Postgraduate Supervision in the United Kingdom and Germany: A Comparative Study of Factors Influencing the Supervisory Relationship

This paper aims to examine and assess the approaches to postgraduate supervision in the United Kingdom (UK) and in Germany; the factors determining the differences between the two approaches and investigating their impact on the PhD supervision relationship. I combine personal reflections and experiences with the existing literature and with indices of performance and level of internationalisation of British and German universities. I examine several aspects and factors that affect the academic environment and hence determine differences across the British and German university systems, which are finally reflected in the approaches to postgraduate supervision.