Offers for doctoral candidates
Offers for doctoral candidates include workshops, information events and consultations. Since the page is constantly updated, it is worth visiting regularly.
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Qualification program 2024
The qualification program is open to all doctoral students of the four universities of applied sciences in Saxony-Anhalt, i.e. to cooperative doctoral students and doctoral students in the doctoral centers. The program is also open to participants from the Graduate Academy of the OVGU. Remaining places may be allocated to other interested parties.
The workshops are free of charge. Please note the registration deadlines.
You can apply for educational leave to attend our workshops if your employer is in Saxony-Anhalt. Please contact Kerstin Tänzer for more information.
January 19, Friday, online - Writing Workshop - Master Your Writing Project
When? 10 - 17
Where? online
Who? Dr. Anselm Spindler
What? In this workshop, you can use your current writing project (e.g., exposé, dissertation, article, or conference paper) as an example to learn proven techniques for text planning and self-organization in academic writing.
Course Objectives:
Text planning: delineate topic, structure text, determine statement intent.
Self-organization: define a framework, design a work plan, integrate writing into daily life
Elevator pitch - my project in 2 sentences
Course language? German
Application deadline? January 9
Further information and registration form (Merseburg University of applied sciences)
February 20, Thuesday, Magdeburg - Workshop "Resilience, mindfulness and empowerment: how do I strengthen myself?"
When? February 20, 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
Where? Magdeburg-Stendal University of applied sciences, Campus Magdeburg, Building 4, Room 1.09
Course language? German
What? If you look at statistics and media reports, you could almost think that burnout is a kind of normative life event in the professional lives of successful people nowadays. The period of a doctorate in particular places enormous demands on one's own time and stress management. However, resilience, in the sense of an inner resilience in dealing with uncertainties and failures, can be trained and help to overcome these challenges. This seminar therefore offers a wide range of tips and tricks for dealing with stress in a more constructive way, for regaining mindfulness and for building resilience in the long term.
Contents:
- Dealing constructively with setbacks and failures
- Avoiding typical psychological stress traps
- Self-organisation during the doctorate
- Dealing with the saw blade effect
- Burnout prevention
- Knowing and cultivating resilience factors
The workshop is limited to 16 participants.
Registration deadline? February 13, 2024, 10.00 am
Registration by mail to kerstin.taenzer@h2.de
February 26+27, Monday and Tuesday, Magdeburg - Exposé Writing Workshop
When? February 26, 10.00 - 17.00, and February 27, 9.00 - 16.00
Where? Magdeburg-Stendal University of applied sciences, Campus Magdeburg, Building 4, Room 1.09
What? In this writing workshop, doctoral candidates will learn about the structure of an exposé for doctoral theses as well as about Dos and Don’ts in exposés. They will have the opportunity to talk with other doctoral candidates and the trainers about their own challenges in planning their exposé and to reflect about possible solution strategies. The two-day workshop will give participants the space to work on their exposés in a goal-oriented manner and in a calm atmosphere. They can also retreat for an individual writing consultation with the trainer, e.g. when they want to receive feedback for their text. Finally, participants will develop a timetable for finishing their exposé.
The target group are doctoral candidates of the Universities of Applied Sciences in Saxony-Anhalt who are currently writing their exposé for their dissertation project.
The workshop will be held in German.
You can register until February 19 with phd.case@h2.de.
Josephin Winkler M.A. is certified writing trainer.
March 13, Wednesday, Online – Peer-Coaching among Doctoral Students
When? March 13, 12.00 - 14.00
Where? Online
Language? German
What? You are dealing with questions and challenges relating to your doctorate and everyday working life that you have not yet found a satisfactory solution to? You are looking for ideas or inspiration on how to tackle your personal challenge? Peer coaching provides clarity and new impulses. Here, doctoral students or colleagues (peer-to-peer approach) support you using the method of peer counselling. Possible topics include time management, career paths, work-life balance or conflict potential among colleagues and much more.
The offer supports you and your concerns through a structured, confidential counselling session in which the existing knowledge and experience of all participants is contributed. Joint solution options are developed according to a set procedure. A maximum of one or two issues can be dealt with in a peer coaching session. The aim is also to practise and learn the methodology so that you can carry out peer coaching yourself using the method of collegial counselling, independently of the support offered by the Early Career Researcher Programme.
