University of Kassel opens Graduate Academy

The Graduate Academy is intended to improve the framework conditions for doctorates and thus make the University of Kassel more visible as a location for scientific qualification in the competition among universities. It coordinates qualification opportunities for young academics - such as continuing education courses on key qualifications (e.g. foreign languages or forms of presentation) or on university didactics - and helps to improve the information base on subject-related continuing education courses. The coordination and expansion of advising, for example with regard to career development or the acquisition of international experience, are also key objectives. It creates a university-wide forum for issues related to the advancement of junior researchers and provides a venue and framework for the discussion of quality assurance issues.

"While some young scientists are integrated into a good funding structure via graduate colleges and graduate centers, and others have connections in the field via staff positions, it has been more difficult up to now for those who are doing their doctorates individually and finance themselves via a fellowship or external positions to exchange ideas with other doctoral students and supervisors. We would like to do something about this," explained Vice President Prof. Dr. Andreas Hänlein. "One of our goals in the Graduate Academy is to better connect doctoral students and junior staff supervisors with each other and with the university's decision-making bodies.

In this regard, the services coordinated and supported by the Graduate Academy are offerings, not mandatory events. It cooperates with the departments, with existing graduate centers (at the department level) and with other institutions of the university for the promotion of young scientists. The content of the doctorates, the doctoral procedures and the supervision remain the responsibility of the departments or the professors. The offers of the Graduate Academy also apply to the young artists of the art academy as well as to post-docs and habilitation students. The Council and Board of the institution include representatives of the Presidential Board, the departments and the graduate centers, as well as the young academics and artists themselves. An office is assigned to the board. There are currently around 1,300 doctorates registered at the University of Kassel.

The keynote speech at the opening ceremony was given by Prof. Dr. Henriette Herwig, an alumna of the University of Kassel who received the Georg Forster Award for her dissertation in 1987. The Georg Forster Prize is awarded every two years for outstanding scientific or artistic achievements. It is endowed by the Kassel University Society, which also supported the opening ceremony of the Graduate Academy.

Contact:
Dr. Isabelle Schulze
University of Kassel
Graduate Academy
Tel.: +49 561 804-2251
E-mail: graduiertenakademie[at]uni-kassel[dot]de

Sebastian Mense
University of Kassel
Press, Communication and Public Relations
Tel: +49 561 804-1961
Email: presse[at]uni-kassel[dot]de