In addition to the cooperative doctorate, doctoral students at Fachhochschule Dortmund could soon be able to complete their doctorate without university participation: In the opinion of the German Council of Science and Humanities, the necessary level is in place at the Graduate Center NRW, in which universities of applied sciences in NRW cooperate in research and qualification.
In its statement on the evaluation report on the Graduate Center NRW (PK NRW), the Council of Science and Humanities recommends that the Ministry of Culture and Science NRW grant the PK NRW the independent right to award doctorates, taking into account formulated recommendations. The structures and processes of the joint institution of the universities of applied sciences in NRW in the training and qualification of young academics are fundamentally equivalent to those of the universities and universities of art and music.
Graduate Center of the Fachhochschule Dortmund(Opens in a new tab)
Dorothea Wagner, Chair of the Science Council and member of the working group, and Claudia Lücking-Michel, member of the Science Council and Chair of the working group, presented the evaluation report in Magdeburg on Friday, July 8, 2022.
"Great incentive"
"The fact that the Science Council values the work of the Graduate Center so highly is a great incentive," says Prof. Dr. Volker Helm(Opens in a new tab) , Vice-Rector for Research, Development and Transfer. "The independent right to award doctorates would have great potential to accentuate the special features of a doctorate in applied research."
The German Council of Science and Humanities also recognizes this advantage in its statement. At the same time, the Council emphasizes that the previous model of cooperative doctorates in collaboration with universities should by no means be replaced. Rather, it is intended to supplement the trusting continuation of the large number of collaborations with universities in cooperative procedures with a further option.
"Valuable new path"
Prof. Dr. Andrea Kienle(Opens in a new tab) , Vice-Rector for Digitalization at Fachhochschule Dortmund and Deputy Founding Director of the Media and Interaction Department of the Graduate Center NRW emphasizes: "The recommendation of the German Council of Science and Humanities is a great success and milestone. The Graduate Center NRW offers doctoral candidates who focus on the application orientation of their research an excellent environment.
In interdisciplinary departments, doctoral students and professors from an entire university network tackle concrete challenges of our time. I am convinced that this will be a valuable new path for applied research."