Doctorate in three years – University of Oulu hires 55 new PhD students this spring
The aim of the doctoral education pilot is to increase the number of doctorates in Finland and to reform doctoral education. The aim is to make the skills of PhDs more widely available to society and working life. It also aims to increase the mobility of doctoral graduates between universities, companies, research institutes and other organisations.
The University of Oulu has been granted a total of 98 doctoral researcher positions in 14 field-specific pilot projects. These projects will be carried out in consortia with several universities and may also include other research organisations. This spring, 55 doctoral researcher positions are open in 11 different research areas. These positions include fields such as natural sciences, medicine, and information and communication technology. Dissertations will be in areas such as artificial intelligence, cancer research and sustainable development. Applications for doctoral positions at the University of Oulu are open during March and April. Some application periods close already at the beginning of April. The remaining 43 positions will be open from August to September.
The Ministry of Education and Culture allocated universities a total of €255 million to pilot new practices in doctoral education between 2024 and 2027. The additional funding will be targeted at 1,000 doctoral researchers who will be employed by universities to complete their doctoral degrees.
The disciplines of the pilots represent flagship research areas or research topics in other fields, with the involvement of research institutions and companies. The pilots will support the employment of graduates in a wide range of public and private sectors. The pilots will test new guidance practices for doctoral education, as well as a more flexible process and content.