In order to better understand opportunities, challenges and innovations in doctoral education, we argue for further work and greater focus on the impact of the reform over the last two decades on the quality and characteristics of research training. In particular we call for a focus on policy, governance and management, the impact of the changes at program level and how the structuring and professionalization of doctoral education affects the supervisor-supervisee relationship. Many of these questions currently remain unanswered and some are not even widely posed