ERC Keynote by Kirsi Pyhältö

  • When: Tuesday 27 August, 14:00 - 15:00
  • Location: Room 002 in Sports Center (Indoor Sports Hall) [Ground Floor]
  • Session Chair: Sofia Eleftheriadou

Why does investing in doctoral researcher’s wellbeing matter?

PhD. Kirsi Pyhältö is full professor of higher education, at the center for university teaching and learning (HYPE), university of Helsinki, Finland. She is also extraordinary professor at University of Stellenbosch, South-Africa. Her research interests include doctoral education and researcher careers, school development, teacher’s professional agency and occupational wellbeing, and student learning and wellbeing. She has over 240 publications. See: https://researchportal.helsinki.fi/fi/persons/kirsi-pyhältö/publications/. She is leading two research groups: Doctoral Education and PhD Careers -research group https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/doctoral-education-and-phd-careers and Learning and Development in School -research group http://www.learninginschool.fi.

Why does investing in doctoral researcher’s wellbeing matter?

Doctoral experience provides both highs and lows that potentially further contribute to doctoral researcher’s wellbeing. In turn, experienced wellbeing impacts on study progress and odds for degree completion. Hence, it is no surprise that doctoral researcher’s’ wellbeing, particularly mental health issues, have gained prominence as a central concern among doctoral education policy makers, developers, and researchers. Also, effective remedies for mental health issues have been called after. Wellbeing of doctoral researchers is, however, more than the absence of negative symptoms. In fact, positive mental states provide a central resource for doctoral studies. This keynote will focus on addressing both positive and negative attributes of doctoral researcher’s wellbeing and means to promote wellbeing in the doctoral education. I will start with discussing the state of art in research on doctoral researchers’ wellbeing and impacts of wellbeing on doctoral experience. After this I will summarize evidence on effective means for promoting doctoral researcher’s wellbeing in the doctoral education. I will conclude my talk with discussing COVID-19 pandemic influences on doctoral researchers’ wellbeing and progress.

Upcoming ECERs

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ECER'25, Belgrade
17.08.2026
ECER'26, Tampere
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Important Dates ECER 2024

Title
01.12.2023
Submission starts
31.01.2024
Submission ends
01.04.2024
Registration starts
03.04.2024
Review results announced
15.05.2024
Early bird ends
26.06.2024
Presentation times announced
30.06.2024
Registration Deadline for Presenters
26.08.2024
ERC First Day
27.08.2024
ECER First Day
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