Graduate Center Newsletter

In the 2026 summer semester, we will once again be offering a variety of exciting workshops for doctoral students. Participants will be able to receive targeted and practical training in topics related to doctorates. This enables them to expand their skills and use the doctoral phase even more effectively for their professional career.

We offer the following workshops in summer semester 26:

• 16.04.2026
  Foundation from the doctorate
  Presence seminar with Prof. Dr. Fabian Dittrich
• 18.06.206
  Basic course doctorate
  Presence seminar with Dr. Sabrina Raffenberg and Iris Bosold-Grund
• 25.06. | 26.06.2026
  Agile knowledge organization - in 6 sprints to the doctoral thesis
  Online seminar with Tobias Schmohl
• 30.07. | 31.07.2026
  Good scientific practice
  Online seminar with Dr. Christian Dumpitak

Registration takes place in the respective ILIAS course(Opens in a new tab) . Doctoral candidates will receive the password required for registration by email.

Doctoral candidates who are also employees of Fachhochschule Dortmund can continue to use the workshops offered by Perspective Management.

The lecture series "Fachwissen zum Mittag", organized in cooperation with the library, once again offers practical insights into academic publishing this year. Experts from Fachhochschule Dortmund and external speakers will shed light on key topics and current issues.

The 45-minute sessions start at 12:00 noon and can therefore be ideally integrated into the lunch break. Participation is straightforward via Microsoft Teams. Afterwards, there will be time for questions and the exchange of personal experiences.

The offer is primarily aimed at (junior) researchers at Fachhochschule Dortmund, but is also open to external interested parties.

The following lectures have been offered so far for 2026

• Wednesday, February 25, 2026:
  Open Access - How to make your publications freely accessible to all
• April 2026:
  AI in the publication process (working title)
• Beginning of June 2026:
  Literature management (working title)

Further dates are being planned.

In the coming months, we will publish our annual report for the year 2025. In it, we will present the work of the past year, present the research training group in facts & figures and provide an overview of past events and developments. We will reflect on which events were particularly popular and which elements doctoral students were able to benefit from in particular. On this basis, we also discuss our strategy for the coming year.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who took part in or contributed to our events last year, supported us in our work and provided us with valuable input. Your contribution, your ideas and the exchange with you have significantly enriched and enlivened the work of the Graduate Center.

As soon as the annual report is published, we look forward to an active readership.

On September 17, 2026, the Graduate Center will host the DART Symposium together with interested doctoral candidates. The DART Symposium ("Dortmund Applied Research and Transfer") will take place for the fifth time in 2026. DART is a symposium by doctoral candidates for doctoral candidates, in which doctoral candidates not only support the organization of this major event, but also present their research projects on various current focal points of science. In addition to keynote speakers, the program has been supplemented in the past by workshops, poster exhibitions and the presentation of the "DART Award".

DART 2026 will take place under the title "Shift Happens - Current Developments in AI, Sustainability and Transfer in Research". We are looking forward to the coming months of planning and to working with numerous committed doctoral candidates who would like to contribute their skills, help shape the program and set content priorities. Unlike the previous symposia, the upcoming symposium will not take place in the DASA rooms, but in A101 on the Sonnenstraße campus. This gives us the opportunity to integrate the conference even more closely into the everyday life of the university and the faculties based there. The invitations to the symposium will be sent out soon. Registration for participation on 17.09. will then also be possible. In the coming weeks, we will also be issuing a "Call for Posters" and a "Call for Fails - Courage for Error Culture in Research" - interested? All interested doctoral candidates can take part and thus play an active role in the DART Symposium. Watch out for our emails and keep an eye on our Instagram channel!

Since 2022, the Graduate Center has been recognizing outstanding academic achievements with an annual doctoral prize of 1,000 euros thanks to financial support from the Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts' funding body. The award strengthens the visibility of excellent research and honors cooperative dissertations that were completed with top grades.

In 2025, the prize went to Dr. Jonas Sorgalla for his dissertation entitled "Empowering Collaboration in Microservice Engineering". His work impressed the jury with its holistic approach, which highlights the organizational and cultural facets of modern software architectures in addition to the technical aspects.

The year 2025 reached a festive climax on December 1, 2025 at the academic anniversary celebration of Fachhochschule Dortmund. There, the best graduates of 2025 were honored by our Rector Tamara Appel, including Dr. Jonas Sorgalla for his outstanding doctorate.

We would also like to congratulate Dr. Jonas Sorgalla on winning the doctoral prize.

