Seven Habits of a Highly Successful Engineering PhD Student: A Learning Perspective

This paper discusses the PhD education in a learning context with a specific focus on the science and engineering discipline. In this context, a brief theoretical reflection over the learning processes of forthcoming researchers is provided, followed by an analysis of the competencies expected from the PhD study as a training process. Having this theoretical framework as a reference, various concepts and perspectives, that are important in the development of a promising researcher, are examined and explicated in the form of seven suggested best practices. These include fundamental competencies like diligence and critical thinking, along with newer concepts like seeing the PhD education as a process instead of being a goal, and the need for collaborative learning and peer network support.