PhD Programme in Innovation for Sustainability Programme description

The PhD programme in Innovation for Sustainability at OsloMet is a full-time, 180 ECTS credit programme based at the Faculty of Technology, Art and Design (TKD), in cooperation with The Centre for Welfare and Labour Research (SVA). The goal of the programme is to qualify candidates for research, teaching, development work, and other highly qualified work in the field of innovation for sustainability. The programme is based on core competence from the departments of Product design, Art, design and drama and Computer science at TKD, and SVA.

The courses are also offered to other PhD programmes at OsloMet and to candidates outside OsloMet, provided there are vacant places.

The overall aim of the PhD programme is to contribute to sustainable development and welfare for all through human-centred and cultural research and innovation strategies. The programme combines theoretical and practice-oriented perspectives through a social constructivist approach with various types of knowledge suitable to a diversity of contexts and professional practices. It is thus rooted in OsloMet’s position as a university directed towards professional studies, with close links to the community and working life outside academia. The PhD programme will prepare the candidates for societal needs, related to private and public sector as well as academia.

The programme’s unique approach is its combination of design and aesthetics with computer science and social sciences in an interdisciplinary setting. The programme is characterized by interdisciplinarity and ethical awareness, and by theoretical and methodological pluralism. It offers 3 mandatory courses, each 5 ECTS, in philosophy of science, method, and innovation, which introduce basic theories and practices with a special focus on sustainability and interdisciplinarity. Additionally, the programme offers 5 elective courses addressing different perspectives on sustainability: place-based, social, individual, aesthetic, and educational.

Sustainability is understood as a result of cultural, social, artistic, technological, economic and environmental factors and contains an awareness of ethicality and responsibility. Culture, defined here as human thinking, behavior, habits, and attitudes, is regarded as the foundational component. Innovation, understood as ideas or inventions that are practically implemented for value creation, is necessary to achieve transformation to a sustainable development. The programme will push the candidates to develop new and improved products, systems, and processes through interdisciplinary approaches and various technologies. Design thinking, creativity and entrepreneurship are key elements, and interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and problem - based methodologies that involve a broad spectrum of societal stakeholders in defining and executing research, are central. Sustainability science is an emerging field of research dealing with the interactions between natural, social, and cultural systems, and with how those interactions affect the challenge of sustainability. The field is in constant development, and the programme will therefore be continuously revised and updated.

Interdisciplinarity is a foundational factor in the programme, both as a competence and a skill. The courses constitute a main factor to develop interdisciplinary skills. Multidisciplinarity, transdiciplinarity and co-design will also be included. Multidisciplinarity will constitute a starting point for developing interdisciplinarity and transdiciplinarity. In this way the candidates will be able to share their own fields of interest and thereby learn to integrate their competences in larger projects with different participants.

Innovation is understood as new or improved solutions and practices that are practically implemented to create value or to meet societal needs or challenges. The values can be ecologic, economic, social, cultural, or ethical. Innovation is recognized as necessary to achieve a transition to a more sustainable society. The programme will enable the candidates to find improved solutions.

The programme will have a certain flexibility within its frame and scope. The content of the courses will be adapted to the candidates' field of interest, and thereby subject to minor variations. It will also be developed according to response from the candidates, teachers and external stakeholders as well as the scientific development of the topic and the research agendas of the departments and research institutes involved in the programme.

The PhD programme consists of an educational (coursework) component (30 ECTS credits) and a research component comprising the doctoral thesis (150 ECTS credits). The programme is intended to be completed within an effective researcher training period of three years, alternatively four years including mandatory duties such as teaching and applications for external funding. The requirements for the PhD degree are established in the Provision for the Degree of Philosophiae doctor (PhD) at OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University.

Upon completion and passing of the programme, the candidate will be awarded the degree “PhD in Innovation for Sustainability”. The candidate’s specialization will be named on the transcript and diploma. Reference is made to Section 2 of the Regulations Relating to the Degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at Oslo Metropolitan University (hereinafter referred to as the Regulations relating to the PhD Degree at OsloMet).

