Supervision is the most important pedagogical instrument in doctoral-level education. Supervising doctoral and licentiate students is not just about conveying knowledge to students, but is also about facilitating the development of students into independent researchers. This includes supporting the development of analytical skills, the ability to think critically and innovatively, to manage projects and cooperate with others.

This course on supervising doctoral and licentiate students brings together (future) supervisors from the university’s different doctoral programmes and faculties. The course is based on participants’ experiences of being supervised and supervising at different levels. Their own experiences are reflected on and complemented with different research perspectives on supervision, writing and feedback.

Through the course, participants improve their understanding of the different ways of supervising and offering doctoral-level education in different subjects and scholarly traditions, writing doctoral theses in different disciplines, research ethics and current national and local regulations. In addition, supervision is discussed and problematised in relation to different power aspects, such as class, gender, ethnicity and generation. Participants hone their supervision skills through practical exercises and communication methods.