The Graduate Campus is the University’s central platform for the doctoral and postdoctoral phase. Its new website provides PhD students, postdocs and professors with their own dedicated sections covering a wide range of support and key information relevant to them.

PhD students will find helpful documents on the dissertation process as well as relevant information on enrolment and dual PhD programmes. All PhD students are invited to the ‘Welcome PhD’ information session, where they can obtain key information and network across faculties.

PhD students: A focus on writing
By focusing on writing and offering a wide range of activities (monthly writing days, writing retreats and various workshops), the Graduate Campus course programme addresses the academic challenges of scholarly writing whilst also fostering networking. The Graduate Campus supports doctoral students through all key stages of their doctoral studies, culminating in a regular workshop to prepare for the thesis defense.

Postdocs: Career development and planning
For researchers in the postdoctoral phase, the Graduate Campus offers a free course programme tailored to their needs, individual career coaching and a range of networking events (Postdoc Welcome Event, Postdoc Appreciation Week). Alongside academic work, during the transitional phase of a postdoc, the question of one’s future often arises. Therefore, the Graduate Campus offers workshops on career development and the development of transferable skills. It also provides resources on career planning both within and outside academia.

Professors: Developing supervisory skills
Professors are given the opportunity to explore aspects of PhD supervision during our regular format ‘Pause pédagogique/Didaktische Pause’. The ‘Best Practices for PhD Supervision’ guidelines provide recommendations and insights for supervising PhD students and serve as a valuable resource for both supervisors and PhD students. The Graduate Campus also offers guidance on conducting meetings with postdocs to support them in their career planning.

Three different target groups, one common goal
The Graduate Campus’s programme is explicitly tailored to the needs of PhD students, postdocs and professors. As well as helping participants develop their skills, the various courses provide a space for exchange and networking amongst peers. For the two project leaders, Mirjam Andexlinger (responsible for PhD students) and Joanna Menet (responsible for postdocs), the opportunity to engage in dialogue beyond one’s own department is a key element that the Graduate Campus aims to promote. In this way, the Graduate Campus seeks to contribute to creating the best possible conditions for excellent research, which encompasses both personal development and responsible supervision.