Consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on KI’s doctoral education

We all have a responsibility to do what we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19, both at KI and in society at large. This is done by following current recommendations. 

Doctoral students and supervisors find detailed information regarding how different aspects of doctoral education at KI are affected by the ongoing pandemic below. 

This page will be continuously updated as the situation returns to normal after the pandemic.

To perform a doctoral education during the pandemic

Many doctoral students will be affected in different ways by the current situation. We recommend that all doctoral students review their individual study plan with their supervisors and discuss if plans need to be revised. This applies to both the research plan, participation on courses and study-related travels. The starting position is for doctoral education to continue at KI and we must all do what we can to help solve the problems that arise.    

Tips for supervisors:

1. Effective Practices in Supervising Doctoral Candidates at a Distance, a webinar from the UK Council for Graduate Education from the 1 May now available on YouTube.
2. A Guide to Online Supervision – Guide for Supervisors 

Employment

The Swedish Agency for Government Employers (Arbetsgivarverket) have announced that if a doctoral student, as a consequence of COVID-19, has been prohibited from performing his/her tasks as a doctoral student, it should be possible to prolong the employment beyond the stated four years. It is the KI department where the doctoral student is registered that decides if a prolongation should be considered. The assessment of the individual case is done on a case-by-case basis. 

Criteria for a possible prolongation (at the bottom of the page)

Doctoral students who perceive that the current situation is affecting their doctoral education should make sure it is documented. Such documentation is required if at a later stage an assessment has to be made to judge if a delay was caused by COVID-19, and of circumstances the student could not control.

Student or staff?

A doctoral student is both a researcher and a student. This could sometimes cause confusion regarding which recommendations to follow.  

It is decided that when the doctoral students are doing research, they are considered as researcher staff, and the same recommendations apply to them as to all other members of the staff. KI as a workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic

When the doctoral student attend courses or other educational activities, they are considered as students, see below.

Courses and other educational activities

During the autumn semester, doctoral courses will either be held entirely on campus (with a possibility that it must be converted to a remotely held course if the situation changes), or as a hybrid form where some parts take place online and others on campus, or as an entirely remotely held course. For information about each course, see the course catalogue or information given by the course provider before the start of the course.

Information about education regarding COVID-19 for course providers

Half-time review

The half-time seminar can either be conducted with only digital participation, at campus with a limited number of participants, or as a combination. It has not been mandatory during the pandemic to have an audience, but that temporary rule will most likely be phased out after this summer.

Note that there are no regular rules at KI prohibiting online half-time seminars, so online seminars will continue to be an option after the pandemic as well. The director of doctoral studies at the department is responsible for the quality of the half-time review and needs to be involved in such decisions.

Public defences

When the pandemic is over, there will be a gradual abolishment or adjustment of the temporary routines that have been in place during the pandemic. However, the present routines should be followed until further notice. 

Please note, there will be no sudden changes, and considerations will be taken to those that have already planned their defence according to the present rules and routines. 

Public defences must be accessible via web casts, and the public/audience should be recommended to take part of the defence through their own computer. There should also be a room on site for those who cannot participate in any other way. 

The doctoral student, opponent, examination board, supervisor and defence chairperson can participate on site or digitally. Digital participation must be notified to the Dissertation committee.

All doctoral students, supervisors and public defence chairs must inform themselves through this webpage where all information regarding public defences during the pandemic has been gathered: Important information about public defence during the coronavirus pandemic

Admission of new doctoral students

According to the ordinary process for admission of new doctoral students, decisions of admission is taken continuously when a candidate has been selected and the recruitment process is concluded - without delay.

If the doctoral student, at the time of admission, hasn’t arrived at KI or for any other reason cannot begin their doctoral studies immediately, a study start date has to be decided. No research or educational activities are performed before the starting date. Under present circumstances, the period between admission and study start might be longer than otherwise, but the admission process is the same as usual.

Travel, research visits and international conferences

Doctoral students are to observe the same guidelines on travel, research visits and international conferences as all other members of staff.  

Personal presentations at international conferences are obligatory for KI’s doctoral students. If the current COVID-19 pandemic mean that a student cannot fulfil this requirement, the doctoral student should approach the departmental director of doctoral studies and discuss how this could be solved.

KI’s travel grant for research visits for doctoral research

Owing to the limited opportunities for doctoral students to conduct planned research visits, the travelling/utilisation time for KI’s travel grants for research visits for doctoral students has been extended to December 2021. This applies for travel grants for research visits for doctoral students advertised, applied for and granted during 2019 and 2020.

If you have applied for a grant for a trip that has to be cancelled, we ask you to repay the money, although the sum granted can be used to cover any costs you may have incurred in cancelling.

Information for international doctoral students

If you need to stay longer in Sweden than originally planned or need to leave Sweden earlier:

• Visas and residence permits
• Information for doctoral students with accommodation provided by KI Housing