University of Helsinki Honors Five Exceptional Doctoral Supervisors for Excellence

In order to raise awareness of good supervision practices, the University of Helsinki Doctoral School wanted to highlight particularly deserving doctoral supervisors. A new Excellence in Doctoral Supervision Award has been established for this purpose.

The first prizes were awarded on 19 September at the  welcome event for new doctoral researchers. The recipients were Senior University Lecturer Mar Cabeza,, Professor Markus Holopainen, Professor Inga Jasinskaja-Lahti, Professor Sangita Kulathinal and Professor Kari Tikkinen.

Well over 100 nominations

The winners were selected from proposals submitted by doctoral researchers in the spring of 2024. There was a pleasing number of candidates: 118 in total.

“This shows that we have a lot of really good supervisors, and there are many ways to be a good supervisor. Warm congratulations to the awardees; it was wonderful to read how your work is appreciated by your doctoral students,” says Minna Palander-Collin, Director of the Doctoral School.

Award winners offer a wide range of support to doctoral researchers

The winners were selected for their multi-faceted support for doctoral researchers’ research identity and career path, for building an equal and safe research community, and for successfully guiding scientifically challenging and interdisciplinary doctoral research.

Mar Cabeza

Mar Cabeza, Senior University Lecturer in the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, creates a safe space for all her doctoral researchers to participate in and express their views. She is a skilled group leader who encourages her team members to collaborate and to support each other.

Mar Cabeza is a person with whom it is easy to share concerns and frustrations about research and life in general. She knows Finnish immigration practices like the back of her hand, which has been of great benefit to her international research group.

Markus Holopainen

Professor Markus Holopainen of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry has distinguished himself in particular as a supervisor of interdisciplinary doctoral research. In his group, he has boldly included doctoral researchers who come from less familiar research traditions for him and those who are working part-time on their doctoral theses. He has inspired his doctoral researchers to believe in themselves and also to deliver on time.

Markus Holopainen is an inspiring, enthusiastic, encouraging, energetic, and positive supervisor who supports his students even in the postdoctoral phase.

Inga Jasinskaya-Lahti

Professor Inga Jasinskaja-Lahti from the Faculty of Social Sciences has successfully supervised a group of doctoral researchers working on a wide range of topics and using a variety of methods. She has been able to provide her supervisees with first-class scientific support and a solution-oriented atmosphere.

Inga Jasinskaya-Lahti has supported the career development of her doctoral researchers and created important scientific networks for them to participate in. Doing this, she has enabled her students to receive high-quality doctoral training.

Sangita Kulathinal

Professor Sangita Kulathinal from the Faculty of Science has been a successful supervisor of a part-time doctoral researcher working in industry. She has done this by showing interest and respect for her supervisee’s practical experience and helping them to see the link between practical issues and more theoretical approaches. In a very concrete way, she has also helped her doctoral researchers to settle in Finland during the challenging pandemic period.

Kari Tikkinen

Professor Kari Tikkinen of the Faculty of Medicine provides a clear framework for his doctoral students. His supervisees know what is needed for an article and how to achieve it. The tasks he sets are scientifically ambitious, but he doesn’t leave anyone to do them alone.

Everyone in Kari Tikkinen’s team is a valued member of the scientific community. He supports his students in a holistic way and takes their well-being into account. Under his guidance, they grow into scientists, not just specialists in a narrow medical discipline.