Doctoral research | Counselling and coaching
Individual support during your doctorate
We will support you during all stages of your doctorate with interdisciplinary counselling and coaching. Do you face a challenge in your career planning or have questions about pursuing a PhD? Make an appointment with us! We offer individual advice according to your needs: on-site, by telephone, or via Zoom in German or English.
Counselling and coaching – what’s the difference?
Our counselling services provide you with information that is crucial for your individual planning before or during your doctoral studies, e.g., on how to find a supervisor or how to finance your doctorate.
In addition, our coaching opens up a complementary space for self-reflection. Professional guidance will help you look at personal challenges and questions, e.g., Do I want to stay in academia after my PhD? How can I deal with pressure and multiple expectations? How can I resolve conflicts?
Our counselling offers
Individual advice on all questions regarding the doctoral process
Is a doctorate the right thing for me? What requirements do I have to meet to be accepted as a doctoral candidate? Do I have to enrol as a PhD student at the UDE? How do I find a supervisor, and how do I contact her/him? How can I finance my doctorate? How can I find funding for a research stay abroad? What do I have to consider when coming to Germany from abroad? What career options do I have in academia and beyond?
These are typical questions related to the doctorate that might also be on your mind. Therefore, we offer personal advice on all questions concerning the start and course of your doctorate.
Your contact
Simon Kresmann
gcplus@uni-due.de
Fon +49 201-183-2015
Career counselling for female early career researchers
The proportion of women decreases at each career stage, both in academia and business. Therefore, our career counselling for women specifically addresses female Master's students, doctoral candidates, and postdoctoral researchers – regardless of whether you are striving for a career in research, science management, or the private sector.
During an individual appointment, we will explore your goals and options and develop your strengths accordingly.
Your contact
Viktoria Niebel
viktoria.niebel@uni-due.de
Fon +49 201-183-3054
Our coaching offers
Coaching is a goal-oriented way to strengthen your problem-solving skills. You will gain clarity about your concerns and develop coherent solutions in an appreciative and dialog-oriented process. As coach, Valentina Vasilov will accompany you on your journey in a professional and confidential manner.
Valentina Vasilov has additional training as „Mental Health First Aider“ from the Central Institute for Mental Health in Mannheim. This enables her to identify and address mental health problems more quickly and to strengthen self-care. If necessary, she can provide competent information about relevant counselling and treatment centres.
Short profile of Valentina Vasilov
Valentina Vasilov is a person-centered integrative coach (DACB, GwG, RTC) and supervisor (in training, DGSv). She offers coaching on the following topics:
- Competence profiles and career development
- Personal development, self-reflection of own values, and motivation
- Decision making in ambivalent situations
- Conflict resolution; shaping complex relationships
- Dealing adequately with role plurality and new roles
- Coping with stress, change, or crisis
- Developing time-, goal- and self-management skills
Together - Peer group coaching for (international) doctoral researchers
“Gemeinsam statt einsam” (for UDE doctoral researchers, in German) and its English-language counterpart ‘Together’ (for international doctoral researchers at UDE) will enter the next round from April 2025! Each will run for six months.
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Doing a doctorate can be fulfilling - and quite lonesome and frustrating at the same time. Working together with a group can bring in new perspectives, insights and options for action as well as clarity and increased motivation for goal achievement.
The moderated peer group coaching for (international) doctoral researchers at the UDE therefore supports you on the path to your doctorate and in your further career planning through (self-)reflection, feedback and interdisciplinary skills development.
Download Flyer "Together" SoSe 2025 (PDF, English)
Download Flyer "Gemeinsam statt einsam" SoSe 2025 (PDF, German)
Not sure, whether this format is the right support for you? If you have any questions, please contact Valentina Vasilov directly:
Process and application
The next group for international doctoral researchers of the UDE (in English) starts on 7 April 2025. You can apply for a place until 24 March via the following link: https://eveeno.com/together_2025
The next group for doctoral researchers of the UDE (in German) starts on 28 April 2025. You can apply for a place until 14 April via the following link: https://eveeno.com/gemeinsam_2025
If you find this offer later and are interested in taking part in peer group coaching for doctoral researchers, please contact Valentina Vasilov directly (valentina.vasilov@uni-due.de).
Target group and requirements
For (international) doctoral researchers who want to work together with a group to...
- reflect on their own professional role
- focus on creativity, enjoyment of work and energy
- gain clarity about your own resources
- develop individual strategies and solutions for dealing with challenges
- experience support and mutual motivation to achieve goals
- exchange & network with peers
- discover feedback and appreciation as a resource
In addition to regular attendance at the scheduled appointments, participation also requires the ability to reflect, to bring in one's own concerns and the willingness to cooperate in the group.
Dates
Six dates in total, each Monday 10:00-12:00 in room WST-B04.05, Berliner Platz 6-8, 45127 Essen:
Group 1 (for doctoral researchers of UDE, German langugage):
28.04. | 26.05. | 23.06. | 14.07. | 25.08. | 15.09.
Group 2 (for international doctoral researchers of UDE, English langugage):
Coaching Hour
During the coaching hour, you can familiarize yourself with our coaching offer or reflect on your concerns in a short session.
The coaching hour can develop into a longer coaching process if required.
Coaching on competence development, competence profile, and career planning
This coaching format invites you to reflect on your career goals, develop an individual career plan, and approach it strategically. In a first step, you will identify your motives, strengths, and potentials based on the UniWiND/GUAT competence model. Next, you will develop a distinctive competence profile that you can adequately communicate to potential employers within and outside of academia. On this basis, you can approach your further competence development in a direct manner and in line with your career goals. You will then develop initial ideas and steps for your career planning and identify potential hurdles as well as necessary resources and possible supporters.
At a glanceCounselling offers for doctoral researchers in the faculties and the UDE’s central facilities
Here you will find links to advisory services and contacts within faculties and other institutions at the UDE. The dean's offices and professors are your main contact for questions regarding subject-related and organizational aspects of doctoral studies.
Faculty of Biology
Faculty of Educational Sciences
Faculty of Chemistry
Faculty of Humanities
Faculty of Social Sciences
Faculty of Engineering
- Info page on doctoral research (Abteilung Bauwissenschaften)
- Info page on doctoral research (Abteilung Informatik und Angewandte Kognitionswissenschaft)
- Info page on doctoral research (Abteilung Maschinenbau und Verfahrenstechnik)
Faculty of Mathematics
Faculty of Medicine
Mercator School of Management
Faculty of Physics
Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
Other institutions at the UDE
- International Office: Welcome Service for (early career) researchers from abroad
- Science Support Centre
- University library Duisburg-Essen: information and counselling on the publication of your dissertation
- Zentrum für Gründungen und Innopreneurship der Universität Duisburg-Essen – GUIDE: Main contact at the UDE for those interested in starting a business
Your offer is missing in this list? Please write to gcplus@uni-due.de.