Newsletter for PhD students and Postdocs

What does it mean to be part of the MMD programme?

"The inter-faculty MUNI Mendel Doctorandus Programme supports active students and motivates their supervisors to provide the students with stable financial support. Its participants attend interdisciplinary lectures and soft skills courses, and their PhD defences are international. This “extra work” of theirs is recognised with a formal certificate, which gives them an advantage when looking for their next job“ explains the Vice-Dean for Doctoral Studies Prof. Bláha in an interview (full article here).

What are the responsibilities of the MMD student?

In practice, this means that a student admitted to the MMD programme is expected to take a minimum of 8 hours of interdisciplinary courses each semester. Take advantage of the MMD administrator's offer or attend lectures outside of MU. In addition, students are required to complete at least 8 hours of soft skills activities within one academic year. These activities, as well as the interdisciplinary lessons, are recorded by the student and submitted in a semestral report, which is the basis for the student's evaluation and subsequent staying in the programme. The report also includes confirmation of the doctoral student's minimum monthly income and the supervisor's assessment of their work during the past semester.

Also, it is then a pleasant "obligation" for MMD students to complete an internship abroad of a minimum 3-month in another country. The reward for students is deepening their interdisciplinary links, networking, and acquiring soft skills - i.e. deepening the prerequisites for their future careers.