Kick Off Your Doctorate Retreat

To ease the transition into doctoral studies, the Graduate Studies Support Program offers two-day retreats in English and in German twice a year.

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Kick-Off Event Spring 2025

Save the date: The next round of Kick-Off Events will take place in March 2025:

• 24 March to 26 March, 2025: Erfolgreich in die Promotion (auf Deutsch)
• 26 March to 28 March, 2025: Kick Off Your Doctorate (in English)

Venue: Hotel & Spa Sommerfeld

Program: A detailed program will be available in January. It will be very similar to the sample program on this page.

Registration: Registration will open in February. To register, you will need an account in the booking software of Humboldt Graduate School.

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Participants

The Kick Off Event is designed for researchers who are pursuing a doctorate at a member university of the Berlin University Alliance (Freie Universität, Humboldt-Universität, Technische Universität, Charité), and who are in an early phase of their doctorate. If you are more advanced, this event is not suitable for you.

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Objectives

Kick Off Your Doctorate: What can I typically expect during my doctorate? How can I plan well and get organized? What are the top tips for getting started? Who are important contact persons? This workshop will give you an initial overview and provide you with specific skills and methods to help you get started on your doctoral project.

Motivation and Goal Clarification: A doctorate requires persistence. It helps to clarify your personal goals and motivation at the beginning. Also, you will learn what you can do when your motivation begins to drop off in difficult phases.

Networking and Exchange: During your doctorate, and in academia in general, reliable networks are essential. You will learn methods for networking and at the same time get the opportunity to actually network and exchange ideas with other doctoral researchers.

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Dates and Languages

We offer Kick-Off Events in spring and in fall. Both in spring and in fall, there will be one event in English and one in German.

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Venue

The retreat is an in-person event. In order to create a space in which you can focus on your (upcoming) doctoral project and engage with other doctoral researchers, we meet at a conference hotel close to Berlin. Participants will be accommodated in single rooms.

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Costs

Participation is free of charge. However, you will have to cover your travel costs and pay for any additional drinks.