Platform 1: Communication Platform

The Communication Platform has two focal points: The translational efforts of developing a true common interdisciplinary research language and to offer practical training in communication, presentation techniques, grant application writing, and project management.

Interdisciplinary collaboration requires harmonisation of the research perspectives, central concepts, theoretical, and methodological approaches of the scientific cultures involved, and mutual ‘translation’ of research questions, terminology, methods of analysis, etc. to create the mutual understanding between disciplines needed for further innovative research and education. The communication platform is a “Workshop” where members of the school actively contribute to elaborate interdisciplinary instruments for common research. A group of consultant scientists facilitate the use of the full repertory of research support by the graduate students.

Graphic by: O. Nelle

Graphic by: O. Nelle

Meetings of the platform

Meetings will be held regularly during terms. Please check the calendar. All members of the GS – students and staff alike – are invited to participate.

Mentoring

In our mentoring system, academics act as trusted and experienced colleagues and guides. At the graduate level, mentors are very helpful to offer advice and guidance in academic matters. In addition, the mentor can become a valuable support person for the protégé. He or she can assist the protégé in finding university resources and advice in academic matters. In the graduate school’s special situation as an interdisciplinary school, the idea is to match pairs of mentors and protégés which come from different disciplines in order to foster interdisciplinarity. The contribution of a mentor cannot replace the supervisor’s content related advice. Mentoring is part of one task of the platform which has to be developed further: to offer mediation between students and staff, especially in cases of conflict (e.g. different opinions of students and professors on the supervision intensity).

Who can be a mentor?

A mentor should be based at the CAU Kiel as academic staff, ideally being a member of the Graduate School. However, if wished it could be someone of the CAU not being involved in the Graduate School, but who is willing to live up to the task of being a mentor.

Supervision meetings (Betreuungskonferenzen)

The PhD-students have the right to ask for supervision meetings, bringing together staff in addition to their two supervisors according to the students’ individual needs and choices, to discuss their research projects. Thus, the Schools teaching body will be jointly responsible for the supervision of the entire studentship.
Supervision meetings will be organised by the students. They will invite the staff they think is helpful according to the work in progress, and prepare points of discussion which emerged from their project. Ideally, the two supervisors and 2-4 additional staff members meet with the PhD-student.

Contact

Dr. W. Dörfler
Institute for Pre- and Protohistory
+49 431 880.4059
wdoerfler@ufg.uni-kiel.de

Prof. Dr. Ingmar Unkel
Ecosystem research
+49 431 880.5241
iunkel@ecology.uni-kiel.de

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