Are you interested in the details of the doctoral prize? Then take a look at our website.(Opens in a new tab)  The application deadline for 2026 is April 17!

The certificate program "Leadership Skills" is a joint offer of the Perspective Management and the Graduate Center of the Fachhochschule Dortmund and is aimed at doctoral students and research assistants. The aim of the program is to impart basic leadership skills for tasks within the university as well as for activities in Business Studies and science. The program is advertised regularly and invites interested young academics to participate.

The current run started in summer 2024 and on November 7, 2025, the participants came together for the final evening. The meeting provided a space to reflect on the experiences of the past year and acknowledge individual progress. The official conclusion of the program was marked by the ceremonial presentation of certificates and a subsequent dinner in a relaxed atmosphere.

Once a year, Master's graduates can apply for doctoral positions together with their supervising UAS professors. The jury meeting for the last application round took place on 20.11.2025. On this day, five candidates were selected who will be funded over the next few months for a total of 3 years with a 50% position as a research assistant at the UAS. We would like to congratulate the recipients and wish them every success with their doctorates. We would also like to thank all the members of the jury, who spent a long day examining the applicants' doctoral projects in detail and making these important decisions on this basis.

There will be another round of awards next year. The application deadline is 01.10.2026. Before that, there will be two digital information events for students/doctoral candidates: On 14.04. between 10 am and 12 noon we will offer a general information event on the topic of doctoral funding and on 01.09.2026 from 10 am to 11 am a consultation hour with a specific focus on the preparation of application documents. You can register for the events via Ilias(Opens in a new tab) .

FH professors have the opportunity to take part in a digital consultation hour on the topic of doctoral funding on 14.04.2026 between 12 noon and 1 pm. The invitation will be sent by email soon.

Doctorates and family planning often fall into the same phase of life. Balancing both can be a major challenge. To ensure that doing a doctorate and having children are not a contradiction in terms, the Equal Opportunities Office finances a position for a student assistant (SHK) and two positions for research assistants (WHK) to support (expectant) parents doing a doctorate. Mothers and fathers can contact the three assistants informally and receive help with particularly labor-intensive tasks such as transcriptions, literature procurement or editing texts as part of their doctorate.

Please get in touch and we will look together at how individual support can be provided. You can find more information here.(Opens in a new tab) 

Doctoral candidates have the opportunity to apply for their final certificate at the Graduate Center. An informal application with all the necessary evidence can simply promotionskolleg@fh-dortmund.de by email to promotionskollegfh-dortmundde.

After successfully completing the doctorate and completing the Graduate Center's structured workshop program, the certificate is issued by the Rectorate of Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts. It documents the skills acquired as well as all the professional benefits of the program. It also certifies successful participation in the continuing education program in all four central modules. On request, interim certificates can be issued during the doctoral period for the courses taken so far.

Can't remember which and how many workshops you have already attended and what you still need to do to receive the final certificate? Then get in touch with us at promopromotionskollegfh-dortmundde.

After successfully completing the doctorate and completing the Graduate Center's structured workshop program, the certificate is issued by the Rectorate of Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts. It documents the skills acquired as well as all the professional benefits of the program. It also certifies successful participation in the continuing education program in all four central modules. On request, interim certificates can be issued during the doctoral period for the courses taken so far.

Can't remember which and how many workshops you have already attended and what you still need to do to receive the final certificate? Then get in touch with us at promotionskollegfh-dortmundde

Since November 2022, the Doctoral School NRW has had its own authority to grant doctorates. This makes it possible to earn a doctorate at a university of applied sciences (FH/HAW) without a partner university. Earning a doctorate through the PK NRW’s structured doctoral program is also becoming increasingly popular at Fachhochschule Dortmund. Currently, ten PK NRW doctoral candidates are enrolled with us. In addition, 13 professors at Fachhochschule Dortmund are full or associate members of the PK NRW.

Last year, the PK NRW further expanded its offerings for doctoral candidates and saw an increase in the number of full and associate members as well as doctoral candidates. In particular, in 2025, the PK NRW awarded positions for the first time for the doctorate. These positions typically last three years and allow doctoral candidates to focus entirely on their dissertations.