Your coach: Sandra Dietzel, a consultant for the promotion of early career researchers at Merseburg University of Applied Sciences, has many years of proven experience in coaching and counselling individuals and teams.
April 19, Friday, Online – Writing A Scientific Journal Article
When? April 19, 10.00 - 17.00
Where? Online
Language? English
What? The lingua franca of science today is English and consequently, the advancement of an academic career usually involves submitting articles to journals in English. This workshop aims to ease the transition from student to professional.
What constitutes an engaging research paper? How do you write an intriguing abstract? Why do some studies grab the spotlight while other equally deserving contributions are largely ignored? In other words, what makes an article successful?
Many Germans find that reading articles in English is easier despite the language barrier. We will be looking closely at the reasons for this. It is certainly not a case of clarity at the expense of content. There is also the issue of the choice of words beyond terminology. To elaborate on this, we shall refer to articles in peer-reviewed journals such as Nature, Science, or PNAS to fully understand cultural style as well as the differences between journals.
A reader will be supplied. We shall also refer to:
- How To Write & Publish A Scientific Paper, 9th Ed. (2022) Barbara Gastel & Robert Day (Greenwood Press, ISBN 978-1440878848)
- Getting it Across: An Effective Guide to Academic Writing 2nd ed. by Soren, Johnson (ISBN: 9789085940388)
Dr Sonja Price teaches Academic and Creative Writing as well as the more advanced English courses such as Cambridge Proficiency at Jena University, where she also worked as a research assistant at the Department of Intercultural Business Communication for five years. She has taught workshops at many universities in Germany including the LMU in Munich. She is the author of various academic papers and was also shortlisted for the Joan Hessayon Award for her novel ‘The Giants Look Down’.
The following themes will be dealt with according to the participants’ needs from 10 am to 5 pm:
- The influence of cultural style on writing
- Titles and the importance of a hook.
- Structuring your text: Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion, Conclusion
- Word choice. Spotting and eradicating colloquialisms
- British versus American English
- Germanisms and grammar minefields such as the use of articles
- How to overcome Writer’s Block
- Storytelling within the confines of science
- The importance of editing
- Decluttering your text, tightening your findings
- Adapting articles for individual journals: formatting and style
- Peer review
- Coping with rejection and the long process of getting published
April 26, Friday, Magdeburg – AI and Dissertation - Opportunities and Boundaries
When? April 26, 10.00 - 14.00
Where? Magdeburg, Campus of Magdeburg-Stendal University of Apllied Sciences
Language? German
What: The importance of large language models (AI) for scientific work has been intensively discussed at least since the widespread use of ChatGPT. In this workshop, we will focus on how different AI text generators (e.g. ChatGPT & ScienceOS) can be used specifically in the work process of a dissertation. The areas of application range from simple formulation aids to complex source research and analysis. In addition, technical basics, legal framework conditions, as well as possibilities and limitations of the systems are considered.Learning objectives:
- Participants are familiar with various ways of integrating AI text generators such as ChatGPT into the work process of their dissertation.
- Participants know the possibilities and limitations of current AI text generators and checking programs.
- Participants know the legal framework for the use of AI text generators.
The target group are doctoral students from the four HAWs in Saxony-Anhalt. Remaining places will be allocated to doctoral candidates from OVGU and MLU.
You can register by April 17, stating your supervising university, your subject and your doctoral supervisor at phd.case@h2.de.
Your trainer: Martin Groß, digitization officer of the university of applied sciences
May 06+07, Monday and Tuesday, Online – Bibliometric Analyses: Concepts, Software and Contributions to Research
When? May 06 and 07, 10.00 - 12.00
Where? Online
Language? English
What: Managing extensive datasets might represent a primary obstacle in academic literature review. Join us as we explore systematic and reproducible methods to overcome this common challenge faced by researchers.
