What we do:
The GFA is responsible for developing, maintaining and guaranteeing the standards of the admission process and administrating the selection and examination process for doctoral degrees in forest and agricultural sciences.
As the graduate school has only begun work on 1st October 2015, we cannot yet fulfil all of the tasks assigned to the school. At the moment, the GFA is responsible for the following (according to § 2 of the GFA regulations):
- advising students and supervisors in matters not related to their scientific work,
- ensuring that the cooperation between doctoral students and their academic advisors on the basis of legal provisions safeguards their respective rights and duties, especially through the conclusion of a supervision agreement,
- providing information on opportunities for postgraduate study in agricultural and forest sciences and on the GFA?s own activities.
- organising workshops and events teaching research methodology, key qualifications, and preparing for transition into employment,
- promoting good scientific practice,
- mediation in case of conflict between doctoral students and their academic advisors,
- supporting and instigating initiatives to acquire third-party funding (especially for research training groups and PhD programmes), support in drafting the respective proposals,
- offering travel grants for conference trips, and other funding for doctoral students in accordance with available funds,
- offering transitional scholarships,
- supporting international networking and stays abroad, offering workshops on professional skills, and integrating international PhD students,
- cooperating in fostering alumni relations,
- promoting gender equality/equal opportunities, diversity, and family-friendly policies,
- examination management, provided this aspect is not dealt with by an individual doctoral programme or the participating faculties themselves.