With its approximately 110 PhD students (almost half of whom come from abroad), the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics is an active and inspiring environment for young researchers.
The department has a special seminar programme – the Kjeldgaard Lectures in Molecular Biology – which was set up with a view to providing the students with insight into the many different research fields in the department’s core areas. Highly reputed scientists from all over the world are invited by the department to give these lectures, which are followed by a special PhD session. Here the students have an opportunity to meet the lecturers informally and possibly gain inspiration or make useful contacts for subsequent postdoctoral studies abroad. In addition, a PhD conference is held every year for the PhD students at the department.
To encourage staff and students to collaborate with the business sector, or to set up their own companies, the department has established a special programme – the Brian Clark Biotech Lectures – where researchers affiliated with the business community are invited to talk about their experiences. There is also the option of taking a so-called Industrial PhD, where the research project is carried out in collaboration between a private company, the student and the university.
Because most of the department’s researchers have partners abroad, there are good opportunities for working with foreign researchers and possibly being posted at a laboratory abroad while studying for a PhD. These contacts often form the basis for subsequent postdoctoral studies abroad.
