Asian PhD candidates at Utrecht University

At Utrecht University many Asian PhD candidates are working on their thesis. Coming from countries like Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, you are going through a sweeping transition from Asian educational and research cultures to a Dutch doctoral program. This transition is not always an easy one. Guessing at expectations, uncertainty about progress evaluations, not knowing what to do in case your supervisor doesn’t have a feel for your questions and uncertainties, making yourself feel at ease in a new communication culture,  struggling with dissertation criteria, needing help in planning your project, these are some of the issues that can harm the start of your academic career. In this course you will be trained in gaining more grip on the PhD process.

Topics

• Preparing the evaluation of your progress evaluations
• They expect an elaborated version of my research proposal. How do I comply with this requirement?
• Finishing a dissertation in time. The importance of a sound planning
• How to become an independent scientist, not worrying every second about what my supervisors expect and tell me to do
• Making the implicit explicit. Getting a grip on the thesis standards in my discipline
• Filling in your Training and Supervision Agreement or Work Plan
• In trouble with research facilities. Whom to approach?
• How to get integrated in a research community?
• How to manage my supervisors?
• The big risks: how not to get a PhD
• Thesis defended …what’s next?

This is a practical course. You will prepare many practical steps of direct relevance for your own PhD project. Together, we will plan the details of the course, in accordance with your own needs. The program incorporates training in “intervision”, aiming at creating a structured and safe environment for bringing in personal issues to get peer suggestions and support.

Dates and costs

The course takes place on September 18, October 9 and 30, November 20,  December 11(2012), and January 8 (2013) from 9.30-12.00.
The costs are €480,-.

Application

Please fill in the application form.

Contact and information

For more information please contact Dr. Evelyn Hello: 
E e.hello@uu.nl  
T 030 253 1724 / 3400