The University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and the University of Pau and des Pays de l'Adour (UPPA) organised jointly the first trans-border doctorials which took place in Anglet-Angelu from 17 to 21 October 2011. 80 PhD candidates enrolled in doctoral programmes at both universities participated. Candidates were from 10 different nationalities and were developing their doctoral thesis in all research fields, thus ensuring a high degree of multicultural and multidisciplinary exchange.
The Doctorials helped the PhD candidates to build, from the perspective of their current social situation, and during the course of their thesis, a professional project that encourages innovation in the socio-economic world, developing cross-border diversity and multidisciplinary exchanges and projects, and expanding employment opportunities at a national, and especially, European level.
Thus, the main objective of this seminar was to accelerate or initiate the psychological transformation that is necessary in order to go from the University out into the business world. In order to get as close as possible to the reality of the business world, as well as that of public or social institutions, the PhD candidates interacted with engineers, CEOs from public and private companies, business consultants and executives from public services or social agencies that were selected for their skills and connections with universities. Special attention was paid to "learning by doing" principle application, to development of team work, communication, project management, entrepreneurship and innovation skills. Thus, doctoral candidates divided into groups developed and implemented an innovative business company that was later on presented to professionals in a television studio.
According to the collective and individual evaluation performed at the end of the doctorials week, the PhD candidates considered the experience as a step forward in their career development capabilities.