In 2013 a new network of careers advisers for master students, PhD and postdoc researchers was created at a U4 meeting held at Ghent University. While career services for master students have been common practice for years, career services for the group of early stage researchers are relatively new, but 'booming business' everywhere.
The increasing number of PhD students and postdocs is pushing all universities to invest in continuing professional development and in structurally providing tools to these groups to successfully manage their own career.
As in today's world students and young researchers are more and more internationally active, it is self-evident that it is very fruitful for the institutional management of career services to collaborate internationally. The basic rationale behind this U4 initiative is to generate a sustainable network of career advisers, for the exchange of ideas, experiences, best practices (both on the level of structural policy development as on the practical programme level, the concrete implementation and the organization of events), as well as for resources and staff (e.g. staff exchange and training) among and within the four universities.
In 2016-2017 a staff training cycle for internal career professionals for students and university staff members will take place. Its aims are twofold:
- Professionalization & quality assurance of the respective career services at the U4 universities through knowledge exchange and peer-to-peer support
- Connection and cooperation of the respective career services by creating a sustainable network of career professionals in the U4 network
Contact
Ghent
Jasmien Van Daele: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Göttingen
Susanne Joerns: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Groningen
Shanti Vriesema
Uppsala
Eva Söderman: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Rabbe Hedengren: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
