What will you learn?

The programme design reflects the current level of scientific knowledge, the needs of the labour market and overall trends in the field. At the same time, it benefits from the support system of the CEITEC PhD School, which represents a concept of nurturing doctoral students involved in research teams at CEITEC, while emphasising the expansion of the competences of future graduates in socio-managerial, technological and transferable skills. These will enable them to conduct their follow-up research activities in an efficient and modern way and provide them with a very good overview of the ethical aspects of research necessary for research in the life sciences and R&D in general.

What is the aim of the study?

The aim of the study is to educate students in the life sciences and to prepare them as highly qualified personnel for scientific activity. The introductory part of the study is dedicated to deepening theoretical and practical knowledge. Parallel to this, an independent literature search is carried out on the topic of the doctoral dissertation. The actual focus of the students' activity lies in their own scientific work. Students are guided by their supervisor to be able to carry out all phases of the research project independently. They are also guided to process the obtained experimental data in a methodologically relevant way, as well as to interpret and subsequently present them in various forms. The programme is highly multidisciplinary and more methodologically and analytically oriented compared to traditional biology studies. Thanks to access to state-of-the-art infrastructure, students can better combine various biochemical, bioanalytical and visualization instrumental techniques with biological problem solving, which increases the impact of their scientific activities and consequently their flexibility for employment in the labour market, including positions in non-academic sphere, e.g. within existing biotechnology companies or emerging spin-offs.

The programme aims at international employment of graduates. It is prepared in both Czech and English versions, teaching of most courses, all seminars and to a large extent also research activities are conducted in English. The environment at CEITEC MU is significantly international, so students are exposed to communication in English not only during official teaching, but practically everywhere within CEITEC.

In practice

An important contribution to the acquisition of practical skills by DSP Life Sciences students is their natural involvement in research teams at CEITEC MU. This allows students to directly acquire the necessary practical habits for team and research project management, to acquire networking skills and to understand research funding issues through direct involvement in research projects and grants (including H2020 and ERC grants). Students can also make regular use of the eleven uniquely equipped shared laboratories and gain significant practical experience in this way as part of an internal internship or, alternatively, in another institution in the Czech Republic as part of an external internship.

An obligatory part of the study obligations in the doctoral study programme is the completion of a part of the study at a foreign institution for at least one month, or participation in an international creative project with results published or presented abroad or another form of direct participation of the student in international cooperation.

Collaborative PhDs, i.e. the completion of a PhD project in collaboration with a commercial entity, are encouraged in the programme. These allow students to be exposed to a more non-academic environment. The TAC scheme also sees more collaboration between students and practitioners.

More information here