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An Interaction Session to Discuss the Benefits of a Multinational Ph.D. Program
Recently, I had an interaction session with the students of the ‘Bachelor of Science’ and ‘Master of Science’ programs in India, as one of my ViBrANT outreach activities. The objective of this session was to make them aware of the benefits offered by the Interdisciplinary Training Networks (ITNs). The session went really well and was highly interactive. Students were very keen to learn about the advantages of ITNs. However, I was very surprised to know that the students didn’t even know about the existence of such programs. I find this blog an opportunity to connect with those students who are unaware of the ITNs and their benefits.
Importance of Ph.D.?
The importance of a Ph.D. has always been linked with seeking a greater depth of Knowledge, which is also accurate. Undoubtedly, the Ph.D. also helps you to attain many other skills such as, to have an analytical mind, being a problem solver, delivering good presentations, good writing skills, and how to defend your ideas.
But, IS THIS SUFFICIENT?
The answer is ‘NO’. There are definitely other skills that are held dear to the employers of both Non-academic and academic jobs. Some of the examples are being a team player, having good communication skills, the experience of working in collaboration, multi-national research experience, and many more. For this, a multidisciplinary Ph.D. program is very important. The ITNs are the best examples to explain such a Ph.D. program.
Benefits of ITN
The ITNs are European Ph.D. programs implemented jointly by the academic institutes and the industries. These ITN networks provide the researchers with an all-around skill set for being an academician or an Industry professional by means of the Ph.D. dissertation, training, and summer schools.
One of the best parts, according to me, is the involvement of the Industrial partners. Along with offering the Industrial Ph.D. opportunity, these industries provide different training sessions and site visits. It is also mandatory for the students of academia to do a mini-project with the industrial partner and vice-versa. In this way, all of the students involved in an ITN program can have a taste of both industry and academics. This is very beneficial for the students to have a clear vision of their long-term future goals, whether they see themselves in industry or in academics.
The fully-funded ITN positions also offer other innovative training, such as start-up workshops, introduction to the Industrial workflow, and recent research techniques. These pieces of training prepare the students for a cut-throat competition in the post-Ph.D. world.
Another advantage of ITN is its Outreach and public speaking activities on national and international platforms. They encourage students to convey science to non-scientific people especially school students to spread knowledge and boost their enthusiasm towards science through Blogs, vlogs, and other interactive activities.
An investment in knowledge pays the best interest
-Benjamin Franklin