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Organisation of doctoral-level education and student influence

This page provides a general description of how doctoral education at Södertörn University is organised and how it is governed. You can also read about student influence at the university, which is an important opportunity for doctoral students to affect their education and study situation.

Research areas for doctoral studies

Many of the doctoral students at Södertörn University are admitted to doctoral-level education in one of the university’s research areas for doctoral studies. All subjects are included in one of the five research areas for doctoral studies for which the university has degree-awarding powers at doctoral level. More information about each research area and the subjects it includes is available via the links below.

BEEGS, the Baltic and East European Graduate School

One of the university’s profile areas is the Baltic Sea region and eastern Europe, and many of the doctoral students in all research areas are at the Baltic and East European Graduate School (BEEGS), which is part of the Centre for Baltic and East European Studies (CBEES). Doctoral students at BEEGS include those admitted to Södertörn University and to other higher education institutions.

How is doctoral-level education governed?

The university has a number of bodies that process and decide on issues that relate to doctoral-level education. Some cases are decided upon by the steering committees, while others must be forwarded to the Faculty Board or its committee – the Committee for Research and Doctoral Education – for a decision to be made.

There is more information about each body in the expanders below.

The university’s doctoral supervision collegiums (abbreviated FHK) are preparatory and advisory collegial bodies for issues relating to the quality, content and development of doctoral-level education. There is no university-wide governing document for the collegiums’ composition, order of delegation, tasks or authority but, in general, a collegium is an important body for collegial coordination, discussion and preparation of educational issues relating to doctoral education. Descriptions of tasks may be at the level of the school or subject.

The collegiums include colleagues with doctoral degrees who are, or may become, supervisors at Södertörn University. External supervisors must also participate and are invited when necessary. A collegium cooperates with doctoral students on all issues relating to the planning and quality assurance of doctoral-level education. This is primarily done through a doctoral student representative.

Each research area for doctoral studies has a steering committee in which the subjects are represented. A steering committee is the body with the primary responsibility for your educational environment, for education being conducted in accordance with the university’s strategies and objectives and compliance with the laws and regulations for doctoral-level education. Steering committees must create the right conditions for high-quality doctoral education and for admitted doctoral students to complete their studies in the stipulated time.

Click on the following links (in Swedish) to read more about each steering committee:

Steering Committee for Historical Studies External link.
Steering Committee for Critical and Cultural Theory External link.
Steering Committee for Environmental Studies External link.
Steering Committee for Politics, Economy and the Organisation of Society External link.
Steering Committee for Studies in the Educational Sciences External link.

Faculty Board

The Faculty Board is the highest collegial body at the university and has overarching responsibility for following up and improving the quality of the university’s education and research. It must ensure that academic activities are conducted in accordance with the university’s strategies and overall aims and, based on these, provide rules and guidelines. It must continually evaluate and follow up the quality of education and research and, where necessary, suggest a course of action to the vice-chancellor. The board must also monitor strategic and ethical issues that are important to research and higher education, and process issues relation to degree-awarding powers and the founding and closure of main fields of study and degree programmes.

The Committee for Research and Doctoral Education (FFU)

The Committee for Research and Doctoral Education is under the auspices of the Faculty Board and prepares cases ahead of Faculty Board meetings on doctoral-level research and education. The Faculty Board has delegated decision-making to the committee on some issues.

Read more about the Faculty Board and the Committee for Research and Doctoral Education, and access meeting minutes. External link.

Student representation

Student influence at the university is an important opportunity for doctoral students to affect their education and study situation. The right to representation on bodies that directly or indirectly relate to doctoral-level education is legislated in the Higher Education Ordinance and Higher Education Act.

A student representative must safeguard the students’ interests and represent students as a group. A student representative represents all students at the university, regardless of education level and whether or not they are members of the students’ union. Student representatives are appointed by the students’ union via the Doctoral Students’ Committee.

Doctoral students can be members of the following bodies:

  • Governing Board
  • Faculty Board
  • The Faculty Board’s Committee for Research and Doctoral Education
  • Each academic school’s Management Board
  • Each research area for doctoral education’s steering committee
  • Subject council

Student representatives may also be needed for temporary working groups or for tasks assigned to the university. Extensions may be granted due to positions of trust, work with the students’ work or representation in the university’s decision-making and preparatory bodies. How to become a student representative can be found further down the page

Students' union SöderS

The student’s union at Södertörn University is called SöderS. One of its most important tasks is to work on how the education at the university functions and to guide and support students who feel discriminated against by teachers/students or who feel that their education lacks legal certainty or is wrong. Social activities are another important element of the work of the students’ union. You can always contact the students’ union with questions or problems relating to the study environment.

The Doctoral Council

The Doctoral Council External link, opens in new window. is an association under the student union, SöderS, that works to ensure the presence and influence of doctoral students in decision-making processes at Södertörn University. SöderS collaborates with the Doctoral Council to guarantee positions of trust for doctoral student representatives in the councils, committees, and boards that either make decisions or provide advice to decision-making bodies, regarding all matters of interest to doctoral students and their education. The Doctoral Council is also a forum to discuss common concerns and explore opportunities to promote a healthy working and academic environment.

Email your full name and the position you want to apply to (e.g., “doctoral representative in the doctoral supervision collegium for media and communication studies”) to: studentrepresentation@soders.nu

For those interested in a position of trust in central bodies, contact the Doctoral Council at: doctoralcouncil@sh.se.

Appointments are made by SöderS, or via the Doctoral Council. New representatives are required to attend an introductory session.

Contact

Whether you are a doctoral student or in management position, any concerns you may have that could affect your fellow doctoral colleagues, questions about doctoral student influence or doctoral studies, can be reached at:

doctoralcouncil@sh.se

Information

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Last updated: 2025-12-02 by Dejana Burazor

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