Courses

KATAJA-courses are primarily targeted to Doctoral students completing their degrees in a KATAJA member institution. Others may be admitted only in case the seats are not filled by KATAJA students.

KATAJA’s course cycle follows the calendar year, not the academic year. The course offering for each year is published on the KATAJA website by the end of October of the previous year. All central information on courses and other events are published on this site.

Each course has its own course coordinator whose contact information is published in the course description. Please get in touch with the course coordinator directly if anything is unclear or if you need more information about a course. Applications to attend a course should also be sent directly to the course coordinator.

You can join KATAJA’s e-mail mailing list to receive occasional announcements regarding courses and other activities by sending through the link provided at the bottom of the page. Please get in touch with KATAJA’s coordinator immediately if your e-mail address changes or if you wish to withdraw from the e-mailing list.

Signing up for courses and choice of applicants

Increasing numbers of students have been signing up to take part in KATAJA’s courses, which is why course organizers often have to choose between applicants. It is important that you read the course information carefully before sending in your application. Of special importance are the prerequisites for taking the course. Always fill in the application with care.

The following KATAJA principles are followed when choosing between applicants (not applicable to courses organized in collaboration with international networks, which follow collaboration-specific, mutually agreed principles):

1. From each member university with submitted applications, at least one (the most qualified) applicant is chosen, provided that they meet the prerequisites of the course and has followed the application procedure carefully.

2. Additional students from member universities, including their foreign exchange students, are chosen on the basis of progress in studies as well as other merits. When necessary, professors of member universities may be consulted to support student selection. Priority is given to students who are fulltime students at one of the member universities.

3. If there is space in the course and if the course organizers find that such applicants bring added value to the course, doctoral students as well as members of faculty from other Finnish universities/institutions, as well as doctoral students from foreign institutions may also be accepted to the course. All students have to meet the prerequisites and have to follow the application procedure.

Important to note

• There are no participation fees related to the KATAJA courses. However, participating students (or their institutions) must cover their own costs related to course participation: travel, accommodation, meals and possible course materials.
• Students are strongly advised to check beforehand with their supervisor whether a specific KATAJA course may replace a compulsory course on the curriculum of the students home university’s doctoral program.