AGRO’s PhD programmes are full of vigour

The Department of Agroecology is responsible for one of the 13 PhD programmes in Science and Technology. As per 1 December 2015 there are 67 students registered (PhD Planner) in the AGRO programme.

The programme committee has recently completed the latest round of evaluations for November and has recommended the acceptance of five students. Registration of these candidates will be decided upon on 9 December 2015. As shown in the figure below, the AGRO programme is the fourth largest in the Graduate School of Science and Technology (GSST).

In 2015, 19 students defended their PhD theses and we will have a similar number of defences in 2016. With an ambition to have an unchanged number of approximately 70 PhD students, AGRO must therefore accept around 20 students in 2016 or approximately five per application round. In 2015 AGRO will have registered 22 students if the five from the November round are accepted. In addition, we have two candidates that will be accepted if they can achieve funding from their home countries.

The students are often accepted after calls in which the supervisor either has full funding, or at least two thirds funding from the project. Project funding can also be ”sent along with” a specific candidate if we are sure that the candidate is the right talent for the job. In addition, potential PhD candidates can apply with their own project idea in collaboration with a potential supervisor. In such cases it is important to have good knowledge of the candidate and give support with a recommendation. In most of the calls we send these latter kinds further on.  

In 2015 we have been very successful with our calls; there were many applicants and many that were highly qualified. So if your funding is in place, it would be a good idea to post a call.

AGRO also accepts self-funded students, such as from China and Brazil. They are registered like all others in the four annual rounds of calls in February, May, August and November.

If you are uncertain as to whether a specific candidate is suitable, then it is possible six times a year to apply for a screening grant, which covers costs for the candidate for three months. This is a useful means of ensuring the right level and good recruitment. In AGRO we have good experience with this type of screening.

GSST is very aware of the length of the studies. With each extension of more than two weeks it is required to write a formal application for extension. This must be approved by the programme chairman and thereafter by Jes Madsen. It is important that there has been a pre-warning about any extensions at the half-year evaluation.

Distribution of the students in the various AGRO sections is shown in the graph below. The figure is based on figures from 1 December 2015. All sections are active with regard to talent development, but there is a skewed distribution of students between the six sections. It must be noted, though, that many scientists are co-supervisors across sections.

As a new initiative in 2015 the PhD committee held introductory meetings for new students and their supervisors. The meetings introduce the students and their supervisors to the PhD committee and provide information that can help support a good study start, such as preparation of the PhD plan which must be handed in 2.5 months after studies begin.

The programme committee at AGRO has six VIP members, three student members, and a PhD secretary. The student members are changed at the end of every year. The PhD committee consists of the following people:

• Lis Wollesen de Jonge        (chairman, member of the GSST PhD committee)
• Mathias N. Andersen
• Lars Elsgaard
• Chris Kjeldsen
• Henrik Skovgaard
• Bernd Wollenweber
• Dan Karup Jensen
• Caroline Kaiser
• Morten Graversgaard         (member of the GSST PhD committee)
• Karina Kristensen

The VIP tasks of the programme committee are time-consuming and comprise the following:

• Evaluation of applicants at the four annual GSST calls (we receive about 30 applications per call)
• Approval and direction of PhD plans (after three months of registration) (chairman)
• Half-year evaluations (chairman)
• Internal opponents at the qualifying exams (a stop trial halfway through studies with an external censor – approximately 20 per year)
• Internal opponents at evaluations of PhD theses and defences (approximately 20 per year)
• Establishment of a versatile course programme
• Approval of point allocation when new scientific courses are set up (chairman)
• Point allocation for course activities that are not formally given points (chairman)
• Well-being conversations twice yearly; next round is planned in February 2016 prior to the half-year evaluations (deadline 1 March)
• Follow-up conversations for students that need extra help
• Introductory meetings for new AGRO students and their supervisors
• Planning and carrying out of the annual Grand Meeting
• Advice to students and their supervisors
• Problem-solving
• Participation in GSST programme chairman meetings (chairman)
• Participation in the GSST PhD committee (chairman + a student member)

The student members are asked for advice with regard to selected topics and organise an annual student event. They assist with information and help in the implementation of new initiatives. This year the student members have also helped organise a theme day about stress and an event about career routes. Student participation is considered ’duty work’.

As a starting point one of the new student members in the AGRO programme committee stands for election in the AU election to the GSST PhD committee. In 2015 Morten Graversgaard was voted into the GSST PhD committee, where he took on the job as vice-chairman.

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