Content
I. Bibliometric methods toolbox:
a. Performance analysis
i. Publication-related metrics
ii. Citation-related metrics
iii. Citation and publication-related metrics
b. Science mapping
i. Social structure: co-autorship analysis
ii. Conceptual structure: co-word analysis
iii. Intellectual structure: bibliographic coupling analysis
iv. Main used softwares
II. Application of content analysis using VosViewer:
a. Aims and scope
b. Data collection
c. Cleaning data
d. Metrics and clustering
e. Visualization
III. Practical excercise using VosViewer
Pedro Arturo Flores Gomez is a PhD candidate in Economics and Business at the University of Castilla-La Mancha. As visiting doctoral student, he conducted this seminar at the Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla in Mexico. Additionally, his perspective is enriched by successfully navigating the challenges inherent in data modeling.
Course Objectives
- To elicit an introductory approach to the foundations of bibliometric methodology.
- To gain knowledge on the main software and interfaces designed for developing bibliometric analysis.
- To perform a bibliometric analysis using VosViewer, from creating a database to visualizing clusters.
May 13+14, Monday - Time- and Selfmanagement
When? May 13 and 14, 09.00 - 16.00
Where? Online
Language? German
What? In this practice-oriented workshop, you will learn tried-and-tested methods for dealing effectively with time. Secondly, you will receive tools and tips from the coaching bag of tricks that can help you to implement these methods effectively - effective, "thinking outside the box" tricks for dealing with procrastination are an example of this. Knowledge on personality-specific hurdles in time management rounds off the seminar.
In addition to technical and communicative challenges, writing your dissertation also means structuring a large amount of time for you as a young researcher.
At first glance, this challenge is a technical and methodological one that can be solved with the appropriate tools. At second glance, however, this challenge is a deeply personal one. It is precisely this personal aspect that is decisive for the ability to actually use tools, "tips & tricks".
In the seminar, I combine both aspects in a way that the participants experience as very helpful for themselves and their work.
May 23, Thursday - Visibility and self-marketing in science
When? May 23, 09.00 - 16.00
Where? Online
Language? German
What? In this workshop, you will deal with networks that support your professional career. In exercises, you will combine your career goals with strategic networks, derive further steps for self-marketing and reflect on your opportunities to present yourself better, both online and at specialist conferences. You can expect an interactive workshop which, in addition to new input, provides space for exchanging experiences and working on your individual situation on the following topics:
- Raising awareness of scientific and non-scientific networks and their benefits
- Networking within the research institution and outside in specialist networks, basics for forming a network
- Analysis of your own networking skills and steps to optimize self-marketing
- Derive a networking strategy based on your own career goals and create a personal networking plan
- Becoming aware of your own visibility and reflecting on your current personal and digital appearance
- Self-presentation at conferences: "personal pitch", making contacts and small talk
The speaker, Katja Wolter, has been head of the Steinbeis Research Center Institute for Resource Development in Greifswald since 2014. She studied "Multidimensional Organizational Consulting" in her master's degree and is a DGSv-certified coach and supervisor. She has been giving workshops in the scientific field for graduate academies and research institutes since 2011: www.steinbeis-inre.de
June 19, Wednesday, Merseburg – Peer-Coaching among Doctoral Students
When? June 19, 10.00 - 12.00
Where? Merseburg
Language? German
What? You are dealing with questions and challenges relating to your doctorate and everyday working life that you have not yet found a satisfactory solution to? You are looking for ideas or inspiration on how to tackle your personal challenge? Peer coaching provides clarity and new impulses. Here, doctoral students or colleagues (peer-to-peer approach) support you using the method of peer counselling. Possible topics include time management, career paths, work-life balance or conflict potential among colleagues and much more.
The offer supports you and your concerns through a structured, confidential counselling session in which the existing knowledge and experience of all participants is contributed. Joint solution options are developed according to a set procedure. A maximum of one or two issues can be dealt with in a peer coaching session. The aim is also to practise and learn the methodology so that you can carry out peer coaching yourself using the method of collegial counselling, independently of the support offered by the Early Career Researcher Programme.
Your coach: Sandra Dietzel, a consultant for the promotion of early career researchers at Merseburg University of Applied Sciences, has many years of proven experience in coaching and counselling individuals and teams.
