Research visits and international networks

The instruction belongs to the following themes

By selecting a degree programme you are able to see the general content as well as the possible degree programme-specific content. You do not have to select a degree programme to see the Open University's instructions.

The Doctoral School and the programmes encourage doctoral researchers to undertake visits to suitable universities, research institutes and equivalent units outside Finland. Some doctoral programmes also belong to international research and doctoral education networks that can organize for example PhD courses and other mobility.

Planning a research visit

Planning a research visit

You can embark on a research visit to another research group, university, research institute or equivalent unit to explore a research method or material important for your dissertation work. You can learn more about the practices of another research unit and establish networks with researchers in the field.

For more information on opportunities to apply for financial support for a research visit, please see the instructions related to travel grants for Doctoral researchers.

The need for a research visit, its destination and its timetable must be agreed with the dissertation supervisor.  Your supervisor can also help you find suitable contacts at universities or other research units outside Finland. You must have clear research objectives for your visit that support the progress of your dissertation. Principles and forms of cooperation should ideally be agreed before a visit to a research group. If the objective of your visit is to find a postdoctoral position, you should discuss this with members of your advisory committee, if any.

A research visit should be a brief trip lasting up to a month. If you have an employment at the University of Helsinki and your trip lasts over a month it is regarded as work abroad which has different rules than a research visit. In this situation, please contact your unit’s HR Services and read the instructions of work abroad on Flamma.