PhD Supervision in the 21st Century: A Pioneering Staff Blended Intensive Program at CUAS

phd_IMG_6915.jpg
phd_20250319_135914.jpg
phd_20250319_125246.jpg

The Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (CUAS) successfully hosted its first Staff Blended Intensive Program (BIP) on “PhD Supervision in the 21st Century”, further strengthening international academic collaboration.

The program represented the first staff BIP organized at CUAS, reflecting the university’s commitment to contributing to professional development of university staff on an international scale. It was initiated and organized by the European Universities Office (Julia Christine Marinaccio) and the Center for Teaching and eLearning (Carmen Oman) at CUAS in partnership with the universities from the ATHENA network and the ACE²-EU Alliance.

Program Overview

The program spanned two distinct phases, beginning with an online component that started on January 9, 2025, and culminating in a week of intensive onsite activities from March 17 to 21, 2025. Twenty-two international participants came together for this transformative experience, representing four key institutions including:

  • Hellenic Mediterranean University
  • Vilnius Tech
  • University of Vigo
  • Polytechnic University of Santarem
  • Vilnius University

CUAS research and teaching staff were actively engaged in the program, delivering lectures and sharing expert experiences. Among them were Günther Grabner, Marika Gruber, Eva Mir, and Deniz Sakine Varsarvaz. International participants also participated in workshops at the Annual Teaching Day at CUAS delivered by Janet Brown, Gabriele Frankl, Eithne Knappitsch and Gerlinde Koppitsch.

Program Highlights

The comprehensive program featured a variety of academic activities designed to enhance PhD supervision skills and foster international collaboration. Participants engaged in keynote lectures, including a notable presentation by Konstantinos Petridis from Hellenic Mediterranean University on “Publish or Perish: How to Train your PhDs to Publish?” The program also included workshops on research supervision, led by education expert Gitte Wichmann-Hansen from the University of Agder and Aarhus University.

Unique learning experiences were integrated throughout the week, such as a mindfulness lecture by Paula Pinto from Polytechnic University of Santarem and a full-day excursion to National Park Dobratsch that included practical mindfulness activities like a scenic snowshoe hike and a yoga meditation seminar. The participants also took part in this year’s Teaching Day, an annual event organized by the CUAS Didactic Center to foster peer learning. With international guests in attendance, the event was conducted bilingually to ensure inclusivity.

The program concluded with a farewell dinner in Villach, providing participants with opportunities for networking and knowledge exchange.

More information and all recorded webinars and virtual discussion rounds can be found on CUAS International Program Page.

Prepared by Elma Mehic, Sonia Moncaleano
Date: March 31, 2025