Doctoral students' rights, responsibilities and expectations

Government employment: rights and benefits

A doctoral studentship is a form of government employment and comes with a range of employment benefits. These include:

• Paid parental leave
• Annual leave
• Occupational pension contributions
• Insurance coverage during working hours, business travel, and fieldwork.

Doctoral students are also provided with the resources needed to carry out their work, such as a workspace, a computer, and access to relevant equipment and support services.

Further information about the rights and responsibilities associated with government employment can be found on Lund University's Staff Pages.

Working at Lund University | Staff Pages

Doctoral students' responsibilities and expectations

Availability and contact details

As employees of a public authority, doctoral students are expected to act in accordance with the core values of the Swedish public sector, including transparency, impartiality, and the lawful exercise of public authority.

Doctoral students are also expected to be available during normal working hours. Supervisors and/or the employer should be informed of travel, research visits abroad, and other absences and must always have access to up-to-date contact information.

If you are unable to be reached for any period of time, you should inform your supervisor and/or employer in advance. 

Annual leave and other Leave

Requests for annual leave must be submitted, and all earned days of annual leave should be taken during the semester, in accordance with the terms of the Swedish Annual Leave Act and Lund University’s guidelines. On completion of the doctoral studentship, all earned days of annual leave shall have been used.

Participation in Department activities

Doctoral students are expected to contribute to the Department's collective research environment. This includes attending and participating in research seminars and other shared research activities.

Doctoral students are also expected to contribute to the Department's collegial governance and community. This may involve participation in the doctoral student council, representation on the Department Board, and engagement in committees, working groups, doctoral admissions, the Department's work environment matters, and activities related to equality, equal opportunities, and diversity.

Active participation in the Department's shared activities is an important part of doctoral education and contributes to a well-functioning academic environment.

Workspace and access to resources

Doctoral students are expected to spend a substantial part of their working time at the Department. If a workspace is not used regularly, it may need to be shared with or reassigned to others.

Upon completion of the doctoral studentship, access to an office space, computer, and other departmental resources is no longer guaranteed.

Teaching and responsibilities

Teaching occupies a somewhat unique position in doctoral education. While teaching is voluntary, it is also governed by formal regulations and policy documents.

At times, different expectations may need to be balanced. For example, the responsibilities associated with teaching may compete with the demands of doctoral studies and research.

Doctoral students therefore need to balance different roles throughout their studies: both as students within a formal educational framework and as research and teaching colleagues within the Department.

The Individual Study Plan (ISP) and annual follow-up

In addition to the general information outlined above, the Individual Study Plan (ISP) can be an important tool for discussing expectations and responsibilities throughout the doctoral programme. Regular review of the ISP can help identify and address potential tensions between rights and obligations, as well as between the expectations of the Department, supervisors, and the doctoral student.