It is particularly worth noting that 2025 saw the first graduates of the PK NRW. On Friday, November 14, 2025, the PK NRW held its first graduation ceremony in Bochum. Together with members and representatives of the universities of applied sciences (FH) and colleges of applied sciences (HAW) in North Rhine-Westphalia, as well as guests from academia, politics, and the doctoral candidates’ personal circles, the outstanding achievements of the first graduates were solemnly honored. We would like to thank the PK NRW and the Bochum University of Applied Sciences for hosting this successful evening and for inviting our two coordinators, Dr. Sabrina Raffenberg and Iris Bosold-Grund.

The Path to a Doctorate

The “The Path to a Doctorate” event series is aimed at anyone interested in learning about doctoral opportunities. It offers a structured overview of collaborative doctoral programs as well as doctoral studies with independent degree-granting authority at the Doctoral School NRW. In addition to basic information, various funding options are also presented. In addition, there is an opportunity to network with other doctoral candidates. Registration for the events is available via Ilias(Opens in a new tab) .

Upcoming Dates:

• August 5, 2026, 10 a.m.–12 p.m., online

Doctoral School NRW

The Doctoral School NRW offers an introductory session on the opportunities, programs, and Funding available through the Doctoral School NRW. The event is aimed at those interested in pursuing a doctorate as well as doctoral candidates in the application or early stages of their studies who wish to pursue a doctorate under the Doctoral School NRW’s doctoral authority. It provides an overview of the requirements, the process, and the first steps toward a structured doctorate within the PK NRW’s doctoral programs. Topics include, among others, assembling the advisory team, the sequence of applications, and the subsequent course of the doctorate. About the PK NRW(Opens in a new tab) 

Upcoming Dates:

• February 24, 2026, 11 a.m.–12 p.m., online

Doctoral Student Council

The Doctoral Student Council regularly organizes get-togethers to foster interdisciplinary networking among doctoral students. These get-togethers offer an opportunity to discuss the challenges of pursuing a doctorate in an informal setting and to connect with other doctoral students. Master’s students and those interested in pursuing a doctorate are also warmly welcome!

Upcoming Dates:

• February 26, 2026, 6:00 p.m., Summer Semester Get-Together #1, at Bergmann Kiosk, Hoher Wall 36, 44137 Dortmund
• June 16, 2026, 3:00 p.m., Summer Semester Get-Together #2: Coffee & Cake
• July 10, 2026, before the summer party, General Assembly of Doctoral Students
• October 23, 2026, in the evening, theater or movie outing; more details to follow

Information Session for Ph.D. Students Who Are Parents

The Office for Gender Equality funds two WHK positions and one SHK position to support doctoral candidates (and expectant parents) at the Graduate Center. Once a year, the support staff host an information session for doctoral students who are (expectant) parents and provide an overview of the various support options available at the Graduate Center of Fachhochschule Dortmund.

Upcoming dates:

• March 9, 2026, 10–11 a.m., online (registration via ILIAS(Opens in a new tab) )

Doctoral Support

We regularly host central events for those interested in pursuing a doctoral degree, where we present the doctoral support programs at Fachhochschule Dortmund and provide detailed information on the application process and the required documents.

Upcoming dates:

• April 14, 2026, 10 a.m.–12 p.m., online (registration via ILIAS(Opens in a new tab) )
• September 1, 2026, 10 a.m.–11 a.m., online consultation session for assistance with application materials (registration via ILIAS(Opens in a new tab) )
• For university professors, we are offering a digital consultation session on our Funding program on April 14. More information will follow shortly via email.

Let’s Talk About

The “Let’s Talk About” event series is aimed at (future) doctoral advisors. This time, the focus is on financial support options for doctoral candidates. We will present our own funding opportunities as well as those offered by the PK NRW. In addition, three scholarship providers will offer insights into their programs and explain the application process for doctoral candidates. The goal of the event is to provide advisors with a concise and practical overview of various ways to finance doctoral studies.

Upcoming dates:

• April 22, 2026, 2:00–4:00 p.m., online (registration information to follow shortly)

Open House

At this year’s Open House, we will once again introduce ourselves and take the opportunity to answer questions from interested parties about the Graduate Center.

Upcoming dates:

• June 12, 2026

FH Summer Festival

Once again this year, the University of Applied Sciences will be organizing a large summer festival, in which the Graduate Center will actively participate. We are very much looking forward to spending a wonderful summer day with you all.

Upcoming dates:

• July 10, 2026

DART Symposium

This year’s DART Symposium, titled “Shift Happens – Current Developments in AI, Sustainability, and Knowledge Transfer in Research,” will take place on:

Upcoming Dates:

• September 17, 2026, in Room A101 SON on the Sonnenstraße Campus