Advice for foreign post graduate students

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	Membership of the student union is compulsory for all students according to Swedish law. The membership fee is currently 110 SEK. For this fee You get Ergo, the union's paper, and access to various services. Most students also join a student nation.
	The university arranges various social events for foreign scholars. Stay in touch with their programs. If for nothing else You will at least meet compatriots and other people who are in a similar position to Your self so You can make new friends and share Your experiences.
	If You have not all ready been admitted to a postgraduate program take direct contact with the department You are interested to conduct research in. People to get in touch with are tenured staff. The chairman or one of the professors is a good start. Admission to postgraduate programmes is almost totally decentralised: i.e., each department may more or less make their own rules with regard to eligibility, language requirements, etc.
	Try to sort out any ambiguity in Your status immediately. Make sure You really are admitted to the post graduate program of Your department. Certain forms have to be submitted, etc.
	In the faculties of medicine, science, and pharmacology, all post graduate students have access to at least some office space. The departments in social science, law and the humanities, are more crowded. It is not always possible to get a room. However, at least You should get a key.

 Although most foreign post graduate students are not eligible for loans you are entitled to join the race for other funds for post graduate research. Basically there are three types of scholarships: doktorandtjänster, utbildningsbidrag, and stipends.
 
 

	Doktorandtjänst is by far the best. Most doktorandtjänster are funded by the Swedish state. The doktorandtjänst is regarded as a proper government job, although it may also be funded from non government channels, and entitles the holder to social security benefits, government pension, sick-pay, etc. The average salary is around 15000 SEK. Doktorandtjänst is by far the best means to finance Your studies.
	Utbildningsbidrag is the second best. It is a government regulated stipend. Currently it is 12500 SEK a month. You may keep Your utbildningsbidrag while You are sick or if You would get a child to an extent that corresponds to the social security benefits: i.e., if You or Your spouse delivers a child You may look after it for nine months keeping Your utbildningsbidrag. Later You get extra prolongation that corresponds to the sick or child leave. You do not need to have a work permit to have utbildningsbidrag.
	There is a large variety of stipends around. There are excellent stipends from the Swedish Institute, the European Union, SAREC, and other similar institutes. However, there are also stipends which have been instituted in order to avoid the costs of income tax and steep pay roll tax, as stipends are exempt from taxation for a period of two years. Sometimes money is simply called a stipend when the student should have been given an utbildningsbidrag or a doktorandtjänst. Having a stipend may be considerably better than borrowing money. Nevertheless, You should be aware of the fact that if You become sick or pregnant You have no rights whatsoever. You become totally exposed to the mercy of the people who control Your stipend. Make sure that they at least take out an insurance policy for You.
	Doktorandtjänster and utbildningsbidrag are generally open for applications in September. The last date of application is usually around the end of October. Do not miss it. Better departments inform all post graduate students in circular letters and distribute the appropriate form to all eligible. Some departments, however, are very reticent. Strategical information about how to get funds is regarded as state secrets. Ask the student unions doktorandombudsman if in doubt.
	Some doktorandtjänster and utbildningsbidrag are funded by money from external sources, research councils, government agencies, companies, etc. These may be instituted at any time and are generally not open to applications. Usually the money for them come together with the funds for a larger project. The head of the project is then in charge of who is going to be appointed.

	Start with a low-key approach, assume Your supervisor is a rational person and that You can sort things out by discussing Your differences. If this does not work get in touch with the student union‘s doktorandombudsman.
	According to Swedish law You have a right to change supervisor. If Your are writing a monograph in some department of social science or the humanities a change of supervisor can often be easily accomplished and undramatic. One will simply say Your relationship was a bad match and try to match You up better. However if You are in a department with a strong tradition of co-authoring papers and co-operative experimental work it may be considerably more difficult to change supervisor.
	Be sensitive to signals. Apparently, most people who fail to pass the disputation, the defence of the dissertation, are foreigners. Do not just carry on if Your supervisor advises You not to go up. Get in touch with the doktorandombudsman immediately if You feel something may go seriously wrong.

The Doktorandombudsman, Per Löwdin, keeps regular office hours, Thursdays and Fridays 9AM - 4PM, at the Student Union. He can also be reached by e-mail, phone and fax.
 
 

Address:	Per Löwdin Uppsala Student Union Övre Slottsgatan 7 S-753 10 UPPSALA Sweden
E-mail:	Per.Lowdin@us.uu.se
Phone:	+46 - (0)18 480 31 10 (Thursdays and Fridays)
Fax:	+46 - (0)18 480 31 29.

Links in English 

This page was updatet last  25 februari 2000.
Responsible for the contents: Per Löwdin, doktorandombudsman.
URL: http://www.student.uu.se/us/doktorand/english.html