Graduate Schools: Experiences from the Tallinn Pedagogical University

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Graduate Schools Experiences from the Tallinn
Pedagogical University

• Prof. Aira Lepik, Head of Graduate School of
  Social Sciences, Tallinn Pedagogical
  University,Estonia
• Klaipeda University, Lithuania,
• 10-11 December, 2004

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This paper will

• analyse the regulations of doctoral studies at
  Tallinn Pedagogical University
• discuss the role of graduate schools in the
  context of doctoral education
• be focussed on the experiences of the Graduate
  School of Social Sciences.

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Doctoral studies

• Doctoral study is the study of the highest stage
  of higher education during which a student
  acquires knowledge and skills necessary for
  independent research, development or professional
  creative work.
• Standard of Higher Education (Regulation No 258
  of the Government of the Republic of Estonia,13
  August 2002), chapter 7, 27

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Doctoral studies

• The doctoral programme involves study at the
  higher education during which a student acquires
  knowledge an skills for developmental and/or
  professional creative activity and/or independent
  research.
• The regulations for doctoral studies and the
  defence of doctoral theses at Tallinn Pedagogical
  University (Approved by the Board of TPU,
  ordinance No 5 of 16.06.2003)

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Doctoral studies

• The doctoral studies shall take place on the
  basis of the curricula, which is complied by the
  department, approved by the board of the faculty
  and by the board of the university.
• The curriculum shall include
• Studies in general subjects in the amount of 10
  to 30 credit points (including a minimum 4 credit
  points pedagogy of higher education), which are
  taken in graduate schools

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Doctoral studies

• The curriculum shall include
• Studies in the area of specialisation and
  individual studies in the amount of 10 to 30
  credit points (conducting studies, supervising
  research papers, reviewing/reading theses,
  publishing articles), which are taken in the
  academic department
• Research and compilation of a doctoral thesis in
  the amount of 80 to 120 credit points.

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Doctoral Studies at TPU

• From the PhD students admitted 1992-2003 in total
  118 studies/studied social sciences, 47
  humanities and 24 natural sciences.
• When comparing the admission 1992-1999 (84 PhD
  students) and the defences up to 2003 (23 PhD
  students), then the effectiveness of PhD studies
  is only 27,4.

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Doctoral Studies at TPU

• When comparing the admission up to 1999 and the
  defences up to 2003, the effectiveness in
  different fields is as follows
• In natural sciences 57 (for 14 admitted students
  8 defences)
• In humanities 33,3 (for 21 admitted students 7
  defences)
• In social sciences only 18,6 (for 43 admitted
  students 8 defences).

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Rights and obligations of graduate schools at TPU

• Fosters and creates common interests in research
  and development activities in the corresponding
  field.
• Ensures the delivery of classes in general
  subjects for doctoral studies.
• Offers and mediates the training opportunities.
• Councels and informs doctoral students on matters
  related to general subject studies and the
  completion of theses.

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Rights and obligations of graduate schools at TPU

• Cooperates with academic departments to organise
  attestation meetings for doctoral students, and
  submitts the decision of the attestation
  commission to the dean.
• In cooperation with the academic department
  organises preliminary reviews of doctoral theses.

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Graduate schools at TPU

• Graduate School of Social Sciences (established
  in April 2001).
• Graduate school of Humanities (established in
  February 2003).
• Graduate School of Educational Sciences
  (established in October 2003).

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TPU Graduate School of Social Sciences

• The objective of the Graduate School of Social
  Sciences (GSSS) is to organise post-graduate
  education and training in social sciences,
  establish information and counseling centre that
  supports the completion of PhD dissertations and
  trough that achieve effective system of PhD
  studies in social sciences.
• The graduate school operates on the bases of its
  statute, adopted by the council of TPU 23.04.2001
  (protocol no 6, decision no 24, changed by the
  council of TPU 21.06.2002, decree no 10, changed
  by the council of TPU 14.06.2004, decision no
  11).

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TPU Graduate School of Social Sciences

• The graduate school was founded in spring 2001
  with the support from the Open Estonian
  Foundation in the framework of the project for
  developing the support structure of PhD studies
  in social sciences at TPU.
• The graduate school aims at inter-university
  cooperation in post-graduate studies and at
  establishing a support scheme of PhD studies
  inside the Faculty of Social Sciences of TPU.

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TPU Graduate School of Social Sciences

• The objective of the inter-university cooperation
  in post-graduate studies in social sciences is to
  develop a body for coordinating PhD studies
  between different universities.
• Up to now Tallinn Technical University, Estonian
  Business School and Estonian Institute of
  Humanities have joined the graduate school within
  the framework of cooperation agreements with TPU.

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TPU Graduate School of Social Sciences

• is directed primarily towards social sciences
  using the approaches and research methods of
  sociology, psychology and political science,
  including social work, information studies,
  administration and management sciences,
  organisation behaviour, etc.
• is 53 doctoral students from Faculty of Social
  Sciences.

