PRINCIPLES OF DOCTORAL TRAINING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TURKU

Transcription

1 PRINCIPLES OF DOCTORAL TRAINING AT THE The University of Turku Graduate School (UTUGS), established on 1 August 2011 in accordance with the recommendations of the Graduate School Working Group of the Academy of Finland, aims to organise systematic, high-quality and supervised doctoral training that takes place within a set time frame. To train highly qualified experts with the skills required for both a professional career in research and other positions of expertise, the emphasis is on versatile, wide-ranging and international doctoral training. UTUGS is comprised of the faculty-specific doctoral programmes and the doctoral programmes funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture/Academy of Finland. Thus, UTUGS covers all disciplines represented at the University and all Doctoral Candidates preparing their doctoral dissertation for the University of Turku. The prerequisite for first-class doctoral training is high-quality academic research. The key development areas for the operational quality of doctoral training are: the selection practices of Doctoral Candidates the practices related to the supervision of Doctoral Candidates follow-up of the progress of the doctoral degree scaling of the doctoral degree to an entity which can be completed in four years net time implementing good practices versatile and high-quality education promotion of mobility and networking internationally, nationally and between sectors career planning and management The purpose of the document Principles of doctoral training at the University of Turku is to harmonise and develop the practices of doctoral training, to improve the quality of doctoral training, to increase transparency and to help to meet the aims set for doctoral training. The good practices described in the Graduate School Handbook as well as the principles of equality and good human resources management are implemented in doctoral training. This document has been prepared in cooperation with the University of Turku Graduate School Board and the UTUGS working groups on training, quality assurance and doctoral programmes/collaboration. The text has been circulated for comments in the faculties of the University of Turku, the faculty-specific doctoral programmes and the doctoral programmes funded by the Ministry/Academy 27 April 18 May The document Principles of doctoral training at the University of Turku will take effect on 1 August 2012 and it will replace the document Recommendations on Doctoral Training at the University of Turku dated 11 February On behalf of the University of Turku Graduate School Board 26 June 2012, Professor Pirjo Nuutila, Vice Rector, Graduate School Director Docent Eeva Sievi, Graduate School Coordinator

2 1. Systematising the Doctoral Candidate admission process Doctoral Candidates are selected to the doctoral programmes based on an open call for applications and a transparent application procedure. The general provisions on conflicts of interests are followed in the selection of Doctoral Candidates. The doctoral programmes have application times. Selection outside of application times is possible if the person has received competitive international funding for completing a doctoral degree (e.g. EU Marie Curie fellowships) and he or she fulfils the general application criteria set for Doctoral Candidates at the University of Turku. The maximum number of Doctoral Candidates to be selected can be predefined for each doctoral programme. When assessing the number of Doctoral Candidates, the employment of the field and the need for PhDs are taken into account in addition to the available doctoral training resources. When applying for the right to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Turku, the Doctoral Candidate prepares together with the supervisor a plan for completing the degree ( the personal study plan of the Doctoral Candidate ) and submits it together with the application. The plan for completing the degree includes: o the supervision plan (incl. the responsibilities and obligations of the supervisor and the Doctoral Candidate) o o the research, education and funding plans the working plan and the schedule (incl. preliminary schedule for the pre-examination and the public examination of the dissertation) In selecting the Doctoral Candidates, the following issues are taken into account: the applicant s motivation, merits, completed studies, grade of the master s thesis (or corresponding work) and capability to complete a doctoral degree, as well as the quality and feasibility of the research plan. A prerequisite for admission is that there is at least one person who has agreed to act as a supervisor and who fulfils the qualification requirements for supervisors. Additionally, the research topic of the Doctoral Candidate must fit the profile of the department. International recruitment is to be made more effective, for example, by publishing the vacant Doctoral Candidate positions on the EURAXESS website ( by applying for international funding directed at doctoral training and by promoting the participation in joint degree programmes. 2. Supervision of doctoral dissertation and monitoring the progress At least one supervisor is appointed for all Doctoral Candidates. If the Doctoral Candidate has more than one supervisor, the duties and the division of responsibilities are defined in the supervision plan which is part of the plan for completing the doctoral degree. The Doctoral Candidate and the supervisor check the plan for completing the degree annually, for example, during the review discussion (kehityskeskustelu), after which the Doctoral Candidate submits the updated plan and the annual progress report to the Doctoral Programme (an example of the annual progress report structure in Appendix 1). The Doctoral Programme Board monitors the annual reporting. The annual reporting is recorded in the study register of the Doctoral Candidate (without credits) to maintain his/her active student status. In addition to annual reporting, the progress of the doctoral dissertation can be monitored with the help of a thesis advisory committee that is formed of external experts and convenes regularly, or some other monitoring mechanism defined at the faculty level. In case of problems related to supervision or the progress of the doctoral dissertation, the first points of contact are the coordinator and the board of the doctoral programme, and the possible thesis advisory group. 3. Shortening the time for completing a doctoral degree The doctoral degree is to form an entity which can be completed in the net time of four years. Attention should be paid, for example, to: o the feasibility of the research plan within the time limits o the degree requirements of the faculties

