GeoGraduates - PhDs at GFZ
At GFZ, doctoral researchers - the GeoGraduates - from about 60 nations are working on a doctoral thesis. They benefit from the high degree of internationality of the institute, the excellent supervision and research infrastructure. All professorships at GFZ are jointly appointed with regional, national or international universities, which enables good networking and lively exchange with the universities. The most important information is summarised on the website "GFZ Graduate Program".
Offers for GeoGraduates include a wide range of continuing education opportunities. The GFZ's geosciences research network in Berlin and Brandenburg Geo.X also offers extensive further education opportunities for doctoral researchers at GFZ.
The GeoGraduates are well connected and their interests are represented internally by elected representatives. They are also part of Helmholtz Juniors, the network of doctoral students from all 19 Helmholtz Centres in Germany, through which regular meetings are organised. At GFZ, the GeoGraduate Representatives also organise numerous social events and support events such as the annual PhD Day.
Are you interested in a PhD at GFZ? Apply for an open position or contact scientists of the section directly that fits the topic of your PhD project.
The GFZ offers its doctoral reseachers the opportunity to acquire and develop interdisciplinary skills in a wide range of workshops. The various workshops cover communication and presentation techniques, career development, self-organisation and project management.
The current workshop programme is regularly announced via the doctoral researchers' e-mail distribution list. Detailed information on the individual workshops can also be found on the Graduate Programme website.
In order to strengthen the scientific exchange among doctoral researchers at the GFZ and the visibility within the GFZ, an annual PhD Day is organized. Here, current research results are presented and discussed.
The discussion of the oral and poster presentations with fellow doctoral students and interested scientist of the GFZ is a good preparation for national and international scientific conferences. Moreover, the PhD Day is dedicated to increase the communication and networking among all participants on a scientific and informal level. Participation is mandatory.
The discussion of the oral and poster presentations with fellow PhD students and interested scientist of the GFZ is a good preparation for national and international scientific conferences. Moreover, the PhD Day is dedicated to increase the communication and networking among all participants on a scientific and informal level.Participation is mandatory.
The GeoGraduates
Representatives are the elected representatives of the PhD students at the GFZ. They, currently five persons, promote the networking and organization of all PhD students at the GFZ. They represent the interests of the GeoGraduates in various committees and are contact persons for PhD students in case of questions and problems during the PhD period. To improve interaction and communication among the GeoGraduates of the individual sections, the Representatives also organize regular meetings and joint social activities.
For the scientific exchange of the GeoGraduates and the visibility within the GFZ they osupport the organization of the PhD Day once a year, where current research results are presented and discussed.
The current representatives are:
- Anaïs Urban (Section 4.3)
- Andreas Ruby (Section 4.6)
- Helen Werner (Section 3.3)
- Manuel Asnar (Section 2.4)
- Marie Bonitz (Section 3.4)
For questions, requests and suggestions for improvement we are always available via email. In addition, we are available for a personal meeting by appointment.
Liaison Professors
If problems arise during the doctoral studies or between the supervisors and the students, the trusted professors are available for advice and support. They listen, mediate and help to find common solutions.
Current Liaison professors are:
- Dr. Jens Turowski (Section Geomorphology)
- Prof. Susanne Liebner (Section Geomicrobiology)
International Students
For international students, the Welcome Center offers advice and services.
Career Center
Through the Career Center, GeoGraduates can access individual career counseling.
Helmholtz Association
The GFZ is part of the Helmholtz Association, which brings together 19 scientific-technical and medical-biological research centers. To ensure a high quality of education for the approximately 8000 PhD students in the Helmholtz Association, cross-center workshops on topics such as work organization, teamwork, presentation and writing training, and career planning are offered every year (Key Competence Training, see item "Workshops").
Helmholtz Juniors (HeJus)
Within the Helmholtz Association, the interests of PhD students are represented by the Helmholtz Juniors (HeJus), a PhD student initiative within the Research Alliance. It consists of two PhD students from each center. The most important goals of the Helmholtz Juniors are to facilitate communication among each other and to further improve doctoral education in the Helmholtz Association for all.
Every PhD student can become active as a Helmholtz Junior. Various working groups deal with specific topics. New ideas and suggestions are welcome. If you would like to get involved, please contact the contact persons at the institute, the spokespersons of the working groups or the PhD student representatives.
Current GFZ representatives of the Helmholtz Juniors are:
NextGen / N2
Every two years NextGen takes place, a meeting for all PhD students of the Helmholtz Association. In those years where NextGen is not offered, the N2 conference is held instead. This is a meeting for PhD students from the Helmholtz, Max Planck and Leibniz research communities.
In addition to various workshops, participants can expect poster sessions, science slam talks, panel discussions, and the opportunity to meet former PhD students from various research centers. The fun factor is not neglected either. The events make it possible to exchange ideas with PhD students from other research areas, learn new skills, and network with scientists from all over Germany.
Research Network Geo.X
The GFZ is a member of the regional research network Geo.X. It bundles the geoscientific research and infrastructure of a total of four universities and five non-university research institutions in Berlin and Potsdam. In addition to the Young Academy, the joint promotion of young scientists by all partner institutions through the Early Career Scientists Section (ECS) is a central component of the network's activities.
Geo.X Early Career Scientists
GeoGraduates automatically belong to the Geo.X Early Career Scientists (ECS). The network offers early career scientists the opportunity to participate in thematic workshops and conferences, as well as career development events. At self-organized, informal events, PhD students and postdocs can exchange ideas and network inter-institutionally. Everyone is invited to get involved in planning further events or activities in the ECS network.
Mailing list
For regular information about Geo.X offerings, all you need to do is subscribe to the ECS mailing list
