US Phd valid in Europe?

[ramsesortinsoriano]

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to ask about what the chances are about getting a job in western european countries with a US PhD. I am talking of course about the recognition of the academic diploma, not about the likeliness of finding a position there of my specialty.

I know that some countries are more open in this respect than others and I would like to see what second language would be better for me to study during while I do my PhD study.

Correct me if I am wrong but I think Germany and Belgium are pretty permissible, and other countries like Spain, Italy or Portugal are not.

Thank you for your time

R.

[MalFet]

I've never known of any university (in the US or Europe) treating a foreign PhD as a categorical barrier to employment. Is that something you've heard about happening?

[Daniel]

I have heard about differences in perceived quality of PhD education in different countries meaning that some degrees may not result in employment if the institution doesn't view the other as at the same level. I have heard of this with, for example, those with degrees from African universities trying to get a job in the US and sometimes they may need to get a second PhD at a US (or equivalent) university. This is basically due to some schools having fewer resources or not teaching the material on the same level or in the same way. It may be a strong tendency rather than a rule. In fact, I would guess this is just a common result, that candidates with "better" degrees would be selected instead.
But I don't see any of this applying to Europe/US. The bigger issue would be having a compatible/relevant theoretical background that the institution wants.

I have heard, in fact, that a US PhD May offer better training thana European one, whereas a European undergraduate degree would be better than a US one. (I heard about this while planning where to go to college then grad school.)

[ramsesortinsoriano]

I've never known of any university (in the US or Europe) treating a foreign PhD as a categorical barrier to employment. Is that something you've heard about happening?

Yes, I am familiar with Spanish and some European countries' bureaucracy and Education ministries from some countries require you to have your degree certified or recognized by the state. Some countries leave it to Universities to do that, in others it is competency of the region and these are looong procedures that can take even a year.

[MalFet]

Hmm...that's strange.  The university I attended routinely places people all over Europe, including just recently one in Spain. I know she needed to jump through the usual hoops to get a work visa, but I didn't hear anything about problems with her degree. In any case, she was hired and working on the usual academic cycle, so it didn't slow her down any.