Tampere University ends doctoral researcher’s agreement over social media posts

Tampere University has terminated doctoral researcher Tia Viskari’s resource agreement after saying she publicly criticised the university and its representatives on social media, Yle reports. Viskari says she does not recognise the allegations.

The university contacted two doctoral researchers this autumn over social media posts it considered inappropriate, according to Yle. Both are working on dissertations in the health sciences unit, which is part of the Faculty of Social Sciences. Viskari is conducting her research with a personal grant.

In an email seen by Yle, health sciences unit head Jaakko Nevalainen said Viskari had criticised the university and its representatives publicly in a way the university considered inappropriate and contrary to good practice. Viskari says the university has not specified which posts it meant.

A resource agreement is not an employment contract. It sets out, among other things, the rights and responsibilities of a grant-funded researcher and the university. Viskari had access to a university building and a university computer under the agreement.

Viskari said the termination came as a complete surprise. She denies behaving inappropriately online and says she did not name the university, her unit or any individual when discussing her experiences as a doctoral researcher.

She has used a public Instagram account to discuss her experiences, including a pay-related dispute with the university and difficulties with dissertation supervision. Viskari said she had first tried to address problems within the unit, but felt social media was often the only way for doctoral researchers to make their voices heard.

Viskari retains her right to study at Tampere University and says her dissertation is close to completion. If the termination stands, she will try to finish it elsewhere.

The university can end a researcher’s resource agreement unilaterally with one month’s notice and without giving reasons. It declined to comment on the case. Nevalainen referred Yle’s questions to Faculty of Social Sciences dean Liisa Häikiö, who said she could not comment publicly on questions concerning an individual researcher.