Jenny Helin, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Business Studies, is the director of the new graduate school.
What are your initial spontaneous comments?
“I think it is really great. We are conducting an ambitious initiative aimed at building a strong doctoral student environment. Based on ongoing research projects in sustainable development, we have gathered twenty-some supervisors from eight different departments, all working together to create a research environment where local relevance and international excellence go hand in hand. The doctoral students are the most important employees in this initiative, and having the opportunity to put together a really good doctoral student team is an important aspect of this initiative.”
Why do you think interest is so great?
“I think there are several reasons. For one, there are a lot of people who want to make a difference by studying and researching sustainability. Then there is our interdisciplinary approach, which several applicants referred to as positive. It takes curiosity, courage and a willingness to go beyond traditional ways of working – and many find this attractive and want to be part of an interdisciplinary research environment.”
“Sweden also has a good reputation when it comes to sustainability issues. Internationally, Sweden is seen as a country that is at the forefront in many ways, making it attractive to apply here. Uppsala University is a strong brand. That is also important. But the ongoing epidemic probably also comes into place, resulting in a larger number of people applying for studies, including doctoral studies.”
How will the 12 doctoral students be selected?
“The doctoral students will be employed within the eight departments that make up the graduate school, so the formal recruitment takes place there according to the current recruitment processes. However, we have an ongoing discussion within the supervisor staff to ensure that recruitment takes the graduate school's specialisation into account. The various departments also have meetings with each other to jointly identify the most suitable candidates for this.”
Are there any plans to expand the graduate school?
“We are already receiving many inquiries of various kinds about collaboration with other graduate schools, both internally within the University and internationally. We have also received inquiries about whether doctoral students who are researching sustainability can partner with our organisation. Naturally, we want to collaborate in different ways. Exactly what shape this will take is not clear as yet.”
“And the question of expanding the graduate school’s activities – right now there is no such decision. In January 2021, we will start with 12 doctoral students on site. We must then make sure that we do this really well. At a later stage, we can decide whether to build on this in any way.”