PhD school in biology - MB120C126

• Title: PhD school in biology
• Czech title: Doktorandské studium v biologii
• Guaranteed by: Department of Botany (31-120)
• Faculty: Faculty of Science
• Actual: from 2023
• Semester: both
• E-Credits: 2
• Hours per week, examination: 0/20, C [HS]
• Capacity: 30
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Note: course is intended for doctoral students only; enabled for web enrollment; you can enroll for the course in winter and in summer semester
• Guarantor: doc. Clément Lafon Placette, Dr.
• Teacher(s): Mgr. Matyáš Fendrych, Ph.D.; RNDr. Filip Kolář, Ph.D.; doc. Clément Lafon Placette, Dr.

Annotation

Last update: Mgr. Michal Štefánek (17.05.2023)

Many PhD students are often isolated from their peers and left unequipped to face the many challenges inherent
to the PhD student life. This may lead to a lack of motivation, unhappiness, burnout, and eventually dropout. This
does not have to be, and a PhD project can be a fulfilling experience made of learning science but also other so-
called "soft" skills, networking and achievements. To help students in this, we open a PhD school interlinking
biology research at relevant departments of PrF UK (Botany, Experimental Plant Biology, Ecology, Zoology,
Microbiology). Our goal doing so is to support a networking cohort where PhD students will meet, discuss science
and learn together across the years, which will build a solid basis for networking and present/future collaborations
and connections, independently of their country of origin or scientific background. We also aim at providing skills
that are crucial to lead a PhD (and projects beyond) successfully, and yet that are barely taught at university.
This course is only for PhD students.

Syllabus

Last update: doc. Clément Lafon Placette, Dr. (19.09.2023)

The PhD school will consist of one-day-long meetings, once per month (so 4 meetings per semester). In each of these meetings, the program will consist of:
- “PhD club”: presentations by students, discussion moderated by students. PIs will not be part of this, allowing a peer-to-peer discussion to happen.
- Soft skills training: initiation to a particular soft skill.
- An informal gathering between PhD students with refreshments.

On top of these monthly meetings, a few additional (non mandatory) activities will be proposed:
- ad hoc methodological workshops on approaches relevant to PhD students in evolutionary/molecular biology
- one weekend retreat with different activities (team building and connection, soft skill training, and leisure)

Soft skills training preliminary program for the first year:
Semester 1 session 1: presentation and self confidence 1
Semester 1 session 2: presentation and self confidence 2
Semester 1 session 3:open communication and conflict solving
Semester 1 session 4: research integrity
Semester 2 session 1: time management
Semester 2 session 2: mental health and stress in PhD life
Semester 2 session 3: modern teaching methods for higher education
Semester 2 session 4: career planning