Program Overview

Project PhD: The Path to a Successful Doctorate

Course Information

The course will take place on:

• Tuesday, March 17, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
• Wednesday, March 18, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Registration opens on January 21, 2026, at 9:00 AM, and the registration deadline is February 17, 2026, at 12:00 PM. The course is free of charge and is limited to doctoral candidates of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Faculty of Theology of the University of Basel, with a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 12 participants. The trainer for the course is Dr. Daniel Friedrich. The course is worth 1 ECTS credit and is organized by the Graduate Center.

Aims

This workshop focuses on the critical elements for a successful doctoral journey, including mindsets, tools, and processes that make a real difference on the way to a PhD. The goal is for each participant to take away at least three specific ideas on how to substantially improve their own approach.

Content

The course covers three main areas:

• Organisation of tasks and notes:
  • Tools and processes for practical and effective task management
  • Use of modern knowledge management methods in research
• Productive exchange:
  • Approaches to getting productive and diverse feedback
  • Expanding the scientific network
  • Dealing with critical feedback
• Reading and writing:
  • Daily work routines for highly concentrated work
  • Practical tips and tricks for efficient writing
  • Strategies for efficient handling of scientific literature
  • Finding a balance between pragmatism and perfectionism

Methods

The course uses a variety of methods, including:

• Theoretical input
• Self-reflection
• Partner and group exercises
• Plenum discussion

Target Group

The course is designed for all doctoral candidates of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Theology.

About the Trainer

Dr. Daniel Friedrich was educated at the FU-Berlin, the University of Heidelberg, and Oxford University. He earned a PhD in philosophy from the ANU in Australia and then worked as a Post-Doc at the HU-Berlin. He has published papers on philosophy of mind, metaethics, and applied ethics. His workshops focus on project, time, and self-management for PhD students.

Workload

The total workload for the course is 30 hours, composed of 16 hours spent in the workshop and 14 hours of post-workshop assignments.

Feature

This course is reserved for doctoral candidates of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Theology. Once registration is open, applications will be collected for 24 hours, and course places will be allocated by lot. All registrations received after the initial 24-hour period will be put on a waiting list and assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

Location

The course will take place at the Universitätsbibliothek Basel, GRACE room 306 (3rd floor), Schönbeinstrasse 18-20, 4056 Basel.