Doctoral Programme "The Social Challenges of Climate Change"
Research Programme
Protecting the climate from further changes and finding ways of adapting to the unavoidable impact of climate change are challenges that need to take long-term priority across the world. Tackling these challenges requires drastic changes in both economical and social behaviour patterns. To limit a rise in the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere, it is essential that numerous adaptations take place in both everyday life and in the business world.
Climate change mitigation and adaptation are inconceivable without suitable social framework that alters individual and collective changes in behaviour. To investigate the preconditions and consequences of this framework, business and economic, political and social, legal and psychological studies are required.
By founding CliMA, Kassel University has created an interdisciplinary Competence Centre that brings together research expertise on climate change mitigation, climate adaptation and social conditions and which also promotes the transfer of this knowledge and experience.
The Doctoral Programme pursues the CliMA research focus with its interdisciplinary and supplementary scope. In accordance with this scope the PhD-students receive supervision and support during the time of their PhD-studies.
Formation
Doctoral Programme Seminar
The doctoral programme`s seminar takes place every semester and it is considered to bring all of the PhD-students together to present, discuss and review the latest status of their PhD-Thesis. The seminars participants should introduce the topic at the beginning of their PhD-project and present the latest status before the PhD-thesis defense. The seminar offers the oppurtunity to test the PhD-thesis, to get valuable feedback and to complement new views provided by the supervisor and colleagues.
Doctoral Programme Lectures
Every semester a schedule with three lectures is organised and high-profiled scientists are asked to report about current scientific issues. Therefore the fellows of the doctoral programm gain in-deep views about economical, social, didactical, psychological and legal developments and learn to broaden their scientific perspectives.
PhD-Student Workshops
The fellows of the doctoral programme host regular workshops to review questions regarding their scientific projects. In case a supervision is required, CliMA members attend the meetings to advise and promote academic expertise. The purpose of the doctoral programm is to deliver financial and academic support to organise the programmes workshops.
Doctoral Programme Courses
To guarantee an interdisciplinary PhD-education the fellows are supposed to join the course programme of the Graduate Center for Environmental Studies (gradC). By doing so, the fellows join courses of the modularised gradC programme and gain a wide range of scientific perspectives.
International experience
In a globalised world an international network and the experience of doing research abroad is essential. The fellows of the doctoral programme are supposed to build an international network and to gather the experience of doing research in an international context. During the time abroad the PhD project will be supervised by an international expert. In addition to this, the PhD student will be supervised by his or her doctoral adviser with the help of digital media (e.g. BSCW, moodel, Skype, mail).
