Kick-start your PhD

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The University of Helsinki Doctoral School organises an orientation event "Kick-start your PhD" for new doctoral researchers twice a year. At the event, you get to know other doctoral researchers, network and get important and up-to-date information about being a doctoral researcher at the Univeristy of Helsinki. During the academic year 2026-27 the events will be organised on 2 September 2026 and in January 2027 (date tbc).

 

Kick-start your PhD - 2 September 2026

The Doctoral School welcomes all new doctoral researchers at the University of Helsinki to

the Kick-start your PhD event on 2 September 2026 at 12 noon at the Main Building, Small Hall (F4050), Fabianinkatu 33.

Kick-start your PhD focuses on a general introduction to doctoral studies that touches doctoral researchers in all fields. During the event, you will get an overview about being a doctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki, can familiarize yourself with many practicalities related to your studies and research, and meet the support services for doctoral education as well as your fellow doctoral researchers. In addition to the Kick-start your PhD event, your own doctoral programme will introduce you to the specific practices and instructions in your doctoral programme, so please remember to attend also the orientation events and/or activities of the programme. The doctoral programmes will inform you about their activities separately.

Program

The program will be held in English, and the event is organised only on site. The speeches will be recorded when applicable and link to the recordings and materials will be available on this page after the event.

12.15-14.00 Get official (Main Building, Small Hall F4050)

  • What is it to be a doctoral researcher? Doctoral School Director, Supervisor, Doctoral graduate
  • Short guide to doctoral studies at the University of Helsinki

14.00 Coffee and refreshments (Main Building, Foyer Sirén)

14.00-16.00 Seek and discover parallel sessions (Main Building, Foyer Studium & Studium 1-5, 3rd floor)

  • Kick-start your PhD fair (Foyer Studium): Discover the exhibitors later on this page!
  • Mini-info sessions

    14.30 HR for doctoral researchers in employment (Studium 1)

    15.00 Services of the Helsinki University Library (Studium 1)

  • Sisu and Thessa clinics (Studium 2-5): Come with your own laptop to get practical tips for using the electronic tools used in your studies. Please note that the assistance available at this event is primarily technical and does not cover deep, programme-specific advice to your studies.

16.00- Get social and choose your way

After the official part, you are warmly welcome to join the social program organised by the University of Helsinki PhD students (HYVÄT)! Get to know the doctoral researchers' community and your new fellow doctoral researchers. You may choose between an explorative Sidewalk Safari – Helsinki city centre outdoor walk, a buzzing dice & drinks night – board game pub, or a Fresh Faces Café – cosy coffee afternoon social. Please indicate your preferences related to the activities on the registration form. Details related to the social program will be communicated closer to the event.

Register and join!

We are collecting registrations for the event to estimate the amount of coffee refreshments as well as interest towards the afterparty activities. Please let us know if you are coming by 26 August 2026 via Lyyti: Kick-start your PhD 2 September 2026

Please note that you are welcome to join even if you forgot to register! 

Orientation for doctoral researchers as a course

Kick-start your PhD forms part of the optional transferable skills course PHD-105 Orientation for doctoral researchers (1 study credit) that belongs to the curricula of all doctoral programmes. In addition to the kick-start event, the course includes self-learning and tasks about the information sources and support mechanisms available for your studies. You can read about completing the orientation as a course in the course information: PHD-105 Orientation for doctoral researchers (will be published in late June).

If you wish to complete the whole course, please add it to your study plan and register for it in Sisu. You can read instructions for registering in Studies Service: Sisu instructions: Registering for teaching and exams. If you cannot figure out how to do it in Sisu, you are welcome to ask for help at the hands-on Sisu clinics at the event – you do not need to register before the event to be able to complete the course!

Exhibitors at the Kick-start your PhD

Get to know the exhibitors at the kick-start your PhD fair and come to discuss more about their services and activities!

