PhD development

Promoting and accompanying careers

The FIR accompanies its scientific staff during the whole PhD process. Step by step they go through a defined process, supported by their supervisors. What makes a PhD at the FIR special is its hands-on approach. Besides our high scientific standards, FIR employees benefit from the opportunity to work in a modern research and consulting institution. This provides them with both scientific and practical know-how.

The topic of the PhD thesis depends on the department and the PhD student’s area of interest. During the process PhD students have the opportunity to present their topic to the professor and to other staff members. Close dialogue between the PhD students and their supervisors, and conversations among colleagues help to spot, discuss and document progress.

Milestones at a glance

• specification of the area of interest
• submission and discussion of the preliminary study
• presentation of the preliminary study
• publication with the professor
• thesis submission
• oral examination

The FIR’s PhD Supervisory Committee

The FIR’s PhD Supervisory Committee serves as a contact point for our PhD students and is a liaison between the professor and the PhD student. The committee is interdisciplinary and is made up of two employees from the fields of mechanical engineering and economics, which allows it to fulfil the different faculties’ requirements. One of the committee’s main tasks is to pass on documented expertise from previous doctoral theses to current PhD students and to continuously optimise the dissertation process.