International Doctorate Programs
The Elite Network of Bavaria promotes International Doctorate Programs in various disciplines. These programs offer talented junior academics a highly advanced course of study and research with an international focus. During their doctoral studies, students benefit from intensive supervision and a professional position at their university.
Ideal conditions for a first-rate education
International Doctorate Programs are characterized by the excellence of their research. In addition to their interdisciplinary approach, these programs are also offered as collaborations between several Bavarian universities. Prof. Frank Fischer, Head of an International Doctorate Program, describes their potential: “International Doctorate Programs offer an excellent opportunity to work on fascinating topics together with leading researchers from numerous faculties and universities as well as a group of exceptional doctoral students, both from Germany and abroad.”
In addition, collaborations with renowned international partners also anchor these courses firmly in the international research landscape. “The time spent with international researchers and doctoral students combined with my stays abroad allowed me to make contacts and develop cooperative approaches for my research which remain fruitful to this day,” says Silke Härteis. Previously a member of the International Doctorate Program on Lead Structures of Cell Function, she is now a W2-level Professor at the University of Regensburg’s Institute for Molecular and Cellular Anatomy.
To ensure that doctoral students enjoy the best possible conditions for their doctoral studies, the Elite Network of Bavaria supports students with a professional position at their university and a highly attractive doctorate program. Applications for doctoral positions should be submitted to the individual Doctorate Programs directly.
Excellent supervision and a broader perspective
International Doctorate Programs offer a structured course of study with a fixed timescale. Doctoral students particularly value the intensive supervision they receive from experienced and internationally renowned academics.
Doctoral students on International Doctorate Programs gain much more than access to an excellent academic network. Indeed, the curricula broaden doctoral students’ perspective, encouraging them to see the bigger picture – in academic, methodological and personal terms. The programs of study also include stays abroad, conference visits, Summer Academies and much more.
As a result, International Doctorate Programs both prepare their students for academic careers and equip them with the skills they need to shoulder responsibility in business and a wider societal context.
International Doctorate Programs offer new opportunities
By promoting International Doctorate Programs, the Bavarian State Ministry for Science and the Arts offers Bavarian universities a testing ground upon which to develop unconventional formats of study and forge their own paths in the field of cutting-edge research. If an university’s application is successful, the State Ministry for Science and the Arts will fund the International Doctorate Program in question for up to two periods of eight years in total.
