The doctoral training follow-up group supports the progress of the individual student’s doctoral training. It follows that the training is progressing according to schedule. If a doctoral student has problems with his/her studies or research, the doctoral training follow-up group may refer problems to the supervisor, or to the Doctoral Training Committee. The follow-up group also plays an important role in evaluating when the thesis fulfills the requirements and should be submitted. The chair of the follow-up group also approves the pre-examiners proposed by the supervisor (the pre-examiners are then officially appointed by the doctoral training committee).

It is the duty of the doctoral student to convene the doctoral training follow-up group meeting annually. The student submits a brief report to the doctoral training follow-up group before the meeting, describing the progress of her/his studies, as well as the plans for the following year. The student's principal supervisor may give a brief written report about student’s training to the doctoral training follow-up group, if needed. After each meeting, the student will receive a brief written report from the doctoral training follow-up group.

Supervisors cannot be members of their own student’s doctoral training follow-up group. However, when expressly invited by the doctoral student, they may attend a meeting. In general, the participation as a member of doctoral training follow-up groups is considered as an integral part of the job of all teachers and researchers.

You should discuss with your principal supervisor the matter of forming your doctoral training follow-up group. The group should be composed of at least three researchers, all of whom must be of at least post-doctoral level, and the chairperson must be of docent-level, or higher.  At least one member of the doctoral training follow-up group must work at Oulu University. If a student already has a doctoral training follow-up group within a doctoral programme funded by the Academy of Finland, the same group may be proposed to the relevant Doctoral Training Committee of UniOGS.

The Doctoral Training Committee formally appoints the doctoral training follow-up group of each student based on the proposals made by the principal supervisor and the student. This should be done as soon as possible, because during the first year, the doctoral training follow-up group evaluates the student’s doctoral training plan, before it is submitted to the Doctoral Training Committee for approval. The chair of the doctoral training follow-up group signs the plan on behalf of all of the doctoral training follow-up group members.