UWB is preparing its own Doctoral School, inspired by philosophers and electrical engineers

Following the success of the joint Doctoral School of the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering - covering topics from research methods to ethics - UWB is now developing a university-wide concept for doctoral education.

Better research conditions and more efficient administration - these are the benefits the new university-wide Doctoral School at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen aims to offer to PhD students and academic staff. It could start operating as early as the beginning of the 2026/2027 academic year. The initiative brings UWB closer to many prestigious foreign universities, with the goal of unifying and further improving doctoral education across all faculties and disciplines.

According to Jiří Hammerbauer, Vice-Rector for Creative Activities and Doctoral Studies, the basis for the new concept is the success of the joint Doctoral School of the Faculty of Arts (FA) and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering (FEE): „The requirements for doctoral students in the humanities and technical fields are very different. Individual faculties have also different evaluation systems. However, it turned out that it is possible to find a connection and offer doctoral students quality support." The relevance of the project is also seen by Tereza Šlehoferová, Dean of the Faculty of Arts: „ The Doctoral School has become an important platform for development the key competencies of future researchers."

The third and most recent edition of the joint Doctoral School of FA and FEE focused on three key areas during the winter semester: building an academic career, introducing the world of science and research, and working with data in the research context. A series of four in-person sessions offered doctoral students a comprehensive view of the academic world. The program was led by a team of experienced lecturers who shared their practical know-how with the participants.

Doctoral students were guided through the individual phases of their work and academic life by Vojtěch Kaše, assistant professor at FA, Monika Baumanová, Vice-Dean for Research at FA, and František Mach, Vice-Dean for Science at FEE. They discussed in detail the path from the research process, key topics of Open Science and data management, through academic writing and practical advice on the peer-review process, to publication strategy, conference presentations, and networking. The final meeting focussed on academic careers, CV writing, working with social media, and a discussion of the realities of academia, such as funding and inbreeding.

„I am truly proud to be part of the faculty's Doctoral School and to work with students who are undoubtedly the driving force behind research at UWB and the future of science," František Mach said earlier. The students themselves also praised the courses. „In addition to gaining insight into the functioning of the academic environment, I would especially highlight the tips on apps for academic work, such as Zotero and Overleaf, which I have already started using," shared one of the program participants. She also appreciated the benefits of inter-faculty involvement in comparing experiences across disciplines.