The programme description for the Bachelor’s Programme in Early Childhood Education and Care is based on the amendment to the regulation on the National Curriculum Regulations for Kindergarten Teacher Education amended by the Ministry of Education and Research on 30 June 2023, the National Guidelines for Kindergarten Teacher Education of 17 October 2018, the Kindergarten Act adopted by the Ministry of Education and Research on 17 June 2005, and the National Qualification Framework for Lifelong Learning adopted by the Ministry of Education and Research on 15 December 2011.

The Early Childhood Education and Care programme at OsloMet aims to educate responsible, energetic and reflective kindergarten teachers. The programme is profession-oriented, practice-focused and builds on research-based knowledge. The programme qualifies students for work in the kindergartens of today and on further developing the kindergartens of tomorrow. The study programme forms the basis for further competence development and qualifies students for further studies at master’s degree and PhD level.

The education shall adopt a holistic pedagogical approach to play, care, learning, and formative development. The education shall emphasise the increasing diversity in kindergartens, the importance of cooperation, understanding, and dialogue with the children’s homes and other bodies responsible for children's upbringing. The Early Childhood Education and Care programme shall emphasise pedagogical leadership and contribute to inclusive practices in the kindergarten.

The programme shall qualify students for the profession of a kindergarten teacher by offering a holistic education that promotes connections between pedagogy, practice, subject didactics, areas of knowledge, professional formative development, and cross-disciplinary professional topics. Pedagogy is a central and unifying subject and is particularly important for ensuring progression and making the education profession oriented. Educational theory and professional supervision shall contribute to the students' formative development processes, development of leadership competence, and integration of theory and practice. Interdisciplinary activities are included in the education, in which pedagogy as a unifying subject will be incorporated.

The programme also includes participation in the INTERACT: ‘The Same Child – Different Arenas’ initiative. INTERACT is part of a big initiative at OsloMet, the aim of which is to give students the knowledge and skills required to interact with other professions that work with children and adolescents, such as child welfare officers and health personnel. Participation in INTER1100, INTER1200 and INTER1300 is specified in the course descriptions.

Successful completion of the programme leads to the award of a Bachelor`s degree in Early Childhood Education and forms the basis for the candidate to apply for, among other things, the Master's program in Early Childhood Education at OsloMet, which can further qualify them to apply for a PhD in Educational Science for Teacher Education.

General information for students

Changes are continually taking place that affect students` daily lives, and it is the responsibility of OsloMet`s students to keep up to date. Key channels for important information include OsloMet’s website, Studentweb and the university’s digital learning platform. Students are also expected to actively use their student email accounts.

The programme description is the primary source of information for all students admitted to the Early Childhood Education and Care programme, and all students are required to familiarise themselves with the programme description for their course of study.

Alle kvalifiserte søkere som ønsker å arbeide som barnehagelærer eller pedagogisk leder i en barnehage.

After completing the PhD programme, the candidates are expected to have gained the following knowledge, skills, and general competence:

Knowledge

The candidate

• is at the cutting edge of knowledge within his/her field of specialization and can relate relevant sustainability issues to philosophy of science
• can evaluate the expediency and application of different methodological approaches and/or artistic research to the development of innovation for sustainability
• can critically reflect on implications in practice of various epistemological perspectives to contribute to the development and production of new knowledge, theory, and methods for innovation in sustainability

Skills

The candidate

• can function as an independent researcher planning and carry out research in his/her field of sustainability, including formulating problems and research questions and assessing the appropriateness of various theories and methods for innovation
• can carry out research for innovation in sustainability at a high international standard and in an interdisciplinary context
• can deal with complex academic questions in advanced collaborative sustainability projects that challenge existing knowledge and practice in the specific field of sustainability and innovation in the professional field

General competence

The candidate

• can identify and reflect on ethical issues in his/her own and others’ research and carry out his/ her research with scholarly integrity to contribute to responsible research and innovation (RRI)
• can undertake or contribute to complex interdisciplinary assignments and projects
• can disseminate research through recognized national and international scholarly and/or professional publication channels, and to the professional field(s) and the general public in popular science form
• can participate in debates in the field in international forums and present research at national and international research conferences in the field of sustainable innovation
• can assess the need for, initiate and practice innovation for sustainability in a policy relevant context

References

Correct use of source references and verifiability are required in all research.

