The research project titled “Academic Profession in a Knowledge-Based Society” (APIKS) is a large-scale survey of academic staff at Estonian universities and research and development institutes. The study focuses on the workplace environment, satisfaction levels and the nature and changes regarding academic profession.

This project is part of an international project APIKS and will enable to compare Estonia´s research environment with numerous countries worldwide. The Estonian part of the project will comply with the standardized methodology employed by APIKS. APIKS has been designed as a longitudinal study that has taken place in the leading countries three times in a 10-year interval. In Estonia, the results are partially comparable with an academic staff survey conducted in 2012 (Mägi et al. 2013).

APIKS Estonia involves both a scientific and an applied dimension. Reliable and comparable data about Estonian academic context are essential to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the academic environment and for developing higher education and research policy responses. Since the survey touches upon societal contribution, innovation, and international cooperation of Estonian academics, the study offers important background information on how the sector reacts to the changing work environment and on the nature of the academic profession.

The Estonian part of the project is carried out by the University of Tartu (Kristi Kõiv; Eneli Kindsiko) and by the think tank Praxis (Eve Märgi; Hanna-Stella Haaristo), and as an expert Maarja Beerkens from Leiden University.

Related information can be found: https://www.hm.ee/en/activities/statistics-and-analysis/academic-profession-knowledge-based-society