Around 65 participants from TH Wildau, FH Potsdam, TH Brandenburg, and HNE Eberswalde came to the 2025 Doctoral Day at the HNE Eberswalde Forest Campus on September 16, 2025. Under the motto “Doctoral studies at a university of applied sciences/university of applied sciences – opportunities, paths, perspectives,” the day offered valuable inspiration, networking opportunities, and practical insights into doctoral paths at universities of applied sciences (FH) and universities of applied sciences (HAW).

The second edition of the Doctoral Day of the four Brandenburg universities of applied sciences began with a warm welcome from Prof. Alexander Pfriem, Vice-president for Research and Transfer at HNE Eberswalde, who highlighted the excellent cross-university organization of this event and provided an insight into the current development process of the state-wide doctoral college.

This was followed by an informative panel discussion with exciting insights into the topic of doctoral studies at a university of applied sciences/HAW from very different perspectives. Three doctoral students from TH Wildau (Bastian Prell), FH Potsdam (Janis Moye), and HNE Eberswalde (Josephine Lauterbach) provided insights into the possibilities of cooperative doctoral studies at universities of applied sciences—both as individual doctoral studies and in a structured doctoral program such as the Innovation and Career Center Integrated Engineering (IKC IE) or in the form of a dual doctoral program together with a practical partner. Isabella Fitzky, a doctoral candidate at the university of applied sciences Konstanz, also reported on her experiences in the newly founded HAW Doctoral Association Baden-Württemberg. The deputy spokesperson for Research Unit I of the Doctoral Association Baden-Württemberg, Prof. Guido Baltes, and Prof. Alexander Pfriem supplemented the exchange with background information on the design and implementation of doctoral rights at universities of applied sciences/HAWs in the respective federal states.

Participants were then able to attend three workshops offering specific tips and assistance for their doctoral projects:

• “AI in the scientific writing process,” led by Dr. Dorothée Schulz-Budick
• “Marathon Doctorate: Overcoming Dry Spells,” with Dr. Jarne Jagow
• “Analysis of quantitative data with the help of AI,” conducted by Andreas Pavlenko

The event concluded with a relaxed exchange over coffee and cake in the foyer, providing opportunities for networking.

The strong turnout of around 65 participants signals the great interest in exchange and information formats in the field of doctoral studies. In addition, the Doctoral Day makes an important contribution to the visibility and networking of doctoral candidates and those interested in doctoral studies at Brandenburg's universities of applied sciences.

Looking ahead to 2026: Doctoral Day has become a tradition and will take place again next year. The format thus remains an added value for the entire doctoral landscape in the state of Brandenburg.

Further information on doctoral studies at TH Wildau: https://www.th-wildau.de/forschung-transfer/wissens-und-technologietransfer/transferaktivitaeten-projekte-und-angebote/promotion-wissenschaftlicher-nachwuchs