About this programme
The Doctoral Programme in Ecosystems, Evolution and Environmental Sustainability of Society builds on the strengths of world-leading ecological and evolutionary research, and advanced interdisciplinary approaches to environmental challenges. The doctoral programme will offer advanced training to support projects that range from focused disciplinary studies in ecology and evolution to integrative research on socio-ecological systems and sustainability transitions. The programme welcomes doctoral researchers from multiple faculties and fosters collaboration across disciplines to explore the complex interplay between ecosystems and society—how ecological processes shape human well-being, and how societal actions, values, and institutions influence biodiversity. The programme welcomes those driven by scientific curiosity and a desire to find solutions to environmental challenges through fundamental and applied research. This multidisciplinary research community is based at the Faculty of Biological and Environmental sciences. The programme conducts both basic and applied research that addresses the societally relevant challenges found in ecology, evolutionary biology, environmental sciences, sustainability sciences and social-ecological systems. Research in the fields of the programme is highly internationally networked, but it also has strong local connections, including research focusing on ecosystems in Finnish nature and links to national policymakers on issues such as the ecological impact of climate change, biodiversity, and environmental sustainability. The research done in the doctoral programme benefits from the strong network of research stations hosted by UH (Tvärminne, Lammi, Kilpisjärvi), as well as the strong research tradition in ecology offering longitudinal datasets collected in Finland providing valuable resources to investigate the effects environmental change due to human activity. Research in the programme ranges from highly focused projects to interdisciplinary research bringing together natural and social sciences. Education provided by the programme will be planned to support the diverse community of doctoral researchers within the program. The doctoral training in the programme is built on an interdisciplinary network of research groups in the five UH faculties involved, along with UH institutions, such as the Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS) and the Institute of Biotechnology as well as other organizations, such as the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Natural Resources Institute Finland (LuKE), Finnish Meteorological Institute and Metsähallitus. The doctoral programme benefits from its close connections to high quality undergraduate training in the host Faculty, which include the Bachelor programs in Biology as well as in Environmental sciences and Master’s program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology as well as Master’s program in Environmental Change and Global Sustainability. Research in the fields of the doctoral programme is highly successful. In Global Ranking of Academic Subjects in 2025 by ShanghaiRanking, ‘ecology’ was ranked 8th, being the most successful discipline at the University of Helsinki. The Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences participates to three Profis (RESET, InterEarth, and DIVSOL) and hosts three ongoing ERC projects within the fields relevant to the doctoral programme. The doctoral programme provides in-depth training and education required for careers in both academic research and expert appointments locally and abroad. The doctoral degree is based mainly on independent scientific research and collaboration within the research community. Accumulated knowledge and expertise enable doctoral researchers to pursue a variety of respected careers. After obtaining a doctoral degree from the Doctoral Programme in Ecosystems, Evolution and Environmental Sustainability of Society doctoral researchers: will be familiar with their own field of research and its social significance can independently apply scientific research methods and produce new scientific knowledge have developed skills to responsibly and critically evaluate existing scientific knowledge collaborate with people from different backgrounds can solve scientific, technical and practical problems in the research fields of the programme have proficiency in scientific communication, collaboration, management and planning, and an understanding of scientific ethics Learn more about the doctoral programme on the University of Helsinki website.
Course details verified 29 Oct 2026 — intakes, entry requirements and course facts · official source