Virpi Juppo
Virpi Juppo's doctoral thesis Leading change in Finnish university reform from the perspective of rectors was examined on Friday 11 February 2011.
- Press release (in Finnish): Rehtorit yliopistouudistuksen muutoksen johtajina
- Dissertation (in Finnish): Muutoksen johtaminen suomalaisessa yliopistouudistuksessa rehtoreiden näkökulmasta
What is your job like?
The best thing about my job is the variety and diversity of tasks, I get to tackle problems and think about things together with my team. My main task is to support researchers and postgraduate students, as well as the rectorate, to ensure that services and processes work. My own area of expertise is good research practices and research ethics. In addition, supervisory tasks and supporting my team take up part of my working time.
What are the highlights of your career?
There are many career highlights, but I still look back fondly on the completion of my dissertation and the public defence. It came back to me when I gave my annual lecture on my dissertation at the University of Tampere. I would also say that the highlights include the times when we succeed as a team in a development project and get things done together.
How have your doctoral studies supported you in your current job?
Doctoral studies and the work on the dissertation taught me a lot. The topic of my dissertation, "Leading change in university reform", is still relevant today.
Not only has the topic of the dissertation been useful, but I have also learned perseverance, developed my skills in data search and analysis, as well as how to argue my case.
How did you finance your doctoral studies?
I had the wonderful opportunity to be employed as both an assistant and senior assistant at the time, teaching and working on my own dissertation for most of my doctoral career.
What are the main insights from your doctoral career?
It's the journey, full of ideas and insights, that you have to enjoy. If you're thinking about doing a doctorate, choose a subject you can stay interested in for several years.
It's not about traditional studying, it's about doing research.
