Young researchers in Finland face discrimination, survey finds

Union says hierarchy of academia makes junior research staff vulnerable to workplace harassment

Around a third of early career researchers at Finnish universities have faced bullying, discrimination or violence at least once, according to a survey carried out by the Finnish Union of University Researchers and Teachers.

The survey of nearly 1,140 early career doctoral researchers and recent PhD graduates, published on 16 September, found that 32 per cent had faced such behaviour, while one in five said they had experienced it at the hands of their own academic supervisor or a more senior colleague.

The union received responses from researchers at all of Finland’s universities and from across all scientific fields. Sexual harassment was a common complaint, with 13 per cent of survey respondents reporting that they have been subjected to such behaviour. Women and recent graduates were the most likely to say they had been sexually harassed.

“During my project-based employment, the research director made multiple inappropriate comments and baseless threats to me to end my employment relationship for reasons unrelated to work,” said one of the respondents.

A question of hierarchies 

Foreign researchers whose native language is not Finnish or Swedish were among the most likely to report being discriminated against, along with those who listed their gender as “other” in replying to the survey.

In some of the open-ended questions, it was common for researchers to cite academic rank and the subordinate position of doctoral researchers as a key driver of the problem. Others who replied to the survey said that they thought colleagues saw their social class, education or professional background as “wrong” for the academic setting.

“The answers we received threw light on a less pleasant aspect of the university community and one that is rarely talked about. This problem is not limited to Finland, since we also know from international studies that inappropriate treatment is unfortunately common in an academic environment where, among other things, the internal hierarchy may predispose one to the abuse of power,” said Miia Ijäs-Idrobo, a senior adviser at the union.

Job insecurity

In a press release to announce the survey’s results, the union criticised the lack of job security for younger researchers, suggesting that this is part of the power imbalance between them and more senior colleagues.

“Early career researchers are often in a vulnerable position within the academic work community. Fixed-term employment relationships and competition for funding, uncertainty about the continuity of research work and concerns about the completion of a doctoral degree may cause researchers to not dare to address perceived bullying or discrimination,” reads the statement.

The organisation called on the academic community to recognise the power structures that predispose individuals to abuse. Supervisors should be aware of the sensitivities related to academic work and be able to address negative experiences that may arise, the union argued.

“Our intention is not to blame individual groups or actors but to highlight a problem that exists beneath the surface,” said union president Tero Karjalainen. “The results of this survey are a wake-up call for us to work together through broad cooperation to find solutions that will strengthen the openness and equality of the academic environment.”