Optional Courses
Onboarding Courses
Science Compass – onboarding in the German academic landscape
This course will give international doctoral researchers an insight into how the German academic system and, more specifically, a German doctorate, works. The second part of the workshop covers questions that may arise in the course of working and communicating at a German research centre.
Managing Doctoral Projects
Getting It Done
This workshop focuses on planning the final stage of the PhD project. Based on a quick review of different project management principles and methods, the goal is to develop a concrete plan for the remaining months until the deadline.
(Recommended for doctoral researchers in their third year)
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Preparing for the Defence
The defence of the PhD thesis is an important milestone on the way to a doctoral degree. Giving an oral presentation at the defence is a big challenge and often linked with insecurities and stage fright. This workshop aims at preparing doctoral researchers for their defence by clarifying the formal requirements as well as developing coping strategies e. g. for unexpected questions.
(Recommended for doctoral researchers in their third year)
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Research Data Management
Skills in professional data management are becoming increasingly important due to the digitization of science. In addition research funding agencies require an open and transparent handling of data. In this workshop participants get an introduction into the basics of research data management and data management plans.
(Recommended for doctoral researchers in their first year)
Communicating (in) Science
Advanced Presentation Skills
This workshop is designed for young academics who already have a good level of experience in presenting their research. It focuses on preparing and giving a scientific presentation at an advanced level, both to expert and non-expert audiences.
(Recommended for doctoral researchers in their second year)
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Voice and Body Language (“Out with it”)
How we say something determines the initial impact much more than what we say. In this workshop participants gain good basic knowledge about voice, speech, and body language, practice experiences, and receive individual feedback – to feel more confident and safe in future challenging communication situations.
(Recommended for doctoral researchers in their third year)
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Chairing Academic Meetings
Meetings are a regular feature of academic life, but whether they are effective and efficient depends mainly on the person chairing them. In this course doctoral researchers will learn to manage meetings effectively. They will understand the roles and responsibilities of the chair (and the minute-taker), be able to deal with conflicts, and have the necessary communicative and leadership skills to moderate productive meetings.
(Recommended for doctoral researchers in their third year)
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Communication in International Teams
Doctoral researchers often work in (international) projects that require a strong command of networking and communication skills. These skills are absolutely essential for future leaders in today’s complex and volatile business and academic environments. In this workshop, participants will be introduced to a set of practical tools for team building and teamwork that will enable them to handle diverse teams and to set up rules for effective teamwork.
(Recommended for doctoral researchers in their second or third year)
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First Steps in Teaching
Get into teaching
This workshop addresses doctoral and postdoctoral researchers who are interested in university level teaching or will start teaching at a university in the near future. The workshop will focus on the first steps towards an individual teaching profile and learner-supportive preparation of lessons/courses. Moreover, this workshop will help the participants to answer questions that may arise when teaching in a lecture hall, a seminar, exercises, or lab courses for the very first time.
(Recommended for doctoral researchers in their third year)
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Leading MSc Students
When Bachelor’s or Master’s students join the lab, responsibility is often given to doctoral researchers to guide, instruct and supervise them. Having neither formal authority for leadership nor experience in mentoring people, this can be a challenging task. In this workshop, participants will receive an introduction to the necessary leadership skills required in this situation.
(Recommended for doctoral researchers in their third year)
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