3 o the extent of the doctoral dissertation and the requirements on the number of publications in article-based dissertations The aim is that the contracts of Doctoral Candidates in an employment relationship are made for a duration that enables completing a doctoral degree. A prerequisite for receiving the permission to defend the dissertation in a public examination is that the Doctoral Candidate has completed all the studies required for the doctoral degree. If the Doctoral Candidate has received the right to pursue a degree before 1 August 2012, the transitional period on completing the studies continues until 31 December The faculty will send the Doctoral Candidate the doctoral degree certificate after the doctoral dissertation has been accepted. 4. Versatile and wide supply of courses UTUGS organises transferable skills training for Doctoral Candidates, in the realisation of which the doctoral programmes participate on the conditions mentioned in the Rector s Decision (1109/41/2011). In addition, it is recommended that the doctoral programme-specific transferable skills training includes topics related to publishing research results and the doctoral dissertation process (orientation, support in the middle stage and guidance in the final stages), as well as joint seminars/events and supervisor training. The doctoral programmes are responsible for the discipline/field-specific training. In the teaching and research posts at the University, teaching skills are an important part of professional expertise, which is why interested Doctoral Candidates are offered the opportunity to participate in university pedagogical training and to acquire teaching experience. If teaching duties are not part of the Doctoral Candidate s job description, the time spent on teaching and preparing for teaching should not exceed five percentage of the annual workload of the Doctoral Candidate. Career planning and management are taken into account in the supply of courses. The majority of UTUGS courses are offered in English. The doctoral programmes should also ensure adequate training in English, but the supply of courses specific to the doctoral programme may have different language emphases where necessary. UTUGS and the doctoral programmes collect written course feedback on the courses they organise. 5. Informing of doctoral training communication o UTUGS informs the doctoral programmes and other doctoral programme actors of current topics related to doctoral training o the doctoral programmes inform the Doctoral Candidates and the supervisors of the activities, the supply of courses and other current topics of UTUGS and the doctoral programmes o the doctoral programmes maintain lists that enable communicating current topics related to doctoral training both to Doctoral Candidates and supervisors Website of the doctoral programme o the website of the doctoral programme is available also in English o the websites of the doctoral programme and UTUGS are linked to the faculty s website, both in the Studying and the Research sections o the contents of the website of the doctoral programme: a general description of the doctoral programme the events, the supply of courses and other news of the doctoral programme applying to the doctoral programme (e.g. description of the application process, application instructions and times, admission criteria) instructions for Doctoral Candidates: - the practices concerning the supervision of doctoral dissertation and monitoring the progress (e.g. the qualitative requirements concerning the supervisors, the responsibilities and obligations of the supervisor and the Doctoral Candidate, a description of the monitoring practices of the progress of the doctoral dissertation and a link to the form for the plan for completing the degree) - the structure of the doctoral degree (the studies required for the degree, the possible requirements concerning the number of publications and authors, and the language requirements)

