The Berlin University Alliance (BUA) is an alliance of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Together, they are pursuing the goal of creating and shaping an integrated research space in Berlin. This alliance aims to establish Berlin as a leading international science location. All workshops and events offered by the Graduate Studies Support Program are funded by the BUA and therefore free of charge.
Participation
Doctoral researchers (all disciplines) of the Berlin University Alliance in their first year.
Before booking a workshop, please make sure that you can attend for the entire duration. Please check our terms and conditions.
Objectives
When you're dealing with a challenging situation with a supervisor as an international student, it's easy to second-guess yourself, or to feel frustrated because you have different expectations. Is it them? Is it me? Is this a German thing? Using your own experiences and case studies, we'll explore how to approach conversations and conflicts with your supervisor when you're talking across cultures, and how to navigate conflicts and difficult conversations.
Content
- When and how does culture play a role in our expectations?
- What do I expect from my supervisor? What’s the role of a supervisor in Germany?
- How can I approach my supervisor with difficult questions or requests?
- What do I do when I need something from my supervisor that they're not giving me?
Please note
For updates and announcements register to our DRS Newsletter.
Also check out workshops at the BUA partner institutions that are available for you free of charge: Graduate Studies Support Program.
For workshops held online, participation is allowed under the following conditions: a working camera that is turned on and a microphone to allow active participation in discussions and group work. Headphones must also be used to protect other participants from office eavesdroppers. In this context, we would also like to refer to the rules for digital courses at Freie Universität Berlin (Code of Conduct).
Further Information
Postdocs are welcome to participate if spots are available.
Doctoral programs calculate credits based on the number of work units earned through workshop participation. Each work unit represents 45 minutes of workshop time, and 8 work units equal 0.5 credit points. For mini workshops (less than 8 work units), credits are calculated proportionally based on the work units. Please note: To be eligible for credit transfer, you must accumulate enough work units from short workshops. For example, attending two 3-hour workshops results in 8 work units (2 workshops x 4 work units each), which equals 0.5 credits.