Information & contact

Mission statement

The mission of the doctoral schools is to support PhD candidates and postdocs in becoming excellent internationally oriented research professionals who are broadly employable, both in and outside the academic sector.

The doctoral schools encourage junior researchers to take their career into their own hands and provide them with opportunities to work on their professional and personal development. Training, coaching, online tools and career development resources are offered, using the competency overview for PhD holders as a guideline. Furthermore, the doctoral schools aim to increase the social cohesion between junior researchers, strengthen their international orientation and provide a clear structure to monitor the quality of the PhD trajectory.

Doctoral School Council

The Doctoral School Council decides on the management and use of the Doctoral School resources, in accordance with the relevant legislation.

The Doctoral School Council approves the yearly planning of the Doctoral School activities.

The Doctoral School Council is responsible for the approval of the reporting of the Doctoral School activities to the Flemish Government, the approval of the five-yearly evaluation performed at the request of the Flemish government, and the approval of the Doctoral School policy plan.

The Doctoral School Council advises on Doctoral School related subjects, including but not limited to

  • the Doctoral School policy plan and the implementation thereof,
  • the protocols necessary for the optimal functioning of the Doctoral Schools (e.g. cancellation & no-show policy),
  • PhD student surveys for the purpose of quality assurance of the Doctoral Schools’ functioning,
  • alumni activities for Hasselt University PhD holders
  • the implementation and follow-up of different calls for financing (e.g. call for international & intersectoral mobility, call for bottom-up activities),
  • the alignment of Hasselt University policy with Flemish and international Doctoral School trends.

Composition of the Doctoral School Council

Name

Function

Role in Doctoral School Council

Ken HAENEN

Vice Rector Research Hasselt University

Chair

Wanda GUEDENS

Vice Rector Education Hasselt University

Vice-Chair

Jean-Michel RIGO

Director Doctoral School Health and Life Sciences

Member

Wim DEFERME

Director Doctoral School Sciences and Technology

Member

Sandra STREUKENS

Director Doctoral School Behavioral Sciences and Humanities

Member

Veerle SOMERS

Dean Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences

Member

Raf MEESEN

Dean Rehabilitation Sciences

Member

Jan COLPAERT

Dean Faculty of Sciences

Member

Ronald THOELEN

Dean Faculty of Engineering Technology

Member

Stefan DEVOLDERE

Dean Faculty of Architecture and Arts

Member

Piet PAUWELS

Dean Faculty of Business Economics

Member

Petra FOUBERT

Dean Faculty of Law

Member

An NEVEN

Associate Professor

ZAP representative

Seppe CROONEN

PhD Assistant

PhD representative

Maarten WIJNANTS

Postdoc

Postdoc representative

Stefanie KERKHOFS

Coordinator PhD and Responsible Research & Innovation

Advisory vote

PhD Welcome

Twice a year, a 'PhD Welcome' session is organized. The next edition will take place on March 22, 2024.

As the title suggests, this day is meant to welcome recently started PhD students and guide you to all the information that you need as from the start of your PhD journey. You will receive information about doing a PhD at Hasselt University, the doctoral schools, well-being, and more.

In order to prepare for the interactive morning session on the practicalities of doing a PhD, please watch the information videos and have a look at the DS requirements which are applicable for you. The videos and the respective links are available here. Do you still have questions after watching the videos and diving into the specific minimal requirements? We will be happy to answer your questions on these topics during the PhD Welcome.

Where?

  • Campus Diepenbeek, Building D, C6 - 09:00-13:30
  • We will be starting off as from 09:00 with welcome coffee and registration at the restaurant (room J30 right - campus Diepenbeek). The presentations and testimonies will start at 09:30 in room C6. At the end of the sessions, lunch will be provided at the restaurant which will give you the opportunity to meet and talk to fellow PhD students.

Registration?

  • Registrations are closed.
  • Please cancel your registration at least one week in advance in case you cannot make it (cf. cancellation & no-show policy).

Meet the Doctoral Schools team

2022 Obi Kirsten Braem

Dr Kirsten Braem takes on the role of faculty liaison which means she is responsible for:

  • The Doctoral Schools policy
  • The discipline-specific course offer of the doctoral schools
  • The doctoral schools requirements
2022 Obi Rosanne Ceuppers

Rosanne Ceuppens is responsible for:

  • The Doctoral Schools policy
  • The generic course offer of the doctoral schools
  • Career development of young researchers (in collaboration with career center)
  • Internal trainings
Obi Lia Vanhoef 2022

Lia Van Hoef is responsible for:

  • The Doctoral Schools policy
  • Specific doctoral schools courses (generic, discipline-specific and career)
  • The doctoral schools' mobility call
  • Specific doctoral schools projects: PhDrinks, buddy trajectory, gender & diversity seminar, DS communication (newsletters, facebook,...)
2021 Doc Eva Rodiers

Eva Rodiers provides:

  • Administrative and logistic support regarding the doctoral schools

Questions?

Please use the following generic email addresses in case of questions related to:

If you want to request acknowledgement of a certain activity in your DS portfolio, please follow the instructions as described here. The email address to be used in this context is DSrequirements@uhasselt.be.

If the smooth course of the PhD trajectory or the collaboration between PhD student and supervisor is disturbed, both parties have the possibility to get in touch with the PhD ombuds by sending an email to PhD-Ombuds@uhasselt.be.