During the training organised by VILNIUS TECH Doctoral School, Prof. Dr. P. Nikander and Prof. Dr. T. E. Wikström shared their rich personal experiences and professional knowledge on successful development of the next generation of scientists and researchers.
Addressing the audience, VILNIUS TECH Rector Prof. Dr. Romualdas Kliukas emphasised the importance of such training. According to him, regular seminars and workshops bring benefits to everyone - supervisors assisting doctoral students as well as young researchers themselves.
"Doctoral studies and research quality are crucial for our university's results, assessment, and community. We have really good doctoral supervisors, but people change at the university - new ones come in, and external as well as internal conditions change, so training is necessary. This is important because we need to ensure the quality of work with doctoral students and their dissertations, as well as encourage doctoral students to commit to the university. This is a problem faced by all universities worldwide. We are trying to address this," said VILNIUS TECH Rector R. Kliukas.
During the "Training for supervisors of PHD students," speakers and program participants discussed various topics related to successful and effective supervision of doctoral students.
Prof. Dr. Pirjo Nikander, the director of Research at Tampere university's Doctoral school, discussed the factors influencing successful supervision of doctoral students, reviewed strategies for improving research activities, discussed common mistakes and expectations, necessary leadership skills, the balance of responsibilities between supervisors and doctoral students, and the importance of collaboration in doctoral studies.
Prof. Dr. Toby Erik Wikström, the project manager and researcher at the University of Iceland's Doctoral school, explained why it is important to monitor and be interested in the career outcomes of doctoral students after their studies, which would also have an impact on future doctoral education.
According to Doc. Dr. Skirmante Mozuriunaite, the head of VILNIUS TECH Doctoral school, the doctoral supervisors' training program aims to expand supervisors' experience in guiding future researchers successfully and effectively.
"A consistent and purposeful supervision of doctoral students is the foundation of successful doctoral education. Our program aims to empower supervisors to tackle the complex challenges of doctoral supervision decisively and effectively, thus raising the quality of doctoral studies," says Doc. Dr. S. Mozuriunaite.
VILNIUS TECH invites you to pursue a doctoral degree. One of the main advantages of doctoral studies is the freedom to create and apply solutions that change the world.
77% of VILNIUS TECH doctoral students study technology sciences, and the number of admissions to doctoral studies is continuously increasing. The studies are international, with about 25% of foreign researchers currently enrolled. The choice is extensive - there are even 12 fields of science offered.
Admissions to doctoral studies will take place in June. Doctoral students studying in state-funded study places receive a doctoral scholarship. For the first year of doctoral studies it is 1045 EUR, and for the second to fourth years, it's 1210 EUR.
