Resources for doctoral supervision development
Info sessions on doctoral supervision
Doctoral education services arranges info sessions on varying topics for supervising professors, thesis advisors and others interested in doctoral supervision around once in a month. Get information and ask questions about various essential issues related to doctoral supervision.
Training and self-study materials
Elements of successful doctoral supervision
Finnish Doctoral Training Network (Findocnet) offers free online courses and material. Please, check out the material they have for you on how to succeed in the doctoral supervision process. You can go directly to the right section by first clicking on "Log in," then selecting "Haka Login," and choosing "Aalto University. It's also worth familiarizing yourself with the ethical principles of guidance at Aalto University.
Diversity, equality and inclusion
Over 40% of doctoral students at Aalto are foreigners. In a multicultural university such as Aalto the challenge of mutual understanding and constructive communication is significant. You can find more information on these matters in this section.
Supporting wellbeing of doctoral students
Doctoral students may have needs that do not require the sole attention of the supervising professor. Below, you can explore the various forms of support already available at Aalto. Both your own supervisor and resources like HR or Doctoral Education Services can provide additional assistance.
Doctoral supervision meetings
Schools arrange meetings for their supervising professors and thesis advisors twice a year. More information below.
Next meeting will be organized on April 10 2026.
Details will be available here later!
TBA
9.4.2026, 14.15-16.00, Kemistintie 1, A304 Ke2.
This time we will focus on how the advisory group meetings, midterm review, publications and salary systems are forming timelines and achievement steps to support the doctoral student’s progress towards completing their doctoral thesis.
Next meeting will be organized on May 8 2026, 9.00 - 11.00, Maarintie 8 TU6
Details will be available here later!
TBA
Next meeting will be organized on March 3 2026, 14.15-16.00 at Konemiehentie 2, T4.
Topic:
"Authors’ contributions in a doctoral thesis - Agreeing on authorship"
Best practices from schools
This selection of supervision practices at Aalto University is meant to serve as a tool for peer-learning, providing practical tips and illustrating experiences on doctoral supervision from the ground.
Planning officer Päivi Väätäinen: Writing doctoral research - managing your writing
Professor Mark Hughes: Toolkit for doctoral students - summing up
Majakka – Doctoral Education Project
Operating within the Water & Development Group, focuses on co-creating doctoral
education and water research. Its aim is to make doctoral education increasingly systematic and better supervised, and thus to enhance its role in and for the society. The main goals of Majakka was to create a systematic model to support practices and supervision on doctoral education and research collaboration.
Key factors:
- Academic freedom combined with academic responsibilities
- Subsidiarity & co-creation
- Clear roles, goals, and feedback
- T-shaped competence profile and linkages to industry
Key benefits:
- Diverse research activities and continuous development, excellence reputation
- Work-life skills, including teamwork, communication and networking
- Early actions to meet the rising needs, self-organizing culture and activities without professors facilitating and coordinating everything
- Supervising professors and thesis advisors have active collaboration networks and innovative, proactive team to work with
- Highly engaged team to apply for external funding
- Holistic wellbeing and resilience to sudden changes
- Respect and appreciation of all
| Interaction | Transparency | Diversity | Peer Support | Mindset | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students and Supervising professors & Thesis Advisors | Actively search and engage with key beneficiaries and practitioners to increase the value and impact of your research and to support decision-making (student). Be aware of interdependency risks when researchers closely collaborate with others using data or method development (student, supervisor). | Agree on expectations and structures for continuous two-way feedback focusing on encouragement and support (student, supervisor). | Acknowledge that individuals with different backgrounds have different expectations and needs (supervisor). Organize supervision in diverse teams of advisors and mentors (supervisor). | Acknowledge that risk-taking and the associated failure is intrinsic to academic work in order to prepare students for journal and grant rejection, or sudden unreliable sample results (supervisor). | Actively communicate your ideas, make bold decisions, and enjoy life-long learning (student). Recruit individuals with a curious and proactive attitude to learn (supervisor). |
| Research Group | Organize regular events to bring all staff together. Create structures to match similarities and diversity: people with a common denominator, e.g., method or stage of the thesis; Rookies or Synthesis writing clubs. Use co-creation and feedback tools, e.g., journey mapping, for systematic reflection on ways of working. | Plan and share responsibilities to support development of leadership and management skills of all team members, including doctoral students and postdocs. | Make use of group members’ diverse networks and integrate doctoral students into them. Build cohesiveness in diverse teams by identifying shared interests and organizing joint activities. | Create a sense of belongingness via virtual and physical spaces for working and collaboration, e.g., shared offices. Establish peer groups for sharing experiences, increasing accountability, and developing together. | Lead by example and promote multi- and interdisciplinary collaboration to make use of diverse skills sets, facilitate learning, and reduce competition. |
| Industry and Practitioners | Create easy beginnings for collaboration: practice-oriented events, mentorships, small pilot projects, workshops, hackathons, end-user analysis, and jointly funded PhD projects. Participate in special courses; encourage employees to strengthen their alumni relations. | Highlight the practical relevance and limitations of research and innovations throughout the project duration. | Strive for diverse and multidisciplinary stakeholder representation in boards or associations. Organize or attend seminars and workshops for academics to create shared understanding. | Communicate the practical importance of the work and help with diversifying the network. Help the researchers to identify the key beneficiaries and end-users of the research and jointly communicate the research outputs. | Acknowledge the competence of and employ PhDs to senior positions early in their career. Invest in jointly-advised industrial PhDs to strengthen the university-industry collaboration. |
Read more about Majakka:
For any questions regarding Majakka, please contact Postdoctoral researcher Maija Taka
(maija.taka@aalto.fi)
Professor Jani Romanoff: (Aalto login)
Professor Simo Särkkä: Sharing good advice for efective supervision
Professor Adam Foster:
Open Science
Your expertise in open science can support students' success and ensure that they are well-equipped for the future academic environment, which values open and collaborative research. Here is some information provided by Aalto University on this matter for you.
Facilitating doctoral students’ research networking
It is important that you actively support your students networking so that they can build a network of contacts that can be a valuable resource for their current research and future careers. In this way, you can foster students' professional development and success in the academic world.
Aalto University is known for its diverse collaboration with industry. Here is some information and tips for you on what it may contain:
(Login -> Haka Login -> Aalto University)
Aalto International Talent Program & Aalto University Mentoring Program
→ Here’s how we guide students in career planning - take a look yourself.
Aalto University aims at high quality of international standards in research and education. International cooperation is an integral part of the doctoral education of Aalto University, and one method for such cooperation is arrangements for the joint supervision of doctoral degrees. A student may earn a degree under a joint supervision arrangement between two universities provided that joint supervision is based on genuine scientific cooperation, brings added value to the doctoral thesis and enhances the quality of the research.'
The cotutelle agreement model and its attachment outline the procedures for organizing joint supervision of a doctoral degree with an international partner. Assistance for using the template is provided by the Doctoral Education Services.
If your student is employed by Aalto University, they can begin a paid internship in companies only after the pre-examination has started. Alternatively, the internship can be conducted with a side job permit. Networking-type activities are possible at company premises, but no compensation can be received for this work.
→ More information
Doctoral page index
Index of all aalto.fi pages about doctoral education
Doctoral education services
We support the whole university in matters related to doctoral studies, especially doctoral students, supervising professors, thesis advisors and doctoral programme directors.
