Throughout the duration of doctoral studies, Masaryk University offers a range of educational and training activities aimed at acquiring and developing so-called transferable skills, which may be useful to you when obtaining your dream job – either at Masaryk University, at a different academic institution or perhaps even in the commercial sector. These activities, which take place under the auspices of the MUNI PhD Academia, are all subject to continuous development and innovation. Most educational activities are free of charge and include the following:

FRESHERS: Research Career Skills

The course is designed to meet the requirements of young researchers wishing to become part of national and international projects and research structures. The course provides doctoral students with theoretical knowledge and practical skills in areas such as project management, research funding, grant opportunities for young scientists, publication ethics, and scientific communication. Acquired knowledge and skills are well suited for developing and submitting international grant applications (Horizon 2020, International Visegrad Fund, etc.). The course is offered every semester. Follow-up FRESHERS workshops are offered to students who wish to gain further insight into specific topics.

Doctoral Students’ Summer School

An annual summer school, held in the picturesque town of Telč – a UNESCO world heritage site, is dedicated to developing a range of soft skills, namely pedagogical competencies and presentation and communication skills.

The summer school comprises a great opportunity for networking and mutual experience exchange for doctoral students from the entire university. In addition, the summer school also aims to provide participants with information on current topics such as achieving a work-life balance and maintaining mental hygiene and well-being. The summer school is broken down into several workshops, which allow participants to explore and test a variety of techniques suitable for immediate inclusion in their daily work and life routines.

Lectures, workshops and seminars:

The MUNI PhD Academia also offers individual lectures, workshops and seminars focusing on a range of diverse topics: Open Science, Project Management, Mentoring, Stress Management, Time Management – in short, all of these are designed to help you overcome potential obstacles which are bound to appear during your doctoral studies.

Seminar Series and Mendel Lectures: 

Inspiring and beneficial lectures and Mendel Lectures support interdisciplinarity within the university. The Mendel Lectures comprise a year-round series of lectures by international experts, including Nobel Prize laureates.

Educational activities for supervisors:

Achieving a positive student-supervisor relationship is of paramount importance for successfully completing your doctoral studies. The MUNI PhD Academia thus also offers workshops and lectures for supervisors; not only can they thus obtain new knowledge and acquire competencies from various fields, these activities primarily provide a platform for mutual inspiration and experience exchange among supervisors from across the university.