Structured doctoral training

1. Thesis committee
During the last decades, graduate education has changed. Doctoral candidates are more often supervised by several academics rather than by one doctoral supervisor. The idea behind this is to provide doctoral candidates with suggestions from different perspectives.

2. Small curricular part
It is not in the interest of GSGG to over-structure doctoral studies. We do not consider the doctoral phase as a "third study cycle" but as the first phase of independent research. The focus should be on concentrated work on the dissertation, supported by the thesis committee. Therefore, according to the Decree of GSGG only the participation in a doctoral colloquium is mandatory. For members of doctoral programmes and graduate colleges this usually is the colloquium of the respective programme or college. Individual doctoral candidates participate in the colloquium of the respective subject, centre or institute of their supervisor.

3. Funding of networking, trips and self-organised conferences
We explicitly encourage doctoral candidates to individually shape their career paths during the doctoral phase and to actively take part in academic life. Therefore, GSGG supports conference and research trips as well as self-organised conferences and networking meetings.
Within the framework of the Research Foci of GSGG which were established in August 2013, there will also be a series of Summer Schools starting in autumn 2014.

4. Interdisciplinary competences
GSGG offers a course and training programme to prepare members for professional occupations within or outside university.
Doctoral candidates are welcome to suggest topic ideas, either during the annual general meeting but of course also in general.

5. Mentoring
The university offers different mentoring programmes for doctoral candidates and postdocs which provide professional orientation and support specific career paths.