The Game Plan – Rules of play Titta Kallio-Seppä The important steps from the start to getting the degree… Your career

How to navigate in UniOGS? 1. UniOGS Who and what? 2. What is a doctoral degree? 3. Time-line of the 4-year process What, when, how, why? Follow-up group Doctoral Training Plan Study requirements

1. UniOGS University of Oulu Graduate School Since 2011 Goal:lay the foundations and develop the framework of researcher training in Oulu. 1 st January 2012 First generation of early-stage researchers started their doctoral training.

The key persons in UniOGS: Dean and vice-Dean Leading the Graduate School Granting of study rights Granting of doctoral degrees Vice: education & courses Kaisa (vice) Markku

The key persons: 3 Doctoral Training Committees Human Sciences Faculty of Education, Faculty of Humanities, Oulu Business School, Human Geography Technology and Natural Sciences Faculty of Information Techonology and Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Technology, Oulu Mining School, Oulu School of Architecture Health and Biosciences Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Chair, representatives of the Faculties and Institutes, Chief Academic Officers, 2 students Admission applications Nomination of supervisors and follow-up groups Acceptance of Doctoral Training Plans Giving permissions to defend thesis, nominating kustos and opponent Grading the thesis

Regulations UniOGS has to take account Finnish law: O Universities Act O Government Decree on University Degrees University level regulations: O University Bylaws (johtosääntö) O Education Bylaws (koulutuksen johtosääntö) European level development: O Seven Principles of Innovative Doctoral Training

2. What is a doctoral degree?

The answer, my friend, is… A title that convinces other scientists that you are able to independently and critically apply scientific research methods and generate new scientific knowledge… which could make an impact on society. University law (794/2004) 5 22§

The thesis requirements The doctoral thesis should show evidence that the doctoral student can independently and critically apply scientific research methods and generate new scientific knowledge. The rest is all about Communication… A doctoral thesis can be a compilation of published research articles and manuscripts and a summary based on these, or it can be a monograph. A compilation-based thesis may include multiple published articles, accepted manuscripts, or other manuscripts, but a single article published, or accepted for publication, in a high-quality scientific journal can be sufficient. Networking… The doctoral thesis may contain joint publications or manuscripts, if the independent contribution of the doctoral student can be clearly demonstrated. And not wasting time… The doctoral training should be defined in a way that the doctoral degree can be completed within a time equivalent to four years of full-time studies.

Finnish law - To be awarded a doctorate, the student must: (1) complete the required postgraduate studies; (2) demonstrate independent and critical thinking in the field of research; and (3) write a doctoral dissertation and defend it in public.

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS & GENERAL EDUCATION Obligatory: Introduction to Doctoral Training, Scientific Research and Ethics, Follow-up group reporting & meetings TRANSFERABLE SKILLS & GENERAL EDUCATION Obligatory: Introduction to Doctoral Training, Scientific Research and Ethics, Follow-up group reporting & meetings STUDIES TEACHING (optional) RESEARCH FIELD-SPECIFIC STUDIES Obligatory: Doctoral Training Plan, Presenting Research Plan FIELD-SPECIFIC STUDIES Obligatory: Doctoral Training Plan, Presenting Research Plan Nomination of pre- examiners Permission to publish, naming the opponents Public defense RESEARCH and publication of results (including articles and/or thesis) Year 1Year 2Year 3Year 4 Supervisor(s) & Research plan outline Mid-term assessment Full doctoral training plan Admission: Study rights Follow-up group Admission: Study rights Follow-up group Annual progress report & follow-up group meeting : evaluation report Statement on student’s state of readiness 20 – 50 ECTS 3. Time-line of the process, 4 years

1. Year acceptance of the Doctoral Training Plan 1. Nominate your Follow-up group Form, Doctoral Training Committee chair nominates 2. Write your Doctoral Training Plan 3. Personal study plan in WebOodi 4. Have your 1st follow-up group meeting, report At the end of the first year Supervisors not part of your FUG 5. Acceptance of your DTP in Doctoral Training Committee meeting (3 ECTS) O Research & studies Chair members

Doctoral Training Plan (DTP) A.The Research Plan Abstract (obligatory, 1 page max.) 1. Rationale (background, introduction) 2. Objectives and expected results 3. Research methods and material 4. Ethical issues (if relevant) 5. Implementation: schedule of research and studies, distribution of work, and funding plan 6. Research team, supervision, and collaboration (including mobility) Key literature / bibliography AF: B. The Study Plan, Oodi-PSP C. The Career Plan written as a part of the section 2 or present separately for the follow-up group in the meeting.

