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saucyknave

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Everything posted by saucyknave

  1. It's always worth emailing both, I think. I've found some departments to be very hierarchy-focused, so maybe just keep that in mind until you get a sense of how friendly/open they are. That's also information worth knowing for you, in my opinion, so you can understand what their expectations are. If you already have a supervisor in mind and you're not in contact with them yet either, I would also email them. They will be your biggest advocate for acceptance as a PhD candidate, and this relationship is figured quite differently than how it works in the US. If your international office or university has some kind of graduate student academy, you may also talk with them to get a good sense of what PhD candidate life is like.
  2. Another person looking at doing a PhD in Germany! There are dozens of us! ? I'm not sure if the university you're apply to has a different set up, but since most German universities don't have a structured program, and so the usual set up of PhDs as TAs or lecturers receiving a stipend isn't typical. In theory, you should be able to do all your research and update your supervisor remotely. In order to receive documents, like your log in information for the library and things like that, you may need an address in Germany which the university can send things to. If your intended university has an international office, I would contact them to discuss the logistics of that, which they should be somewhat familiar with because of the pandemic which trapped many students who had intended to relocate to Germany in their home countries. When it comes to funding packages, because there's not a structured program, most students are responsible for finding their own funding (and sometimes that applies even if they're in a structured program). Your university may or may not be able to cover a travel stipend, but this is worth discussing with the international office. I will always recommend contacting the international office in these cases as many of them are either internationals or are used to understanding the gaps in knowledge which internationals have of the German system and its... quirks. If you're already receiving positive feedback from potential advisors, as far as I know, your advisor essentially "claims" your project proposal in the committee meeting approving PhD candidates, so there's not really a financial concern they're considering, as funding is your responsibility. If you hope to relocate to Germany one day or find funding, your advisor will write letters and help you network, so having a relationship with them in which you feel comfortable discussing the challenges and needs you're facing is important. In German, advisors are jokingly called Doktormutter or Doktorvater, after all. Sorry for the tome, but good luck and feel free to reach out!
  3. Hello there! I'm just starting my PhD in Germany, and I'm going through this process right now. Your best option might be either through DAAD or Fulbright, but also check out the Humboldt Foundation (they have very science-oriented images on their website, but funding is open). If you know what university you would like to attend, and you haven't been in touch with their international office yet, maybe check them out and see what kinds of opportunities they may be able to connect you with. Having someone walk you at the university at least walk you through how grant applications work would be helpful, as it's wildly different from institution to institution. I hope that helps and isn't repeating things you've already looked at, but feel free to send me a message to ask more questions/commiserate about German funding!
  4. I did a quick search in the forum and found one someone else posting about attending school in Frankfurt... in 2012. So on the off chance that there are other people at Goethe in the fall, let's hope they find this thread!
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