LIV Graduate School

LIV Graduate School

LIV PhD students are integrated into a structured doctoral program with binding procedures based on the Leibniz Association’s guidelines for graduate training. The LIV’s three year training program supplements the University of Hamburg’s doctorate regulations and creates a framework for independent, supervised and scheduled work. The University of Hamburg has assigned the rights to instruction and primary supervision to all group heads (including junior group heads), thereby securing the quality of the doctoral theses.

Each graduate student has an official supervisor as well as a co-supervisor from another LIV research unit or collaborating institution. Graduate students are expected to participate regularly in the doctoral curriculum and the LIV Institute Seminar. In addition, graduate students must meet supervisors annually in logged meetings, document the progress of their PhD project and regularly present progress reports of their own research in the institute’s doctoral student seminars. During the semester the Joint Lecture Club and the doctoral student seminar series are held as open institute events alternating every week. The doctoral curriculum is based largely on the LCI curriculum for infectiology jointly organized by all three LCI partners. The curriculum requires LIV doctoral candidates to participate in at least eight seminar days and a day long practical course. Graduate students record the fulfilled requirements in a Course Record Book certified at the end of the doctorate.

Graduate students also run closed monthly seminars on methods and organize a graduate student retreat over several days every two years. The LIV offers graduate students various soft skill courses, for example on communication skills or job applications. Moreover, the LIV also provides a budget for institute seminar guest speakers invited by students.

MINGZ – The MIN Graduate Center of the Universität Hamburg

The MIN Faculty of the University of Hamburg comprises the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Computer Sciences, Mathematics, and Physics in addition to the Center for Bioinformatics. More than 1,700 doctoral students are enrolled in the MIN Faculty. The MIN Graduate Center provides additional information and services to support a growing number of doctoral students.

The LIV is a MIN Graduate Center (MINGZ) member since June 2014. The MINGZ is striving to improve conditions for students working towards a doctorate.