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Graduation, Evaluation, and Qualification

Requirements for Graduation, Evaluation, and Qualification

PhD students have to participate in core doctoral seminars and regular semester retreats. Active participation and engagement is expected and the evaluation is based on presentations and written essays (including progress reports, reflections on methodology, theory, and other aspects of the dissertation). Students graduate in accordance with the regulations of the University of Graz and specific program stipulations. These conditions are:

1. regular attendance and active contribution to the core classes

2. fulfillment of obligations in the framework of partnership agreements with mentors

3. defense of the research prospectus (by the 3rd semester). The prospectus will be evaluated by the faculty members as well as at least one external researcher from the international network, then will

  • submit his or her dissertation
  • receive a positive evaluation of the dissertation and the viva voce (by the end of the 8th semester). The evaluation of the dissertation and viva voce includes, when in accordance with the different faculty regulations, two external evaluators not involved in the supervision of the thesis. One will be from the University of Graz, and one from another research institution, expected to be a prominent scholar in the relevant field of the respective dissertation topic. Where more than two examiners participate in the viva voce, the third examiner may be one of the mentors of the thesis. This program corresponds to the third level of the Bologna structure.

The graduate acquire knowledge related to:

1. development and formulation of innovative interdisciplinary research ideas and, thus, further development of the field of critical and historical understandings of Europeanization, as well as Area Studies and SEES in an empirical, theoretical, and methodological context

2. application of interdisciplinary theoretical and methodological tools including those beyond the thematic framework of this doctoral program

3. critical assessment skills of empirical and theoretical arguments, assumptions, and abstract concepts and thus the development of new theoretical, methodological, and empirical insights, particularly in program-related fields

4. analytic openness and dialogue with other disciplines

The program will provide PhD researchers with the following skills:

1. the capacity to develop research questions and to systematically identify solutions to complex scientific questions

2. the ability to communicate scientific ideas, problems and solutions, both to experts and a non-specialist audience

3. an awareness of the importance of ethical research and gender dimensions as well as the social implications and consequences of research

4. a preparedness to continuously update knowledge and skills

5. an awareness of the limitations of each school of thought in social sciences

6. academic writing

7. publishing in internationally recognized journals and in other academic publications

Speaker

Univ.-Prof. Dr.phil.

Florian Bieber

Zentrum für Südosteuropastudien
Schubertstraße 21/I, 8010 Graz

Phone:+43 316 380 - 6822


Academic Coordination

Dr.phil.

Hrvoje Paić

Zentrum für Südosteuropastudien
Schubertstraße 21/I, 8010 Graz

Phone:+43 316 380 - 6824


Administrative Coordination

Mag.phil.

Tanja Bilaver

Zentrum für Südosteuropastudien
Schubertstraße 21/I, 8010 Graz

Phone:+43 316 380 - 6823


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