Doktorandkommittén – SFS-DK
SFS-DK is a committee within SFS, the Swedish National Union of Students, which works on issues concerning doctoral students. SFS-DK enables SFS to contribute to the development of doctoral education, research, and the general conditions in academia from a doctoral student perspective. This work includes, but is not limited to, the requirement of employment for all doctoral students, transparent admission processes, and continued strong doctoral student influence.
For instance, SFS-DK gives input on relevant governmental consultations (“remiss” in Swedish) that SFS is included in to provide the perspective of doctoral students. Another example of a task that SFS-DK carries out is promoting issues that concern doctoral students internally, i.e., within SFS, and externally, i.e., at a national level. SFS-DK, together with the presidium of SFS, also works towards ensuring and securing a high level of representation of doctoral students in Sweden at national and international levels. You can find more examples of the work of SFS-DK here.
SFS-DK on social media
If you wish to follow the work of SFS-DK, you can follow us on Facebook at
Doktorandkommittén i Sveriges förenade studentkårer
You can also join the Facebook group “Doktorander i Sverige” to participate in discussions regarding the conditions of doctoral students.
The PhD handbook
The PhD handbook is a comprehensive and informational guide to those pursuing (or considering pursuing) doctoral studies in Sweden. It describes everything from the admissions process to your rights and obligations as a doctoral student in Sweden. The document is updated regularly, and suggestions are continuously accepted.
Visit phdhandbook.se for more information!
Examples of DK’s work
ISP – There is currently no coherent approach to how ISPs can be improved to be effective and contribute to higher-quality doctoral programs and a better study environment for doctoral students. SFS and SFS-DK aim to release a report which highlights good practices regarding writing ISP for the first time and updating the document.
Hur mår doktoranden (HMD) is a long-term collaboration between SFS and Fackförbundet ST (a labour union that represents public servants, doctoral students included), focusing on the work-life balance of doctoral students. The latest report is from 2021, and it contains 13 recommendations on how to improve the condition of doctoral students. The report is available in both English and Swedish. You can find the report here. SFS-DK is planning to begin its work to release another version of HMD in 2024.
SFS works continuously regarding changes in the PhD students’ migrational affairs. In particular, SFS follows closely the Government’s enquiry in 2024 to make migration for researchers and PhD students easier. Prior, the Aliens Act was a change in the Swedish migration legislation, making it significantly harder for doctoral students to obtain permanent residency. SFS and SFS-DK have since addressed how these changes will affect doctoral students and advocated for an exception to the requirements to be introduced for doctoral students and other researchers. To read more about the consequences of the new migration legislation, we recommend that you read our blog posts “An Aliens (Act) experience!” and “An alien career path”
A world-class doctoral education is a guide for those representing doctoral students written by SFS-DK. The guide offers a comprehensive summary of what one needs to know when representing doctoral students, how doctoral education is regulated and financed, and a description of the main components of doctoral education. Sustainable academia is a long-term project where we focus on how conditions for doctoral students and doctoral education need to be improved if academia in general and doctoral education, in particular, are to become more sustainable (socially, economically, and ecologically). SFS-DK regularly writes blog posts for the SFS web page on different aspects of this topic.
SFS-DK and Quality Assurance
One of the tasks of SFS-DK is to ensure a good representation of doctoral students at national level. This includes nominating candidates for doctoral student representatives in UKÄ’s quality review panels (i.e., educational reviews utbildningsutvärderingar of doctoral programmes) together with the presidium of SFS.
SFS-DK chair and/or either of the vice-chairs, together with the presidium of SFS, make the decision of nominating the candidates further to UKÄ. If needed, SFS-DK may be consulted in the process.
About UKÄ
The Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ) evaluates the quality of higher education and research in Sweden. The objectives of UKÄ’s evaluations are to assess the performance of the study programs and to contribute to the universities’ work on quality improvements in higher education and research.
To read more about this work, see: https://www.uka.se/swedish-higher-education-authority/about-us/what-we-do (select “Quality assurance and degree-awarding powers”)
UKÄ follows the international principles Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG), which are based on and have been developed within the framework of the Bologna Process by the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA). Read more.
To read more about UKÄ’s international cooperation, click here.
Different tasks of UKÄ and the procedures involved are listed below.
Evaluations performed by UKÄ
- Institutional reviews
The goal of a quality assurance process is to ensure high-quality courses and programs at the university. Institutional reviews review the quality assurance process itself. Read more.
- Program evaluations
In program evaluations, UKÄ evaluates the quality of a specific educational program or a specific type of educational program. The aim of program evaluations is to monitor the programs’ outcomes and to contribute to the universities’ own quality improvements for the evaluated programs. Read more.
- Appraisals of applications for degree-awarding powers
UKÄ decides which universities will be entitled to award a degree. Read more.
- Thematic evaluations
A thematic evaluation aims to map how universities work within the examined theme. Read more.