The DTP is your personal game strategy O The DTP can be one of the most useful tools for keeping you and your training on track. O Written for you, your supervisory team and your follow-up group. O Gives you skills in writing funding applications! O A living document that needs continual updating (each FUG meeting). O Instructions how to write the DTP: O When: end of the first year In the not-too-distant future, you will come face- to-face with your future. Be ready for it!

2. Year mid-point of doctoral training O Update your Doctoral Training Plan, make plans for the next year O Organize your 2nd follow-up group meeting, O Update DTP O Progress and plans for next year O Chair: report, send to UniOGS O Mid-term report (0 ECTS) O Research & studies

3. Year Agreeing upon the end-process O Have your 3rd follow-up group meeting, report: O Update DTP O Progress and plans for getting the work ready O Chair: report, send to UniOGS O Statement on student’s state of readiness O Pre-examiners & opponent? O Research (& studies)

4. Year Sending the thesis manuscript for pre-examination O Nomination of pre-examiners, pre- examination O Permission to publish, naming the opponent(s) O Public defense O The length of the end-process c. 6 months

My own time-line Admission 2005 December years doctoral student position Maternity leave My plan was to do licentiate thesis first, but… Pre-examination, March Defence, September eur grant 3,5 years + 6 months = appr. 4 years Red = time spent doing my research and studies

Obligatory courses for all doctoral students O Introduction to Doctoral Training, 1 ECTS (2 per year) O Scientific Research and Ethics, 2 ECTS (2 per year) Other tasks O Doctoral Training Plan, 3 ECTS O Midterm report of Doctoral Training, 0 ECTS O Presenting research plan, 1 ECTS (seminar in your major/DP) O Follow-up group reporting and meetings, 1 ECTS 8 ECTS obligatory of your study requirements

Field-specific studies ECTS O Courses that help you to do research O Talk with your supervisor! O For doctoral studies, post-graduate or advanced courses (with J- or S- included in the WebOodi course code) are required. O Teaching O Depending on the major, a doctoral student may include teaching in his/her degree. O University Pedagogy for doctoral students -course!

General and transferable skills studies It’s about the skills, not the degree! Transferable skills and general education courses can be exploited to strengthen your weak spots (e.g. communication skills, project management,…). Be selfish! Take what you need to develop your future career… and stop counting credits!! Entrepreneurial skills, marketing an creating demand for your own know-how, developing your own career, transfering the knowledge into use, team work skills, networking skills, management skills…

Optional General and transferable skills courses O Basics of University Pedagogics for Doctoral Students O Utilization of Patent Databases in research O IP Rights and Research O Scientific Communication O Communicating science to the media, general public and decision makers O Information skills for doctoral students (library) O Publishing and Acta series O Leadership coaching I, II O Mentoring programme University of Oulu Staff Training

Field-specific studies WORKING LIFE AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP SKILLS (5 COURSES, 25 ECTS) S Working Life and Studies, 5 ECTS S Toward Entrepreneurial Mindsets, 5 ECTS S Building Business through Creativity and Collaboration, 5 ECTS ( ) S Turning Opportunities to Business, 5 ECTS S Entrepreneurial Field Project, 5 ECTS - Demola: Organized in collaboration with Business Kitchen

What is Office Escape? Move your office to Tellus for one week to interact, network and learn new skills together with other doctoral students from different fields and nationalities! Workshops: Presentation skills, Mindfulness, Library info (open access, researcher profile etc.) Develop your own presentation that you will give at the end of the week. (5 minutes) Group task: Together they identify an issue or a problem and during the week develop solutions for it. Interested? Contact: oulu.fi

Feedback: ”Työllistyminen tohtorintutkinnon jälkeen jännittää. Mentorointi karisti kuitenkin edes jokusen tumman pilven tulevaisuusnäkymien edestä.” ”We’re going to continue our mentoring with couple extra meetings.” ”I hope the programme will be run again! This has been an extremely valuable experience to me.” ”Can I participate the programme again with another mentor that has different background?” UniOGS Mentoring Programme What topics did you cover? Getting to know each other: thesis, studies, work, personal challenges as a student Job hunting: CV, work application, job interview Career planning: experiences, skills, strengths & weaknesses, self-evaluation (how to value own abilities) Working life after PhD: work possibilities employees’ expectations towards graduates efficient organization of work management of tasks and projects how to be boss/supervisor international networking, conferences meeting in the mentor’s work place, typical workday