• candidates must comply with the guidelines for correct referencing and use of quotations in both their training component and research component. Inadequate references can be deemed to constitute plagiarism and cheating and can constitute a breach of research ethics guidelines, cf. the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges Sections § 4-13.

The PhD programme consists of a training component (30 ECTS credits) and a research component (150 ECTS credits).

The training component is intended to underpin and strengthen the PhD candidate' s research. The training component comprises a mixture of mandatory courses and elective courses. The elective courses are chosen in collaboration with the supervisors. The training component must be completed and approved before the doctoral thesis is submitted, cf. Regulations Relating to the Degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University.

Mandatory courses

The mandatory and common requirements at the programme level is in total 15 ECTS credits. Candidates must take these courses unless an exemption is granted from the TKD Faculty’s Doc toral Committee (DGU). The examination for each of the courses will consist of a paper that will be evaluated pass/fail.

The course Philosophy of Science in Sustainability (5 ECTS credits) will give the PhD candidates an epistemological basis for sustainability studies. It will give them a deeper understanding of foundational philosophical and ethical issues in knowledge production in the field and enable them to problematize and analyse the underlying premises and assumptions of their own and others’ research projects.

The course Research Methodology and Research Design for Sustainability (5 ECTS credits) is closely related to the course on the philosophy of science. The course will provide the candidates with knowledge on and skills in inter-, multi and transdisciplinary research. It will enable the candidates to understand and make use of mixed methods for a multitude of approaches especially suited to illuminate complex phenomena, and responsible research and innovation (RRI).

The course Sustainable Innovation: Interdisciplinary Research in practice (5 ECTS credits) builds on the two previous courses. The course will give insight into methods that will enable innovation, entrepreneurship, and transition management. It will provide the candidates with a solid theoretical basis and practical ability to manage, design and carry out research projects within various fields of sustainability. It will enable them to relate to the UN Sustainability goals in a theoretical and operational way.

The goal of the mandatory courses is to provide candidates with an understanding of the foundational theories, concepts, and approaches within the field of study, including how these relate to methodological choices. The courses will also socialize the candidates into the research environment at TKD and SVA and facilitate connections with doctoral candidates at OsloMet and other institutions.

Elective courses

The following are brief descriptions of the elective, specialized courses. Candidates must take these courses at OsloMet unless an exemption is granted from TKD’s Doctoral Committee (DGU). Unless otherwise noted, the examination for each of the courses will consist of a paper that will be evaluated pass/fail.

The course Site-specific Governance and Co-creation (5 E CTS credits) will address sustainability in a site-specific, regional, and urban context. The focus will be on governance and co-creation in cities, rural areas, and regions. It will enable the PhD candidates to understand and take part in co-creative processes with citizens and stakeholders to find concrete solutions for accessibility and meaningfulness for all.

The course Societal Perspectives on Sustainability (5 ECTS credits) will address sustainability from a societal perspective. The course will provide the candidates with perspectives for critically analysing the role these societal frames have in inhibiting and enabling social transition towards sustainability, and for engaging in constructive discussions on how sustainable practices can be facilitated at a societal level. Cases will be used to stimulate interdisciplinary investigation of these issues.

The course Well-being and Sustainability (5 ECTS credits) will address sustainability from an individual perspective. It will explore the interrelation between technologies, materials, human actions, and the environment from a broad perspective of health such as public health, quality of life and daily functioning from a critical perspective. The course will introduce innovative approaches for developing products and services to enhance critical reflection about well-being, to make them accessible to all people regardless of age, gender, or ability.

