Below you can find the Roles and expectations of the:
With the goal being to become an independent scientist, success in a doctoral program inherently depends mainly on the student. The PhD student has to be the driving force behind the scientific project and ultimately the degree. Yet, being a PhD student is much more than just attaining a degree. PhD students need to be motivated and engaged to develop projects they feel passionate about, and that uncover new knowledge. This should lead to at least one original publication, which is an important part of the scientific process that will also support the student’s progress into their next position.
To be successful within the program a student needs to:
The supervisor has the responsibility to mentor and guide the student. This starts with identifying a suitable project for the student. The project should address an important open problem or question. The supervisor is further responsible for providing adequate guidance and resources for the implementation of the research project. Importantly, this often includes the adjustment and/or redefinition of the original project/goals. Finally, the supervisor is responsible for mentoring the student in his/her professional development towards the learning outcomes listed above and to provide feedback and advice for the next career steps. In particular, it is essential for the supervisor to:
The members of the thesis advisory committee (TAC) are responsible for monitoring the progress and development of the PhD Student and to provide advice and support to both student and supervisor. Given the goals described here, and the responsibilities of the student and supervisor, the committee members should assess the student-supervisor relationship and, if necessary, mediate misunderstandings or conflicts. The committee members also need to inquire about the research project and the professional development of the candidate.
The TAC should include two faculty members, one internal and one external, plus the student’s supervisor. The TAC meets yearly with the PhD student to review the progress and to give advice. By default there will be three meetings (each meeting with different focus/aims, see below).
It is the responsibility of the TAC to propose an approximate date for the next meeting, and the student is responsible for organising the meeting in a timely manner.
In the event of unsatisfactory progress by the student, additional meetings will be scheduled as appropriate, with explicit milestones that need to be achieved by the next meeting. If there are two consecutive meetings where the student does not demonstrate satisfactory progress, the committee may recommend that the student leaves the PhD Program, and advise on a different program and/or career path.