The University Doctoral School provides centralised education for doctoral students through a series of teaching sessions on various topics. These sessions introduce and present examples of good practices in research ethics, text production, citations, academic writing, and more.
The aim of the University Doctoral School is to enhance the skills of early career researchers in specific areas of science and research. These skills and competencies are essential for the personal and professional development of early career researchers and are valuable across different sectors.
The teaching sessions are led by active, experienced scientists and subject matter experts.
You can participate and earn a certificate!
University Doctoral School at the 51Թ
The 4th University Doctoral School will take place from 12 to 14 October 2026. The programme will be divided into thematic sessions focusing on the development of key competencies for doctoral students as well as current topics and challenges in science, research and academic work.
The individual sessions will be led by experienced lecturers from the 51Թ as well as external experts. The entire programme will be delivered in English and will provide participants not only with opportunities to gain new knowledge and practical skills, but also to share experiences and engage in interdisciplinary discussion.
The University Doctoral School Certificate will be awarded to participants who complete at least 3 of the 5 specialised blocks. The introductory information session is not considered a specialised block.
The University Doctoral School is a unique opportunity for our PhD students who wish to familiarise themselves with modern trends in scientific and academic activities and gain a competitive edge at the start of their scientific careers.
Introductory Information Block
This introductory block is intended for first-year PhD students and provides an overview of key University systems and support services. It introduces research support, the mentoring programme, University Library services, and opportunities for international mobility and research stays.
Lecturer: Mgr. Soňa Kolářová, Bc. Leona Pandulová, Ing. Jana Křemenáková, Bc. Jana Kaňkovská, Ing. Blanka Jankovská, Mgr. Veronika Kolínová, Mgr. Lucie Melicharová
Preventing and Tackling Obstacles during PhD studies
The workshop by the Czech Association of Doctoral Researchers (ČAD), will highlight the most common challenges PhD candidates in the Czech Republic may encounter and ways to overcome them. Special attention will be given to mental health, work-life balance, and productive cooperation with supervisors, complemented by practical tips and tricks for sustainable and successful doctoral studies.
Lecturer: Mgr. Alicia García Cabaleiro
Publication Strategies and Supporting IT Tools in Science
The content of this session is essential for students and researchers across various disciplines who seek to establish themselves successfully in academia and effectively communicate their scientific findings. The aim is to provide participants with a comprehensive overview of modern publishing strategies while introducing them to key IT tools that facilitate the efficient creation, presentation, and dissemination of research results. The session will cover editorial and publishing systems, advanced word-processing tools, citation and reference management, and other related topics.
Lecturer: prof. Ing. Petr Doležel, Ph.D.
Persuasive Research Communication Across Cultures
Presenting research internationally requires more than accurate English and technically correct slides. Researchers also need to make the significance of their work visible, build rapport with audiences who may communicate differently, and respond confidently when questions are indirect, challenging or unexpected. This interactive workshop develops those skills through short research-pitch activities, critical incidents, audience interpretation, peer coaching and Q&A simulations. Richard D. Lewis's linear-active, multi-active and reactive framework (the familiar blue/red/yellow shorthand) is used as a practical lens for noticing different interaction tendencies, while avoiding rigid cultural stereotypes. Participants practise moving from facts and figures to a clear 'so what?', adapting the same research message for different audiences, reading reactions more carefully, and handling interruptions and question time. No prior preparation is essential: participants may work with their own research, but cross-disciplinary examples are provided.
Lecturer: David Elvis Leeming, BA (Hons), MA, MSc, MBA, FHEA
The Use of Agentic AI in the Everyday Work of PhD Students.
This three-hour session will introduce the possibilities of using agentic AI in the everyday work of PhD students. A brief theoretical introduction will explain how AI agents differ from conventional chatbots, how they plan tasks, work with tools and data, and where human oversight is essential. The subsequent practical demonstrations will focus on literature reviews, data analysis, programming, working with academic texts, and automating repetitive tasks.
Lecturer: Mgr. Martin Vraný, Ph.D.
Academic Writing with AI: From Shortcuts to Deep Collaboration
This is a hands-on workshop: working on a topic of their own, participants go through the whole process of producing an academic text, from ideation and building an argument through the writing itself to editing and a simulated peer review. At each of these steps we will try out what artificial intelligence can genuinely contribute, and where it does more harm than good and its use works against the very point of academic writing. The aim is to leave with first-hand experience of how to bring AI into writing in a meaningful way, and with a practical sense of what current systems can and cannot do.
Lecturer: Mgr. Ondřej Krása, Ph.D.
Invitation
| Files for download | Size |
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| Invitation - pdf | 351 kB |