The course Aesthetics in Innovation (5 ECTS credits) will look specifically on the sensory side of sustainability, seeking to create awareness among designers, researchers, technology developers and other stakeholders of the many possible ethical and interactional consequences and possibilities of aesthetic choices. The course will enable the PhD candidates to understand the sensory shaping and material tailoring of our technological and digital environments to get aware of and solve societal challenges.

The course Educational Perspectives on Sustainability (5 E CTS credits) addresses sustainability through theoretical perspectives on education. Education has the potential to change current practices and contribute to the transformation of ideas, attitudes, habits, and values in societies. This course discusses the effect of education and invites reflection on changes within and across cultures and societies. The focus will be on critical reflection and literacy. The candidates are invited to identify future-oriented research needs and enable them to make practical use of these theories and approaches.

The research component (doctoral thesis)

The doctoral thesis is the main component of the PhD degree, comprising 150 ECTS credits.

The doctoral thesis consists of independent research work carried out in active cooperation with a supervisor (or supervisors) and other researchers. The doctoral thesis can be submitted in the form of a monograph or a collection of several shorter scientific works (articles). A monograph is a comprehensive text that describes a topic in detail. A thesis written as a monograph is structured in chapters and with an introduction and conclusion, and the candidate is the sole author of the whole work.

A doctoral thesis based on articles usually must consist of a minimum of three articles. In an article- based thesis, the PhD candidate's independent contribution must be identified and documented, there must be a thematic connection between the works, and the connection must be accounted for in an introduction ('supplementary introductory chapter) preceding the articles (as stipulated in the Regulations relating to the PhD Degree at OsloMet). Chapters in peer-reviewed book s are considered as an article, but chapters should not constitute more than half of the total number of articles. The candidate may be the sole author or co-author of the articles included in the dissertation.

The courses are primarily reserved for candidates admitted to the PhD programme, but all courses will be open for application for other candidates who have completed a master's degree (120 credits) or the equivalent.

In the final year of the programme, the students are given an opportunity to take part in an international exchange and take a practical placement period abroad. The exchange period can be for one or two semesters. The exchange period replaces the specialisation subject and/or the area of knowledge Leadership, cooperation and development work in the final semester of the programme. Practical placement in another country can replace ordinary practical placement in the sixth semester.

OsloMet has a strategic focus on urban environments, diversity and internationalisation. Multicultural and international perspectives run through the whole study programme.

The students use literature and teaching materials in Scandinavian languages and English and relate to cultural expressions from all over the world. The students also meet guest lecturers from partner institutions in a number of countries. Several of the specialisation subjects are taught in English and accept students from partner institutions in many different countries.

Required coursework and participation in certain teaching activities must be approved before the student can take the exam. The purpose of coursework requirements and academic activities with compulsory participation described in the individual course descriptions is to provide a sufficient basis to ensure that students receive academic follow-up relating to the contents of the course, and to assess the degree to which learning outcomes have been achieved.

The students must complete the required coursework specified in the individual course descriptions. This is intended to ensure active student participation and clear requirements as regards study effort and the achievement of learning outcomes.

Required coursework must be submitted/completed and approved within the deadlines set in the teaching plan. If not, the student will not be permitted to take the exam.

Coursework requirements are assessed as 'Approved' or 'Not Approved.' All students have two attempts at a coursework requirement. A student who receives the assessment 'Not Approved,' fails to submit by the deadline, or does not show up at the scheduled time for the completion of a coursework requirement, has used one attempt, regardless of the reason. Students who have not had a coursework requirement approved after two attempts will be withdrawn from the exam in the subject and must retake the coursework requirement the next time it is offered.

Some coursework requirements in the programme may be partially or fully replaced with an international coursework requirement carried out in collaboration with the programme's international partners, such as a digital learning activity. The institution will offer the international coursework requirement as an optional component to students and will organize it in a timely manner before implementing the coursework requirement outlined in the course plan. The framework for workload and documentation in an international alternative should mainly be the same as the coursework requirement it replaces.

