Germany
Research in Germany
Germany is one of the leading research countries in the world. Its science and research sector is renowned for its outstanding infrastructure, a widely diverse spectrum of research areas and well-equipped facilities and institutes. The PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) is considered as a rather high academic title in Germany and in most Institutions the academic admission requirement is a successful completion of a Master’s degree (or an equivalent academic degree) at an internationally recognised university. Many organisations offer numerous grants and scholarships to foreign doctoral candidates. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is the largest funding organisation in the world supporting the international exchange of students and scholars.
The main focus of doctoral studies is placed on research, culminating in the writing of a PhD thesis. Different ways to obtain a doctoral degree in Germany:
� Earning a Ph.D. through individual research
� Earning a Ph.D. at a Graduate College or School
� Obtaining a Ph.D. through an International Ph.D. Program
Research at University of Göttingen
The University of Göttingen is one of the top research universities in Germany and was elected one of only nine “Excellence Universities” in 2007 in recognition of our faculties' productivity and the value of their research efforts.
The University of Göttingen regards its great research tradition and subject diversity as constituting particular strengths. The Georg-August Universität is also distinguished by being closely integrated into a network of first-class extra-university research establishments involving, most prominently, the Göttingen Academy of Sciences, the German Primate Center, the German Aerospace Center and five Max Planck Institutes. Together, these local partners create with the University an alliance for collaboration in research and teaching arguably unique in the Federal Republic in terms of its depth and breadth, successful elements of which include jointly run collaborative research centres, junior research groups and infrastructure facilities, as well as combined professorial appointments. This cooperation has recently bred outstanding research centres that have won funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Federal Ministry for Education and Research.
Doctoral training in Göttingen is concentrated in structured programmes based at three Graduate Schools. The aim of these schools is to optimise the research and learning conditions for doctoral candidates, offering intensive supervision and a range of seminars designed to advance the training of first-class scientists and scholars.
Graduate Schools
Göttingen Graduate School of Social Sciences (GGG) unites the faculties of Law, Social Sciences, Economic Sciences, as well as the departments of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Forest Policy, Forest Economy and Forest Conservation.
The basic elements of structured doctoral training within the graduate schools are:
