EDU offers its international partners the opportunity to broaden and deepen collaboration with the faculty’s researchers. Since 2022, the Visiting Senior Fellow programme has enabled invited scholars to focus on their research together with faculty members during a dedicated research period. At the same time, they gain an in-depth understanding of Finnish educational research, the everyday life of higher education, and benefit from the faculty’s research environment.
Over the past three years, EDU has had the pleasure of working with three distinguished scholars:
Stephen Billet, Professor of Adult and Vocational Education, School of Education and Professional Studies, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia. Visited EDU in autumn 2022.
Katja Brøgger, Associate Professor (tenure track) in Education Policy and Governance, Department of Education Science, Aarhus University, Denmark. Visited EDU in 2023–2024.
Mathias Decuypere, Professor of School Development and Governance, Zurich University of Teacher Education, Switzerland. Visited EDU in spring 2025.
During their stay, Visiting Senior Fellows may, for example, participate in degree programs, provide feedback on doctoral researchers’ work, deliver public lectures, conduct joint research with EDU scholars, or prepare collaborative funding applications. The visit program is agreed upon with the deans. The faculty signs a resource agreement with the Visiting Senior Fellow and provides the necessary facilities. In addition, the faculty supports accommodation costs and, at its discretion, research-related expenses. If the Fellow significantly contributes to curriculum-based teaching, a fee may be paid.
Criteria for EDU Visiting Senior Fellows:
- The visiting scholar is an established, independent researcher (at least career stage III).
- The visiting scholar has their own funding for the visit.
- The visiting scholar has already collaborated with faculty researchers.
- The visit broadly benefits the faculty’s activities.
- Collaboration with the visitor will continue after the visit.
The faculty organizes 2–4 calls per year for the Visiting Senior Fellow programme, where faculty staff can propose their collaboration partner for invitation to EDU. For more information about the program, please contact Vice Dean Tiina Soini-Ikonen or Research Specialist Anneli Lehtisalo.