September 12, Thursday, Merseburg – Peer-Coaching among Doctoral Students
When? September 12, 14.00 - 16.00
Where? Merseburg
Language? German
What? You are dealing with questions and challenges relating to your doctorate and everyday working life that you have not yet found a satisfactory solution to? You are looking for ideas or inspiration on how to tackle your personal challenge? Peer coaching provides clarity and new impulses. Here, doctoral students or colleagues (peer-to-peer approach) support you using the method of peer counselling. Possible topics include time management, career paths, work-life balance or conflict potential among colleagues and much more.
The offer supports you and your concerns through a structured, confidential counselling session in which the existing knowledge and experience of all participants is contributed. Joint solution options are developed according to a set procedure. A maximum of one or two issues can be dealt with in a peer coaching session. The aim is also to practise and learn the methodology so that you can carry out peer coaching yourself using the method of collegial counselling, independently of the support offered by the Early Career Researcher Programme.
Your coach: Sandra Dietzel, a consultant for the promotion of early career researchers at Merseburg University of Applied Sciences, has many years of proven experience in coaching and counselling individuals and teams.
September 24, Thuesday, Halle/Saale - The 1x1 of conflicts
When: September 24, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Where? Martin Luther University Halle, Weinberg/Heide-Süd Campus, Von-Seckendorff-Platz 1, SR 5.10
Course language? German
What? Conflicts are part of our everyday (working) lives and are often associated with unpleasant feelings. Every conflict holds the opportunity for change and provides the energy for change. To understand a conflict, analysis tools are introduced that open up options for action.
The seminar therefore consists of a mixture of practical exercises for self-reflection, theoretical input and the analysis of selected practical examples from your day-to-day work. It teaches important behavioral and communication tools and increases your personal conflict resolution skills. This knowledge also helps you to recognize conflicts preventively.
The event is organized in cooperation with the International Graduate Academy (InGrA) of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.
Your speaker: Sandra Dietzel, consultant for the promotion of young academics at Merseburg University of Applied Sciences, has many years of proven experience in adult education, including in the areas of conflict resolution, trans/intercultural and democratic education. She also supports individuals and teams through coaching and counseling.
Register here until September 10.
Communication: feedback, active listening and conducting conversations
Consultation
For people interested in a doctorate and for doctoral students
People interested in doing a doctorate and doctoral students at the University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal can contact us by mail or telephone:
Josephin Winkler - Doctoral Center Social, Health and Economic Sciences and cooperative doctoral students from the departments of Applied Human Sciences, Social Work, Health and Media, and Economics.
Kerstin Tänzer - Doctoral Center Environment & Technology and cooperative doctoral students of the departments Engineering and Industrial Design as well as Water, Environment, Construction and Safety
Make an appointment for a consultation here.
We are at your disposal for all questions concerning doctoral studies!
Writing consultations for doctoral students
You are sitting in front of a blank page and can't find a beginning? Are you struggling with your research question? You read a lot and then forget some things again? You can't find a structure in your text? Or would you just like to talk to someone about your writing project in peace and quiet? Come to the peer writing consultation for your scientific writing concerns! This takes about 45 minutes, during which you will receive non-hierarchical and non-directive help for self-help from a trained writing coach, e.g. reflect on your work process, generate ideas, try out writing methods and strategies, set goals, and receive text feedback on exemplary text passages. You are and remain the expert for your text - the writing coach does not need to be an expert on your subject.
Please feel free to make an appointment (also possible in the evening) with Josephin Winkler. The writing consultation can take place online or in person at an arranged location in Magdeburg or Stendal.
About the consultant: Josephin Winkler is a trained peer trainer for scientific writing and is doing her doctorate at the University of Halle-Wittenberg.
Solution-oriented individual coaching
Frustrated by doing your doctorate? During your doctorate, there are phases that are difficult or unsettling. For example, your own self-management and time management do not work out, or there are difficulties in the supervision of your doctorate. For more clarity in your mind, our colleague Sandra Dietzel of the Merseburg University of Applied Sciences offers you the opportunity to work on your personal concerns in individual coaching sessions in a confidential and solution-oriented manner. This way you reflect on your resources, strengths and stumbling blocks and can find a concrete way to deal with your challenges.
Coach: Sandra Dietzel (Speaker of Promoting Early Career Researchers, Merseburg University of Applied Sciences)
Duration: max. 1 hour, several appointments possible; online
Registration: appointment by mail
Reimbursement of travel expenses
Doctoral students of the University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal can apply to have part of their travel expenses reimbursed if they attend a face-to-face workshop of our qualification program or if they travel to a conference in Germany for their doctoral studies. If possible, university staff should receive reimbursement via their staff positions.
