ESU – Doctoral Programme and Process

Printable version of the PhD course programme (pdf)

First doctoral course in ESU was included at the Bodo conference in 2008. It was a success and was further developed in Italy 2009. As an outcome of these experiences, ESU has now developed the four-phase PhD programme for the whole life-cycle of PhD studies and early academic carrier. The yearly ESU-conference offers the platform for this programme and integrates it to real publishing processes between the conferences.The continuous coaching process as well as teacher and expertise exchange between partner universities support sustainable networking and knowledge exchange between ESU-members.

The target groups of four phases:

1. Orientation group. PhD students at the beginning of their studies who are still working with their Research Proposals
2. Early phase group. Second year students emphasizing the PhD course and the early phase of their research
3. Mature student group. Third year students focusing on the presentation and improvement of their papers
4. Academic career group. Early academic career for PhD students in the final phase of their studies. This phase is  integrated into the research collaboration between research groups

These phases together integrate all aspects of the ESU-concept and support talented academics in different aspects of their academic career.

Registration for ESU Doctoral course in Tartu

The aim of this doctoral course is to enhance the knowledge on the theme of entrepreneurial university. In the context of greater complexity and uncertainty as a result of globalisation processes the challenge for universities is to innovate, to create and realise greater opportunities, and to develop their capacity. This means a need for universities to be entrepreneurial in  its strategy, curriculum, research, approach to learning and teaching, and contributing to economic and social development. Hense, the research on entrepreneurial university includes the issues of entrepreneurial education, commercialisation and spinning out new knowledge-based enterprises, organisational learning,  networking and creating entrepreneurial culture. For achieving the expected role of universities in the society and responding the challenges motivates to better understand and investigate the abovementioned processes.  PhD students either making their theses in this field or being interested in learning more about it are invited to participate this course. Several well-known researchers give lectures on theoretical and methodological challenges of the processes connected with the creating and exploiting the concept of entreprenurial universities

The participants will during the course improve their research competences in three- stage-process: 
Stage 1:

• Preparing the paper of their research field. (Abstract and full paper should also be loaded on the ESU-database)
• Peer evaluating one of their co-learners papers.
• Preparing an evaluation of one of the articles send by the tutors of the course

Stage 2:    

• Actively participating at the PhD course on 22nd of August and in different tracks and sessions at ESU-2010 conference  
• Students as a group are also responsible for organizing the closing panel “How to improve the ESU Program from the PhD student perspective”

Stage 3:

• Based on comments giving in these sessions improve their paper and deliver it by 31st December 2010.

The participants will be divided into four working groups  according to the phase of PhD study programme and accepted papers. The first year (i.e. early stage) students may also submit their research proposals. The PhD students will get the opportunity to discuss their own research proposals and projects and submitted papers during the group sessions, and get feedback from a researcher among the faculty.

Thus the course aims to improve the students’ ability to accomplish their PhD-projects. Special sessions and working group meetings will help to meet challenges during the PhD-process, to create networks within the research community, as well as how to publish the research in journals. Also the course gives the students an opportunity to discuss and position their own research projects according to different approaches of research on entrepreneurial university.

Requirements for participation:
The students will be selected on the basis of submitted abstracts. The students have to submit a full paper, CV, research proposal (first year i.e. early stage students)  and a letter of recommendation from supervisor or home institutions prior to the course. The abstract and full paper will be submitted to the database and CV, research proposal and a letter of recommendation to Merli Reidolf (Merli.Reidolf@tseba.ttu.ee) .

Registration for ESU Doctoral course: NB! Participants should register to both the doctoral programme and conference.

The faculty of ESU-doctoral programme 2010 consists of:
Professor Odd Jarl Borch – Bodø Graduate School of Business, Norway
Professor Alain Fayolle – Em Lyon Business School, France
Professor Benoìt Gailly – Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium
Professor Joaquín Guzman Cuevas – University of Seville, Spain
Professor Paula Kyrö – Aalto University School of Economics, Finland
Professor Hans Landström – Lund University, Sweden
Professor Francisco Liñán – University of Seville, Spain
Professor Tõnis Mets – University of Tartu, Estonia
Professor Maria Rosaria Napolitano – University of Sannio, Italy
Professor Virgínia Trigo – ISCTE Business School, Portugal
Professor Urve Venesaar – Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn School of Economics and Business Administration, Estonia
Professor Spyros J. Vliamos – National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece

International lectures for 2010 ESU conference doctoral programme
Professor Odd-Jarl Borch – Bodø Graduate School of Business, Norway
Professor Alain Fayolle – Em Lyon Business School, France
Professor Paula Kyrö – Aalto University School of Economics, Finland
Professor Virgínia Trigo – ISCTE Business School, Portugal
The EU representative for funding purposes

Practical Information
The course will be arranged as an integrated part of the ESU-conference at Tartu University 22nd to 28th August 2010, Estonia

For further information, please contact:
Professor Paula Kyrö,  e-mail: paula.kyro@hse.fi
Professor Urve Venesaar, e-mail: urve.venesaar@tseba.ttu.ee

Suggested literature readings- Preliminary
Suggested literature readings will soon be available…