Qualification Programme

With a clear focus on doctoral training, the IRTG’s research infrastructure includes reading seminars, interdisciplinary colloquia, international workshops and focussed writing groups, that help to gain in-depth knowledge of the Baltic Sea Region, its cultures, histories and current research debates as well as apply key concepts and methodological approaches. Individual research is balanced with shared academic and transferrable skills training, ensuring excellent research results and providing a valuable basis for doctoral researchers to advance their academic and future research careers.

The qualification programme is rooted in the dialogue between experienced researchers and doctoral fellows at the three partner universities in Greifswald, Tartu and Trondheim.  It offers a framework for all participating members to establish international networks and encourages lively interdisciplinary discussions.

The IRTG’s qualification programme focusses on research-based training, with individual doctoral projects forming its foundation. Following established models in Tartu and Trondheim, the qualification programme integrates independent dissertation work with structured coursework and regular international academic exchange. This ensures that doctoral researchers can develop their projects in depth while also gaining broader methodological and interdisciplinary perspectives.

The collaboration of Tartu, Trondheim and Greifswald allows for perspectives from semiotics, media studies, and area studies to inform this module. Supervisors, guest lecturers, and Mercator fellows provide purposeful input for the advancement of both the individual doctoral research projects and overarching research on Baltic Peripeties.

The implementation of the qualification programme is guided by four modules:

A Kick-Off Module introduces each new cohort of doctoral students to core research competences, techniques and strategies. Including Preperatory Master Classes on time management, presentation techniques, working with literature and academic writing, a Kick-Off Workshop to pitch projects, Project-based discussions of corpus, key concepts and methods in tandem seminar sessions and an introduction to rules of good scientific practice.

The IRTG’s research and training modules consist of a Joint Seminars on Concepts, Methods and Case Studies, Focus Group Sessions, where dissertation chapters and background materials are discussed in small group settings, an Academic Retreat, focussing on methodological impulses and writing time and an Interdisciplinary Colloquium, as a forum for the discussion of ongoing research in the Baltic Sea region across the spectrum of disciplines represented in the IRTG, combining evening lectures by guest researchers with thematic workshops.

Each doctoral researcher spends six to nine months as a visiting fellow at one or both partner universities, tailored to their subject, research needs and goals. The international research stays strengthen academic networks and broaden research perspectives through participation in departmental colloquia, project presentations, and individual consultations with experts. Fellows may also attend language courses in Estonian, Norwegian, or German.

Doctoral researchers from both partner universities are equally encouraged to take up a fellowship in Greifswald, Tartu or Trondheim.

To further promote international collaboration an annual conference and workshop are jointly organized by IRTG members in Greifswald, Tartu and Trondheim. Moreover, doctoral researchers are supported and encouraged to share their research at external conferences and workshops.

Transferable skills seminars provide practical competencies for completing doctoral research projects, professional skills beyond their research fields, and individual support regarding career opportunities, grant application and academic writing. These seminars are organised in cooperation with the Graduate Academy and the mentoring programme of the University of Greifswald, as well as external experts and coaches from academic management institutions.