Welcome to the FGS’s Online Information Portal for

International Doctoral Candidates

The Frankfurt Graduate School for the Humanities and Social Sciences offers its international doctoral candidates an extensive and well designed support package. It is funded by the STIBET programme of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The consultation covers a broad range of services including formal queries on your dissertation, language assistance and support in questions on developing arguments or structuring the dissertation as well as advices on social problems such as the residence permit status or accomodation.

The first contact point is the open consultation hour provided by Izabela Brzozowska. It is recommended to all international doctoral candidates to visit her for an initial consultation, so that problems with your theses can be recognised right from the beginning of the writing process. Together with her you can also find out how to make the best possible use of the FGS programme according to your personal needs (workshops etc.). Consultation is possible in German, French, English and Spanish.

The FGS support and consulting offer for International Doctoral Candidates includes the following services:

Doctoral Assistance: The Doctoral Assistants help to answer questions related to language and dissertation formalities. Language support basically means that small parts of the dissertation or of any previous work can be proofread, so that syntactical, grammatical and semantic mistakes can be identified and strategies developed to avoid them in the future. Since it is impossible to correct and edit entire dissertations, the Doctoral Assistants can try to help you to correct frequently made language mistakes. On top of that, he or she can be of support in questions on the disputation, the publication of your theses and any specific problems with the relationship to your supervisor.

Social Help Desk: The Social Help Desk offers International Doctoral Students all-round information on the formalities of the doctoral course in the Humanities and Social Sciences at Goethe-University (application, registration, the search for a doctoral supervisor etc.). During the starting period of your dissertation our stuff can assist you with getting to know the institutional structures of the university (e.g. access to computer rooms or the WLAN, libraries etc.) and introduce you to Frankfurt’s cultural life.

Buddy programme: Additionally, in the first weeks before and after your arrival in Germany, we are there for you in person to help with immediate problems and challenges, as the visa, the search for accommodation etc. If you like, Buddies can organise a pickup service from the airport for you at your arrival in Frankfurt. Furthermore, the Buddies help you to establish first contacts.

For further information, please visit the individual websites of the FGS support team.

geändert am 13. Januar 2011  E-Mail: Webmasterbrzozowska[at]fgs.uni-frankfurt.de