More information about coursework requirements is available in the individual programme/course descriptions.

Teaching activities with compulsory 100 percent participation

Through their studies, the students shall develop cooperation competence and skills that are important to the knowledge areas. Experience sharing and the development of practical skills, communication and relational competence are important parts of the learning. Such skills and competence cannot be acquired through self-study, but must be learned through interaction, practice and dialogue with, among others, fellow students and teachers, and through participation in teaching.

Which activities are subject to a participation requirement is clear from the course descriptions and specified in the teaching plan. In the event of absence, students must primarily attend the teaching session at another time or take part in an alternative academic arrangement.

Requirement of 70 percent attendance in all lectures

The attendance requirement for all teaching activities is 70 percent. The programme is structured around work and teaching methods that involve collective learning processes, which cannot be replaced by individual study forms.

Absence over 30 percent results in the student losing the right to take the exam in the pertaining subject, regardless of the reason for the absence. This normally leads to the student’s progress being delayed, as it is not possible to meet the 70 percent attendance requirements for courses offered simultaneously in different years of the study programme.

The fundament of the PhD is independent work. Candidates must take an independent and active role in his/her learning process, both in the doctoral thesis and in the educational component/coursework. All courses therefore require the active participation of candidates in a multitude of ways, such as identifying relevant research questions and problems, deducing the best way to analyse problems, and structuring and writing a research paper. All courses in the training component are intended to underpin the PhD candidates’ own research.

The courses are seminar-based and have a standard duration from three to five days, with an ideal participation level of 10-15 candidates. Candidates are expected to actively participate in the course, via advance preparation (doing the readings and other preparatory work), participation in course discussions, and respectful engagement with other candidates’ ideas and work. Participation is mandatory, and candidates are expected to attend all days of teaching. Unless stated otherwise in the course descriptions, a minor absence (up to 20 percent of the course duration) can be accepted in special cases such as documented illness/ sick leave (upon application). In the event of absences that are not approved, candidates will lose their right to have their essays assessed. Digital attendance can be offered to candidates if possible. Course requirements are assessed as confirmed or not confirmed.

Assessment of examinations in the educational (training) component will be conducted in accordance with the provisions regarding examinations and cheating in the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet; see the PhD Regulations, section 4.3. The form of assessment for all courses will be a pass or fail.

In all courses, the PhD candidates must hand in a paper based on their own research project, of typical lengths of 4000-5000 words. In the courses with a portfolio exam the candidates must also document the development and execution of a practical workshop.

The standard expectation is that the essay must be submitted within 2 months of course completion, although specification is found in each course description. In addition to passing the essay, course requirements (participation) must also be confirmed to be awarded the ECTS credits.

The form of assessment for the doctoral thesis (including assessment of the thesis by a committee and completion of a trial lecture and public defence) is as follows. Upon submission, the doctoral thesis will be examined by an assessment committee comprising two external members and one internal (OsloMet) member. OsloMet’s existing guidelines for assessment of the doctoral thesis state: To be approved, the doctoral thesis should be of a standard that would justify publication as part of the scientific literature in the given field of research. The thesis must satisfy the minimum requirements of research expertise, expressed through requirements pertaining to formulation of research questions, precision and logical stringency, a good command of relevant methods of analysis and an ability to reflect on their possibilities and limitations, as well as an overview and understanding of, and a reflective attitude to, other research in the field. When evaluating the thesis, emphasis is placed on determining whether the thesis represents an independent and comprehensive piece of scientific work of high academic standard. It is particularly important to consider whether the material and methods applied are relevant to the questions raised in the thesis, and whether the arguments and conclusions posited are valid. If the thesis is found worthy of public defence, a trial lecture and public defence will be held at OsloMet and chaired by the Rector, or someone appointed by the Rector.

The PhD degree is obtained by fulfilling the following requirements:

• approval of the educational component
• approval of the doctoral thesis
• approval of the trial lecture on a given topic
• approval of the public defence of the thesis