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TPU Graduate School of Social Sciences

• organises education and training to aspirants
  of doctoral degree in social sciences on the
  bases of joint principles.
• operates as an information centre of research
  training in social sciences.
• operates as a counselling centre supporting the
  completion of social sciences theses.

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GSSS and teaching

• The objective of teaching at GSSS is to deepen
  the general knowledge of social sciences of the
  doctoral student, offer professional counselling
  when carrying out the research, counselling in
  order to join relevant international research
  training schemes.

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GSSS and teaching

• Teaching contains
• Lecture series of social sciences modern research
  directions, new results and theoretical
  developments of the field (modern approaches
  towards society and human beings, methods of data
  analyses, developing the research programme and
  financing it, etc).
• Regular doctoral seminars, where doctoral
  students present the results of their studies,
  discuss them with other doctoral students and
  lecturers.

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GSSS and attestation

• In June every year GSSS organises the attestation
  of all doctoral students of the Faculty of Social
  Sciences, during which the work of the doctoral
  student during the previous academic year is
  assessed. Positive attestation is a prerequisite
  for continuing studies.

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GSSS and defence of theses

• Doctoral degree defence councils are not
  established at the GSSS, the defence of the
  degree takes place according to the regulations
  adopted at TPU.
• GSSS organises the pre-review of the doctoral
  thesis. The head of the academic department makes
  a proposition about the pre-reviewer GSSS
  remunerates the work of one pre-reviewer.

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GSSS and councelling

• Counsel doctoral students about participating in
  international research training schemes. For that
  purpose a database of international social
  sciences cooperation networks, summer schools,
  project opportunities, financing sources, etc, is
  created.
• Counsel doctoral students about carrying out the
  research project, including consultation about
  drawing up the project and finding financial
  support.

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GSSS and councelling

• Implement review scheme, organise review of the
  texts of doctoral students by high-level
  specialists of the given field.
• The text submitted for review could be any text
  connected to the students doctoral theses
  conference presentation, journal article, chapter
  of dissertation, essay written for doctoral
  seminars or for courses, research project, etc.

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GSSS strengths

• Information related to doctoral studies and its
  dissemination has been gathered to the graduate
  school and the GSSS operates as information and
  counselling centre
• The doctoral studies (general subjects) have been
  planned for the following academic year at GSSS
  and the PhD students are therefore able to draw
  up individual plans for doctoral studies that can
  be implemented in practice

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GSSS strengths

• The GSSS supports with its activities the
  interconnectedness in doctoral curricula the
  social sciences general subjects support and
  enforce the individual subjects and the research
  activities
• Due to networking (there is no permanent academic
  staff) the GSSS is able to organise doctoral
  studies in general subjects of social sciences in
  a flexible and effective way

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GSSS strengths

• Graduate seminars as part of the general subjects
  give the opportunity to analyse the research
  topics of the PhD students from different aspects
  (e.g. when the students from different fields
  study similar topics)
• The GSSS has become an integrating academic
  structure for the PhD students and their
  supervisors (in terms of teaching activities as
  well as developmental and counselling work).

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GSSS weaknesses

• Due to the relatively short period since
  establishment the module of social sciences
  general courses has not yet fully developed the
  topics of spring or autumn schools are determined
  by the areas of competence of visiting professors
  or by the outcomes of individual agreements
• Lack of social sciences general subjects up to
  now only one-two courses lasting throughout the
  entire semester have been organised

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GSSS weaknesses

• Shortness of participants at graduate seminars
  graduate seminars are seen more as part of the
  teaching process of PhD students than an
  opportunity to analyse and argument research
  related issues in among PhD students and academic
  staff
• Uncertainty about financing when PhD students
  from private universities participate in the
  activities of the graduate school.

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GSSS opportunities

• Integrate more the resources of cooperation
  partners at TPU (e.g. cooperate more with the
  Faculty of Educational Sciences) as well as at
  partner universities in Estonia and abroad into
  the activities of the graduate school
• Increase the provision of information to PhD
  students about opportunities to join regional
  research training networks and international
  summer schools

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GSSS opportunities

• Increase the participation in organising
  international summer schools in Estonia e.g. in
  August 2004 the Summer School in Social,
  Political and Cultural Studies, was held in
  Tallinn, organised by University of Bologna,
  University College of London, Budapest University
  of Economics, Estonian Institute of Humanities,
  Viljandi Culture Academy, Hungarian Institute in
  Tallinn and GSSS

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GSSS opportunities

• Make better use of the interests and resources of
  TPU partner universities similar graduate
  schools (e.g. Tampere Graduate Center for Social
  Sciences/ TAMCESS) in organising joint courses
• Popularise more the graduate seminars organised
  by the GSSS in academic departments in order to
  involve specialists of the given field to the
  discussions.

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Thank you!

• For more information -
• Graduate School of Social Sciences of Tallinn
  Pedagogical University http//www.tpu.ee/sdk
• Questions and comments
• Aira Lepik, Head of GSSS - aira_at_tpu.ee
• Merle Pihlak, Coordinator of GSSS
  merlep_at_tpu.ee