When awarding docentships, attention is paid to the fact that the faculty/department has a concrete need for cooperation with external parties and internationalization in the field of applied docentship.
At the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥, the title of docent is awarded by the Faculty Council, for five years.
Evaluating the competence of the docent
1. Scientific qualifications
The applicant’s scientific work must demonstrate comprehensive knowledge in the field of the docentship in question as well as sufficient capacity for independent research. Prerequisites for awarding the title of docent at the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ are that the applicant
- has actively continued research after the completion of the dissertation and, in addition to the dissertation, has published scientific studies that expand the field of research and correspond to at least a second high-quality doctoral dissertation in their scientific significance, quality and extent.
- must show evidence of pursuing an independent research career or profile and active research work.
The applicant must draw up a list of publications which he or she thinks will fulfill the requirements for docentship. The evalution will consider field-specific articles that have been published or accepted for publication primarily in international refereed publication series. Regarding the branch of science, the publication series may also be a Finnish publication series or a conference publication series. In co-publications, the applicant must clarify his or her contribution to authorship in them.
In assessing the competence of the applicant, attention will be paid to the following:
- the applicant’s publications in primarily international refereed publication series
- the applicant’s contribution to authorship in his or her most central co-publications
- whether the applicant has proof of embarking on an independent career as a scholar (for example, funding received for research)
- the applicant’s participation in the supervision of theses and scientific research and/or dissertations
- the applicant’s active participation in scientific activities and conferences in his or her field and possible supervising of research work.
2. Teaching skills
A docent must possess good teaching skills. In the assessment of teaching skills, attention is paid to the applicant’s teaching skills as a whole.
The teaching portfolio, drawn up by the applicant according to the University’s instructions, must show earlier teaching experience, pedagogical university training, study materials produced as well as possible other merits in teaching.
As part of the assessment of teaching skills, the applicant must give a teaching demonstration. As a rule, it is a test lecture that must receive the grade of good or higher. The dean of the faculty may exempt an applicant from the test lecture if the applicant has earlier given a corresponding lecture at the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ or another university.
3. Language skills
A docent is required the same language skills as in other university teaching and research positions (A770/2009). The Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥â€™s teaching language is Finnish. However, non-Finnish citizens or non-native Finnish citizens with a school language other than Finnish may be granted exemption from the language proficiency requirement without a separate application.
Application process
1. Documents
The Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ directs the candidate to negotiate with the principal representative of the subject or the person in charge according to the faculty's instructions on matters related to applying for the title of docent (the need for a docentship, the field, the cooperation plan related to the field of docentship, the time of applying for the title of docent, and the assessment of teaching skills) before starting the application process.
If the general prerequisites for applying for a docentship appear to be met, a professor in charge of the field will be included in the discussion. Based on the discussion, the applicant must have a scheduled plan of what kind of cooperation they would have as a docent with the faculty/department (including a suggestion of which subject the applicant would be willing to teach if needed).
After the aforementioned discussion, the applicant must submit an application to the faculty that details the title of docent applied for and the applicant's contact information. The application should be addressed to the faculty and sent using the application form.
The following documents must be attached to the application as PDF files
- A motivation letter containing the arguments for the title of docent and its field and indicating the ways in which the applicant has expanded their field of research after the dissertation, and including a brief description of the cooperation plan related to the field of docentship.
- A copy of the CV that must follow the responsible conduct of research and, when possible, consider the CV model, .
- List of publications drawn up according to . The list of publication must cover all the scientific and other publications with which the applicant wishes to demonstrate their eligibility and merits for the title of docent.
- A maximum of five (5) main publications, numbered in accordance with the list of publications (as a single PDF file) or a document listing the five main publications and the links through which the publications are accessible (without fee). Regarding co-publications, the applicant must account his or her contribution to authorship in them.
- A short (1–2 pages) written account of the applicant’s research work and scientific merits as well as contribution to the research field.
- A short (1–2 pages) written account of the applicant’s pedagogic training and teaching merits (teaching portfolio).
If the applicant's teaching skills have been previously established and the applicant applies for exemption from giving a test lecture on that and possibly other grounds, this must be mentioned in the application. Similarly, the application must mention if the applicant has their own proposal for the subject of the test lecture.