Arab-Finn Researchers' Association (AFRA)

The Arab-Finn Researchers' Association (AFRA) is an independent academic platform uniting Arabic-speaking scholarly talent across diverse scientific disciplines in Finland. Driven by the firm belief that collaboration is the cornerstone of excellence, AFRA serves as a strategic bridge for knowledge exchange, joint collaborations, and the professional advancement of researchers within the Finnish ecosystem. AFRA upholds the highest standards of integrity and transparency, aiming to enrich both the Finnish and global scientific communities through intellectual contributions and sustainable institutional partnerships. 

The association was founded in December 2025 under registration number: 3580922-1. The association is also active in LinkedIn: Arab-Finn Researchers' Association

Helsinki Incubators

Helsinki Incubators supports doctoral researchers in turning their ideas into real-world impact by offering programmes that help explore the potential of research beyond academia. Participants gain fundamental skills to build and grow a company, with guidance from experienced industry experts, while testing practical applications of their research or passion projects. The programmes are open to all fields and skill levels, and participants can earn 5–8 ECTS credits.

Helsinki University Library

Details tba

The Farmers' Social Insurance Institution Mela

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The Science Basement

The Science Basement is a non-profit organisation that aims to give early-career researchers the opportunity to learn and develop their science communication skills.

Our community currently consists of approximately 60 active members, primarily PhD researchers and Master’s students from the University of Helsinki, as well as members from other universities across Finland and several other countries. Together, we represent a wide range of disciplines and international backgrounds.

Through podcasts, blogs, public events, workshops, and outreach activities, we explore creative ways to connect science with society and make research more accessible, engaging, and fun. We are looking for anyone interested in science communication, simply curious people who want to contribute ideas and creativity to our projects (designers, writers, illustrators, social media enthusiasts, educators, and more).

Whether you enjoy telling stories, creating visuals, sharing ideas, or just being part of something creative and collaborative, there’s a place for you at The Science Basement. Come join our international community and help bring science closer to everyone.

The Union of Research Professionals (Tieteentekijät) and The Helsinki University Association of Researchers and Teachers (HUART)

The Union of Research Professionals (Tieteentekijät) is the trade union for those working in research and science, actively advocating for better working conditions and research funding. “Research Professionals” / Tieteentekijät is the right union for all researchers regardless of their career stage or field of science. Our members are supported by both the national union and our local branches such as The Helsinki University Association of Researchers and Teachers (HUART).

UniSport

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University of Helsinki Career Services

A career is a journey through life, learning and work. Usually that journey is not linear. It's full of mixed emotions, detours, insecurity, and compromises between where you want to be headed and what avenues are (or seem) possible for you from where you are standing right now in the academia as well as in the society at large. Your PhD is one part of that journey, and it can be a time of intense identity transformation: Why am I doing a PhD? What is my expertise? How and where can I make use of it in meaningful ways?  Who am I becoming through this process? Who and where would I be if I wasn't doing a PhD? What kind of an impact do I want to have on the world?

When these or other questions regarding your career, your evolving expertise, or your future arise, the Career Services are here for you. All our services and events are open to PhD Researchers. They include e.g.

  • Career Counsellors on Campus  (no reservation needed).
  • One-on-one career counselling by appointment
  • Online job search support (no reservation needed)
  • Self-study materials: Tools for Planning your Career and Future, Tips for Job Search, How to Find a Job in Finland...
  • Podcast: Working Life for Everyone? 
  • Webinar series: Working Life Now 
  • Career events, small groups...
  • In addition, we offer the PHD-101 PhD Career Course (2-3 ECTS)

Please find further info about our services in Studies Service: Career Services’ guidance and counselling

University of Helsinki Language Centre

University of Helsinki Language Centre offers for doctoral researchers:

  • revision of texts for postgraduate studies,
  • a wide variety of foreign language courses
  • different courses in English, e.g. Presentation for Doctoral Researchers, Academic Writing, Feedback on Writing and Presentation, 
  • Doctoral Thesis Writing course (in Finnish), 
  • Popularization of Science courses (in Swedish and in Finnish).

In addition, Language Centre offers the Course Assistant Programme and a variety of different informal language learning opportunities, such as language clubs and multilingual workshops. For more information about these, please see the Studies Service page. 

University of Helsinki PhD students (HYVÄT)

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