The university

Every year, several hundred national and international PhD candidates start their research at Utrecht University. Partly thanks to them, we work on top-quality research. In doing so, cooperation between scientists and social partners is of paramount importance.

Research themes

We concentrate our research around four research themes: Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Within these themes, we collaborate interdisciplinarily with research institutions, industry, government and civil society organisations. We connect thinkers to doers to work together for a better world.

We have been doing this for years, but we are ambitious. We focus on integrating science and society even more. Together, we solve key issues for current and future generations and contribute to contemporary social issues such as safety, health, social cohesion and sustainability.

This approach is appreciated, as global university rankings show time and again.

Want to know more about who we are? Then check out our organisation page.

Graduate Schools

Responsibility for the training and supervision of PhD candidates at Utrecht University falls under the Graduate Schools (except Graduate School of Teaching). A Graduate School consists of a number of substantively related Master's programmes and PhD programmes. Thus, Graduate Schools create a context in which master students, PhD candidates and researchers meet and stimulate each other.

Ceremoniële vlag aan het Academiegebouw van de Universiteit Utrecht.
The ceremonial flag of Utrecht University. The seven stripes represent the seven faculties. Photo by Ivar Pel.

For research and employee matters, PhD candidates rely on one of our seven faculties. In these faculties, our research groups are united. In the context of the themes mentioned above, these research groups cooperate interfaculty.