INCHER Graduate School Details

Aims & principles

One of the main objectives is to improve the participants' subject- and research-related knowledge, skills, and competencies. Students can earn credits for successfully completing courses focusing on INCHER specific research areas and themes, skill training in research methods, courses in their dissertation-specific subject area, and any other (in consultation with the supervisor)

Working language

The Working language is English. Nevertheless, single events can be held in German, if all participants agree.

Mentorship

To support their integration into the INCHER research community, a mentor is assigned to each new doctoral candidate. Mentors may either be from an older cohort of INCHER doctoral candidates or exxperienced researchers at INCHER.

Networking & Cooperation

INCHER Graduate School participants are encouraged to develop research collaborations outside of the University of Kassel. All doctoral candidates at the INCHER Graduate School should present their research results at least once at a peer-reviewed conference before submitting their dissertation. As far as possible, research stays and conference participation are financially supported by INCHER.

Credits

Students can earn credits for successfully completed courses. An independent contribution to the course is expected as requirement for receiving credits. For each successfully attended course, participants get a respective certificate of attendance. These are a prerequisite for acquiring the final certificate of INCHER Graduate School in either its “small” or its “large” variant.

INCHER Early Career Publication Award

The INCHER Graduate School regularly awards a research prize for an outstanding scholarly achievement by a doctoral candidate. In addition to the material reward, the research award serves to make particularly good performance visible to third parties (e.g. in the CV). For each successfully attended course within the INCHER Graduate School framework, participants get a respective certificate of attendance.

Who can apply?

All doctoral candidates who are supervised by INCHER-affiliated professors are eligible to apply to the INCHER Graduate School, regardless of their source of funding or whether they are employed at INCHER. The graduate school is an additive and voluntary offer. It complements the individual supervision of INCHER doctoral students and gives them the option of pursuing a structured doctoral training in social sciences and economics. Participation in the INCHER Graduate School is not a pre-requisite for pursuing a doctorate at INCHER.

Courses

INCHER Graduate School courses are independent and tailor-made courses for INCHER doctoral candidates. Regularly on offer are courses focusing on INCHER specific research areas and topics, as well as skill training in research methods, courses in dissertation-specific and other subject areas. Offerings also include reading courses in areas of research literature relevant to INCHER, as well as professional and career development training. This may include, for example, training in academic writing as well as writing research grant applications.

INCHER Doctoral colloqium:
The doctoral colloquium, which takes place regularly, is a fundamental part of the INCHER Graduate School. It is organized as a block event twice per semester in order to make it easier for external doctoral candidates and other researchers to participate.

INCHER colloquium and brown bag lunch:
The INCHER Graduate School coordinates its offers in terms of time and structure with the lecture events offered by INCHER. Doctoral candidates are invited to take part in these events as well as to present their own results. In this way, it is ensured that the Graduate School is embedded in the larger research discourse at INCHER. The INCHER Graduate School is, thus, an extension of INCHER research initiative and community.

Graduate School participants may for their credits also attend selected academic courses which are offered by INCHER's co-operation partners. A list is provided upon request.