New forum for doctoral students – meetings across faculties

According to the 2022 annual report, Umeå University has nearly 980 active doctoral students, which is the highest number since 2017. The number of new doctoral students has increased by 20 percents since 2018, even if the growth curve has flattened somewhat in recent years.

In other words, there are many doctoral students at Umeå University, but despite this, doctoral studies can still make you feel isolated.

Kajsa Törmä, doctoral student at the Department of Language Studies.

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“Doctoral studies is a lonely job, particularly if you’re not part of a big research group,” says Elin Granholm Valmari, Doctoral Student of Occupational Therapy at the Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, who is working on a doctoral thesis about work-life balance for police officers on patrol duty.

Doctoral student Kajsa Törmä agrees. She studies how we talk about outer space.

“No one else will ever be as invested in, or understand, your project as well as you do,” she says.

A lot in common

Even if you do not work on the same subject, there are still other topics that most doctoral students have in common and can be good to discuss with each other. These topics can revolve around how to plan your time, how to distribute work, choosing methods of analysis, how to use theory, how supervision works, how to handle feedback from co-authors, what to prioritise during doctoral studies and why. It could also be beneficial to help each other find the right information, log overtime correctly or find out what rights you have to take parental or sick leave.

Mats Reinhold, Doctoral Student at the Department of Psychology and the Graduate School of Gender Studies.

ImageMalin Grönborg

“The entire doctoral education circles around difficult questions that I need to approach. It’s the highest of higher educations you can take in Sweden and is naturally associated with high demands from others and pressure put on by yourself. These studies are restricted to a limited period and you conduct studies at the same time as being employed and being expected to teach,” says Mats Reinhold, Doctoral Student at the Department of Psychology and the Graduate School of Gender Studies, where he studies destructive leadership.

Beside the healthy exchange of knowledge, networking can also be valuable.

“Meeting other people in a similar situation and getting other people’s perspectives on research is invaluable. It helps you grow as an individual,” says Elin Granholm Valmari.

Suggestion from student unions

At certain departments and research schools, forums are organised where doctoral students can meet. Although, these are not available to all doctoral students, they are not always cross-faculty and participation has reduced since the pandemic. In the 2022 student union report, a request was presented to organise an annual university-wide day for all doctoral students at Umeå University.

Elin Granholm Valmari, Doctoral Student of Occupational Therapy at the Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation.

ImageHans Karlsson

On 17 October 2023, the suggestion will become reality when the event “Doctoral education in focus” will be organised for the first time. The event is held in Rotundan in the Universum Building at Campus Umeå. The objective of this event is to allow doctoral students to meet each other, ask questions to professionals and get information on what help and support they can get during their doctoral studies and in their everyday work life.

“Umeå University really wants to safeguard doctoral students’ work environment and wellbeing. Hence, it’s important that we talk about how we can achieve a successful doctoral education together. This day is one way of doing so, and was a good suggestion from the student unions,” says Dieter Müller, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research with particular responsibility for doctoral education at Umeå University.

Inspiring guests

On 17 October, a few guests have been invited, one of whom is Åsa Burman, Docent of Practical Philosophy at Stockholm University. She is active in the pilot study “Forum for doctoral students”, which aims to help doctoral students complete their doctoral theses on time and remain in good health. She is also author of the book The doctoral student handbook: master effectiveness, reduce stress, finish on time. This is also the theme of her presentation in Umeå.

Read the entire programme

The event will be held in English.