Slides from the IMPDET-LE preparatory workshop.

1. EXPECTIONS AND COMPETENCES
OF PHD STUDENTS IN THE
IMPDET-LE STUDIES
Jarkko Suhonen
IMPDET-LE Preparatory Workshop, March 12, 2013

2. Initiation
•You need to be pro-active, not waiting for the supervisor(s) to take
contact or give tasks to do
•You should be in-charge of the progress of the studies, not the
supervisor,
– Supervisors role is more about quality assurance and to give ideas,
advices and suggestions

3. Self-organisation and coping with stress
• You need to find out about different aspects related to the PhD studies
– Literature & Background
– Research methodologies
– Ethical issues
• You are expected to initiative possible collaboration with other PhD
and master students/seniors or groups
– Start building up a research network
• PhD studies require you to deal with uncertainty and open situations;
– flexibility and ability to deal with uncertainty is required => The process
can not be predicted before hand

4. Balance: Independency vs. supervisors’
suggestions
•Any major decision regarding the research topic and content of the
studies need to be discussed with the supervisor
– Some of the supervisors might also want to be kept in loop with minor
issues, but, for instance, Erkki expects a student to independently make
decision and take action in minor issue
– Naturally you need to discuss with the supervisor what is major and
minor
•You should be able to be self-organising and taking initiative, but at the
same time respect and follow the recommendations given by the
supervisor
•You should also be brave enough to say No to the supervisor, but you
need to be prepared to give justification why the supervisors suggestion
might not be feasible and offer a constructive solution

5. Be active in finding funding
•It is expected that you will be also active in applying research
funding
– Personal grants
– R&D collaboration with companies
– Resources
• Local Finnish funding agencies
• EU
• African Union, African Development Bank
• Other resources available in the IMPDET-LE website
•The aim: each student writes at least one research funding
application & proposal during the studies

6. Plagiarism & Technical matters
• Plagiarism is not tolerated
– Means end of studies
– Including also self-plagiarism and content plagiarism
• Each paper needs to have an own message, not just re-using the same ideas and
content in different papers
• Supervisor should not be responsible for language and technical formatting of
the research papers
– check the language carefully by yourself or find help from friends => When the
paper is accepted, department might be able to provide support for getting language
check
– check the list of references and references in the text carefully before giving the paper
for commenting (instructions from the publication forum) + also figures and tables
• Create a research website
– Disseminate papers you have published
– Write about the progress of the studies, keep a research diary or blog
– Etc.

7. Problems and communication
•When there are problems try to be pro-active when solving them
– Do not wait for too long event with minor problems
– “Better to ask, than to be sorry”
•Find out the main communication channel for supervisors
– Erkki; mobile phone/SMS
– Jarkko; email, Skype
– Give a suggestion of how the organise the communication
• Monthly meetings?
• Online social platform to share documents and maybe even have some
discussions (?)
•Always take notes when you have a meeting with the supervisor
– Do not expect him/her to remember what you have discussed and
agreed in the meetings

8. EXERCISE
•Write a personal promise how you are going to meet the discussed
expectations for PhD students
•Write down also what you expect from the supervisor
•Present it on Thursday morning and submit the final version to
Jarkko in Friday.