The doctoral student council is discontinued – FUR and RUF are given joint responsibility
At the Vice-Chancellor's decision meeting on Tuesday, it was decided that the doctoral student council will be discontinued. Instead, FUR and RUF will have joint responsibility for handling university-wide issues regarding third-cycle education.
A working group has, on behalf of the Management Council, carried out a review of the mandate and function of the Doctoral Student Council.
The group has come to the conclusion that the doctoral student council lacks a clear mission and mandate. The decision-making mandate for most issues relating to third-cycle education lies at the faculty level.
"We have established that the intention of the doctoral student council has been good and that the exchange of experience between the faculties that takes place within the framework of the council is valuable, but that it is not justified to have a separate council without a clear mandate. Instead, we believe that joint preparation of issues can advantageously take place within the framework of FUR's and RUF's regular work, where decision-making competence and responsibilities are more clearly defined," says Håkan Wiklund, convenor of the working group.
Therefore, the working group has proposed that the doctoral student council be discontinued and that FUR and RUF be given joint responsibility for handling university-wide issues regarding third-cycle education.
"We believe that FUR and RUF should develop forms where these issues, and faculty-specific exchanges of experience, are handled. We also propose that meeting and working methods be jointly developed that involve the doctoral students in the work of the councils to a greater extent and that the handling of the doctoral student survey be reviewed," says Håkan Wiklund.
The group's proposals have been discussed at the meetings of the doctoral student council during the autumn and winter and in the management council on 18 December and 27 March. At Tuesday's RBM, the Vice-Chancellor made a decision in accordance with the working group's proposal.
The working group has consisted of Håkan Wiklund (convener), Peter Öhman, Assem Akkuly, Fanny Burman, Gustav Lidén, Anitra Gudmarsdotter and Gustav Månsson.
FUR = Council for doctoral education at NMT.
RUF = Council for doctoral education at HUV.