(In)dependence of a PhD Student in Shaping the Research Route on the Basis of the Act on Higher Education and Science

Pursuant to the Act on higher education and science, PhD students are educated at a doctoral school. The PhD student prepares a dissertation under the supervision of a supervisor (sometimes also an auxiliary supervisor) leading his scientific path based on the training program and individual research plan. The research work of the doctoral student remains independent as it was in the previous legal reality. However, the degree of PhD students` impact on the research path is much greater. A PhD student remains part of the institutionalized system, in which he has to perform certain duties and through which he is evaluated for the progress of his research. The PhD students` dependence is also related to non-legal factors – individual personnel relations. The presented text covers the situation of the doctoral student on all the above mentioned criteria creating a coherent picture of his (in)dependence in shaping the research route.