About the PRIDE Network

Founded in 2017, the PRIDE-Network Association aims at representing the community of Professionals in Doctoral Education within Europe and beyond.

The establishment of the Association was preceded by an EU-funded project, the Pride project.In this project we took a closer look at the contributions, roles and job profiles of those university staff members who, as non-academic personnel, make a significant contribution to the quality and offerings in doctoral education.

A concrete output of the project was the handbook, which is freely accessible and can be downloaded here.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Association for Professionals in Doctoral Education is to be the leading professional resource for advancement of professionals and those wishing to learn about the field with the ultimate goal to improve doctoral education.

The Network does this by:

  • Establishing, promoting, and advocating professional standards and practices;
  • Helping higher education institutions understand the roles and potential of professional staff;
  • Promoting training resources and opportunities for professionals;
  • Supporting professional growth and advancement for professionals;
  • Facilitating relationships and interaction among professionals.

The Association has the following core strategies:

Advocacy. Be a voice for those in the field of advancement services to raise the profile of our profession. Contribute to the establishment of a definition for the role we play in institutional advancement in support spreading from university leadership, supervisors and doctoral candidates. Develop and maintain cooperative relationships with existing organizations and networks as well as with other associations of related professions in higher education.

Professional Development. Play an active role in defining and developing training opportunities and share best practices. Help develop informational and other kind of tools in any available format to share through which we can best perform our contributions to our respective organizations.

Global Networking. Strive to be the hub through which professional peers from around the world can reach out to share innovative ideas, discuss upcoming challenges and even provide benchmark concepts from which all can benefit both at the individual professional level and in the broader perspective within organizations.

Ethics and Accountability. Establish, affirm, and articulate the best standards of ethical practice for professionals, both as individuals and as members of professional staff at their respective organizations.

Membership. Enhance interest and awareness of the profession; promote active participation across all institutional types and missions, and across the range of professional roles.

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