Dissemination and communication training in I4WORLD

At the heart of this journey was the creation of a Personal Career Development, Dissemination and Communication Plan for each doctoral researcher. These documents were updated annually to reflect progress in doctoral studies, professional development, and outreach activities. The plans served as valuable roadmaps, helping doctoral researchers, supervisors, and the I4WORLD management team monitor achievements, identify opportunities for growth, and support career planning beyond the doctoral programme.

The training began in the first year with a strong foundation in research visibility and scholarly communication. Doctoral researchers were introduced to open-access publishing, alternative publication channels, and the Finnish Publication Forum classification system. Together, participants established their professional researcher profiles and presence on key platforms such as ORCID, Google Scholar, and other academic networking services. Guidance was also provided on communicating research through the I4WORLD LinkedIn page, YouTube channel, and other social media platforms.

During the second year, the focus shifted to public communication. Researchers explored why engaging with society matters and learned how to identify and reach their key stakeholders. Through practical exercises, they gained experience in tailoring messages for a variety of audiences, from the general public to policymakers and industry representatives.

The third year concentrated on scientific communication, including journal article writing and conference poster presentations. Researchers also received hands-on training in research data management and data sharing. Particular emphasis was placed on opening research data, an important requirement within the I4WORLD programme and an essential component of modern open science practices.

As the doctoral researchers enter their fourth and final year, attention turns to one of the most important milestones of the doctoral journey: the dissertation and its defense. Responding directly to requests from the researchers themselves, this year's training focused on presentation skills. The training was delivered by an external coach from Esiintymisvalmennus ILO (picture of onsite training below), providing participants with practical techniques and confidence-building strategies to communicate their research with clarity, impact, and professionalism.

As the doctoral researchers move forward in their careers, the I4WORLD dissemination committee hopes that these skills will remain valuable assets, helping them to confidently share their expertise, build meaningful collaborations, and create lasting impact wherever their professional paths may lead.

I4WORLD Dissemination committee chair, Satu Ojala