Expectations of independence in PhD education and supervision: On the cultural norms of independence and its echoes of activist interventions

Independence forms a key ideal in PhD education and supervision. In practice, however, independence is a complicated matter entangled in the cultural norms of local environments and national traditions. This paper explores the expectations of independence in PhD supervision in the context of the recent internationalisation of PhD education in Denmark. Highlighting PhD students’ and supervisors’ expectations and uncertainties surrounding independence, it examines the cultural norms associated with independence. Contemplating these norms, the paper traces the concept of independence in Danish education, highlighting how activists after World War 2 were re-inventing independence, linking it to aims of democratising education. Considering this legacy, the paper calls for a renewed concern with the echoes of democracy in independence in the context of cross-cultural PhD supervision today.