4 - instructions on good practices: a description of the practices in case of problems and links to the following documents: - University of Turku Rules of Procedure and University of Turku Regulation on Studies - Principles of doctoral training at the University of Turku - UTUGS Handbook - University of Turku Human Resources Policy - University of Turku Language Policy the essential forms, documents and instructions (e.g. the application form of the doctoral programme, the form for the plan for completing the degree, instructions for the doctoral candidate, the forms needed for appointing the pre-examiners and the opponent) o introduction of the research carried out within the doctoral programme (faculty, department, researcher and/or project level) o archive of doctoral dissertations o link to UTUGS website, other useful links o contact information of the doctoral programme 6. Standardising the practices concerning publishing a doctoral dissertation Dissertations are also published electronically unless there is a justified reason for not doing it. The names and affiliations of the supervisors, the pre-examiners, the opponent and the custos are included in the first pages of the doctoral dissertation. The affiliation of the Doctoral Candidate is the University of Turku, faculty, department, subject and doctoral programme. If the doctoral thesis research has been carried out in a special unit, the name of the special unit is mentioned in the affiliation. 7. The monitoring indicators of doctoral training Defining the monitoring indicators is based on the need to increase the systematic follow-up of doctoral training and the need to evaluate the effects of the graduate school reform both at the University and doctoral programme level. When using quantitative and qualitative indicators, it should, however, be noted that they are typically not suitable for comparisons between disciplines. Moreover, the indicators should be selected based on the purpose of use. The data collection related to the monitoring indicators is realised as part of the annual reporting of the Doctoral Candidates to the extent that it is possible (see Appendix 1). Data collection on annual level o UTUGS: number of doctoral degrees number of Doctoral Candidates employment: the employment statistics of the Aarresaari network and the expected need for PhDs internationality: international Doctoral Candidates (%), doctoral degrees completed by international Doctoral Candidates (%) survey for Doctoral Candidates on the current state and development needs of doctoral training o Doctoral programmes: scientific output during the doctoral training phase (all) mobility internationally, nationally and between sectors (scientific meetings/conferences and researcher visits of a minimum of one week) the net time used for completing a doctoral degree the number of part-time Doctoral Candidates funding of Doctoral Candidates (employment relationship vs. grant, funder and the duration of funding) the grades of doctoral dissertations (if grades are given) In addition, the doctoral programmes will pay attention to the relation between the number of Doctoral Candidates and the supervisor resources as well as the number of dropouts and their reasons.

5 APPENDIX 1. Example of the structure of the annual progress report Report of meeting the intermediate goals set in the plan for completing the degree 1. Background information: the reporting period, the contact information of the Doctoral Candidate and the supervisor(s), the basic information of pursuing the degree (the year when started, full-time vs. parttime, the format of the doctoral dissertation etc.). 2. Progress: Has the doctoral degree (research and studies) progressed as planned? What factors have advanced/complicated achieving the intermediate goals? How can the possible progress-related problems be solved? An estimate (%) of the completion rate of the degree and the year of completing the degree. 3. Full-time/part-time: Net time used for completing the doctoral degree during the reporting period (e.g. 12 months part-time = 6 months). 4. Funding - during the reporting period (employment relationship vs. grant, duration of funding and funder) - in the coming reporting period (employment relationship vs. grant, duration of funding and funder) 5. Output during the reporting period: - scientific output (all) - studies (course, organiser and extent in credits) - mobility internationally, nationally and between sectors (scientific meetings/conferences and visits of a minimum of one week) - seminar presentations, academic positions of trust (e.g. memberships in working groups) - teaching experience gained during the reporting period - other possible output during the reporting period 6. Other things to note A template will be prepared of the plan for completing a doctoral degree (incl. supervision plan, research, education and funding plans as well as work and schedule plans), which the doctoral programmes can use as such or revise to better meet their needs.