Each application must be decided individually according to the current financial situation of the project CASE. Please contact Kerstin Tänzer or Josephin Winkler at least five weeks before the event for further information.
Other offers
- With our newsletter you will regularly receive information about calls, awards and other more general offers for doctoral students. Subscribe to our newsletter here.
- The individual Doctoral Centers also organize their own internal events such as colloquia. In this case, the Doctoral Centers contact their doctoral students with an invitation.
- The German Research Foundation (DFG) offers information events on scientific careers.
Further offers:
Continuing education in university didactics
Every year, the Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences offers "University Didactic Weeks", in which doctoral students of the University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal can also participate. You can find more information here (in German language).
Studium generale
The university's open course offerings bundle cross-topic, cross-discipline and cross-departmental courses. They are designed to enable students to acquire knowledge, skills and, above all, important key competencies that are useful for successful study, career entry, a professional career or personal development. You can find the course offer here (in German language). Registration is via a login to the booking portal, to which anyone can register.
Doctoral students of all four universities of applied sciences are charged the student rate. You do not need to be enrolled for this, but you do need to provide proof to Ms. Darius that you are a doctoral student if you do not have a student e-mail address at the Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences.
Offers of the University of Magdeburg
Doctoral students of the Doctoral Centers and cooperative doctoral students of the four universities of applied sciences in Saxony-Anhalt can also participate free of charge in the qualification program of the Graduate Academy of the University of Magdeburg. You can find the course overview here. To always receive the latest offers, you can subscribe to the newsletter of the OVGU Graduate Academy.
FAQ
To whom the offers are addressed?
The qualification program is open to all doctoral students at the University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal, Anhalt, Harz and Merseburg. This includes cooperative doctorates and doctorates at all doctoral centers in Saxony-Anhalt.
Some other offers on this website are only open to doctoral students of the University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal (cooperative or first supervision sits at the University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal). This is explicitly stated in the offers. You can find out whether the other three universities have similar offers on their doctoral websites.
Are the offers free of charge?
How do I register for offers?
Can travel expenses be covered?
Doctoral students of the Magdeburg-Stendal University of applied sciences can apply for a subsidy for travel expenses if they want to attend a face-to-face course of the qualification program or if they travel to a conference in Germany that is important for their doctoral research. You can find more information under "Advice".
Contact Persons
Prorector for Research, Development and Technology Transfer
Prof. Dr. Kerstin Baumgarten
Tel.: +49 (0) 391 886 41 05
Fax: +39 (0) 391 886 47 09
E-Mail: pro_forschung@h2.de
Visitor's adress: House 3, Room 1.04
Contact details
Coordinator Doctoral Center Social, Health and Economic Sciences
Josephin Winkler
Phone: 0049 3931 2187 3812
E-Mail: josephin.winkler(at)h2.de
Address: Stendal, Osterburger Str. 25, House 2, Room 1.18
Make an appointment for a consultation here.
Consultation hours via phone for doctoral students and interested persons:
Mondays 12:00 - 13:00, Central European Time
Wednesdays 11:00 - 12:00, Central European Time
Time Zone Converter [external link]
You can also make an individual appointment for a Zoom meeting.
Coordinator Doctoral Center Environment and Technology
Kerstin Taenzer
Tel.: 0049 391 886 49 92
E-Mail: kerstin.taenzer@h2.de
Address: Forschungs- und Entwicklungszentrum FEZ, Breitscheidstr. 51, 39114 Magdeburg, Room 3.02
Good scientific practice
Like all academics, doctoral candidates must adhere to the rules of good scientific practice.
Participation in an introductory course on good scientific practice is mandatory for doctoral students at most doctoral centers (PZ Environment & Technology, PZ Architecture and Design Research, PZ Life Sciences, PZ IWIT). At the end of the doctoral period, doctoral students must provide evidence of attending this course. Doctoral students at the Doctoral Center SGW, on the other hand, are obliged to attend at least two seminars and events accompanying their doctorate. These can also be colloquia.
