To promote excellence in young researchers and to optimise their career opportunities in academia and the private sector, the University of Luxembourg has developed a framework for doctoral education and is pleased to officially launch their first five Doctoral Schools.

Doctoral schools are environments for doctoral research and training and are offered in the areas of systems and molecular biomedicine, economics and finance, education, law, and computer science and computer engineering. The core component of doctoral education is the advancement of knowledge through original research as well as training to support effective and efficient doctoral research. PhD candidates enrolled in Doctoral Schools receive a more well-rounded experience than the traditional PhD degree. PhD candidates in one of the five University of Luxembourg Doctoral Schools will acquire advanced methodologies and exposure to research discussion regarding their PhD topic; competences as well as transferable skills (such as ethical issues, project management, presentation skills, scientific writing); all with a focus on the individual research project and career.

With the resources available at the University of Luxembourg, as well as the interdisciplinary nature of research, collaborations and partnerships with both public and private institutions, this new initiative will offer PhD graduates an exemplary doctoral degree. The framework and the schools setup within this context are in line with the latest European developments in doctoral education as outlined in the Salzburg II principles and recommendations

“70% of all PhD graduates do not work in academia. By emphasizing a customised research training experience, with regular idea exchange and support, our Doctoral Schools will improve the research performance and job opportunities for our diverse population of PhD candidates”, explains Professor Dr. Luciënne Blessing, Vice-President of Research at the University of Luxembourg.  With a stronger foundation, doctoral school graduates will have more skills to offer future employers, ensuring their competitive edge in today’s job market.

Today, of 5700 University of Luxembourg students, approximately 400 are PhD candidates, several of which are now engaged in a doctoral school. Prof. Blessing says this is a positive step towards the future, “We expect to see an increase in quality and excellence in our PhD graduates, since our customised experience leads to better trained graduates, who will be well-prepared for the future.”

More information: https://wwwen.uni.lu/research/doctoral_schools