+33%)
• Spanish: 228 (+47%)
• Polish: 197 (+32%)
• Indian: 153 (+28%)
• Multi-nationality: 143 (+361%)
• Chinese: 142 (+31%)
• Irish-Canadian: 121 (0 in 2011)
• Dutch: 120 (+29%)
• Romanian: 99 (+68%)
• Canadian: 96 (-15%)
• Australian: 87 (-6%)
• Irish-other European: 85 (+15%)
• Irish-Australian: 65 (0 in 2011)
• Greek: 64 (+68%)
• Portuguese: 62 (+100%)
• Pakistani: 59 (+16%)
• Not stated: 56 (+10%)
• Russian: 50 (-15%)

However, the next-biggest cohort of PhD holders are from the US, up 31% since 2011.

Another 451 hold dual Irish-US nationality, a 39% increase since the previous census. This may reflect the fact that Irish-Americans were the biggest dual Irish nationality group counted in Census 2016.

Just over 17,500 people declared themselves Irish-American, out of 104,784 people with dual nationalities.

Nearly two-thirds of the total dual-Irish cohort were born overseas.

The 2.6% of Irish-Americans with a PhD is more than four times the 0.6% across the entire population.

However, around 2% of Irish-UK and Irish-Polish people living here also have PhDs, from total dual-nationality populations of 15,428 and 9,273, respectively.

In the Dáil this month, Labour Party TD Joan Burton raised concerns about the ability of recent PhD graduates to secure stable jobs.

She said those wishing to pursue academic careers were only getting modest salaries if they secured posts as lecturers in institutes of technology.

“People would earn far more working in the information technology sector, in the commercial business sector, as accountants, lawyers or finance experts,” said Ms Burton.

She told Higher Education minister of state Mary Mitchell O’Connor she needs to address these issues or many of the country’s brightest and best would leave Ireland or go into non-academic fields where their skills are properly rewarded.

The minister said a 2015 national framework for doctoral education aims to ensure those doing PhDs complement their discipline-specific knowledge with developing transferable skills.

As well as maximising PhD graduates’ employability, Ms Mitchell O’Connor said it addresses how colleges should work together to improve the experience and outcomes for those taking on doctoral studies.