course-schedule

How to co-create impactful research (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Steffen Farny, Theres Konrad

Inhalt: Most PhD programs equip students with in-depth theoretical and methodological knowledge to better grasp “how the world currently is” (system knowledge) and “how it ought to be” (target knowledge) on a topic under investigation. However, most PhD students typically lack an understanding of transformation knowledge to also be able to act as change agents and implement their knowledge in transforming the state of the word towards a desirable future, i.e. have societal impact. To address this gap in our current PhD education at Leuphana University, the course will embark on a transformative learning experience that teaches the co-creation of solution-oriented knowledge together with different stakeholders. On the one hand, the course will bring diverse audiences and perspective together, offering valuable insights on impact (co-)creation. On the other hand, the course offers participants a safe learning environment to experiment with solution-oriented knowledge translation. The course is split into 3 parts. First, there is an introductory session at Leuphana, preparing the ground for the main part: we embark on a 1-week field trip to interesting places in Europe (Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki) so that students can learn from engaging with best-practice examples and have a first embodied experience of co-creating impact. Each participant needs to develop a short workshop/session tied to their own skills and knowledge, to be presented during this journey. Finally, we have a final event where student present their “impact stories and/or artefacts”. This pedagogical design promotes students (1) gaining a deeper understanding on different types of knowledge and their relevance in societal transformation; (2) reflecting on the authority of science in transformative processes; and (3) learning to (co-)create societal impact in their own research.

Science Communication (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Oliver Genschow

Inhalt: How can science be communicated effectively to the general public? In this course, students will get hands-on experiences about science communication. At the beginning of the course, students will get a short introduction into academic writing and then learn how academic writing is different from scientific communication for laypeople. Besides some theoretical inputs, students will mainly learn science communication by doing. That is, we will employ many different practical exercises in order to get familiarized with science communication. Although the course mainly focuses on writing, we will also touch other forms of science communication such as giving talks for laypeople or communicating on social media — to name just a few examples.

Vom Forschen zum Schreiben einer Monografie (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Micha Edlich, Dagmar Knorr

Inhalt: Das Schreiben einer Monografie beinhaltet Herausforderungen, die hier beleuchtet werden sollen: Zu Beginn ist die Dauer des Promotionsprojektes nur schwer einschätzbar; gegen Ende scheint die Zeit immer schneller zu verrinnen. Hier sind nicht daher nur Planungs-, sondern auch emotionale Umgangsstrategien gefragt. Eine weitere Herausforderdung ist der stets wachsende Umfang der zu berücksichtigen Informationen: Je mehr man liest, schreibt und sammelt, desto größer wird der Umfang, und ein gutes Informationsmanagement von Anfang an ist somit essenziell. Ein ähnliches Problem stellt die zunehmende Textmenge dar, besonders wenn die endgültige Struktur erst im Laufe des Prozesses entsteht. Hier müssen verschiedene Planungs- und Überarbeitungsstrategien angewandt werden. Des Weiteren begleitet das Dissertationsprojekt Promovierende täglich – an Abenden, Wochenenden und sogar im Urlaub. Hier sind Abgrenzungsstrategien notwendig, damit das Projekt nicht das gesamte Leben dominiert. Promovieren endet nicht mit der Fertigstellung des Textes und der Disputation. Der Prozess der Veröffentlichung gehört dazu und ist daher sinnvollerweise frühzeitig mit zu bedenken. Es geht hierbei in einem ersten Schritt um die Frage, wo und wie publiziert werden soll. In einem zweiten, wie evtl. erforderliche Mittel hierfür eingeworben werden können. Ziel ist es, im Laufe des Semesters den Prozess durch regelmäßige Treffen, Inputs, gemeinsames Schreiben und konstruktives Feedback zu unterstützen. Auf diese Weise sollen produktive Routinen entwickelt werden, die zum erfolgreichen Abschluss des Projektes beitragen können.

Writing a journal article (Dr. phil / Dr. rer. pol. / Dr. rer. nat) (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Micha Edlich, Joern Fischer

Inhalt: Positioning yourself for an academic career requires publishing in international, peer-reviewed journals. This block course is intended to help you develop the skills to prepare an article for an international journal. There will be a mixture of activities, including a minimum of ‘lecturing’, but mostly a range of interactive exercises. Some of the themes covered will include (i) structuring a paper, (ii) structuring a paragraph, (iii) writing concise sentences, (iv) matching word count and content, (v) writing an informative abstract, (vi) writing a cover letter to a journal, and (vii) dealing with revisions and rejections. The course will draw on examples from the natural sciences and social sciences, with an emphasis on sustainability-related topics. However, similar writing principles apply to other disciplines, and students from all faculties are encouraged to apply. All communication related to the course will be in English.

Course Schedule

Lehrveranstaltungen

How to co-create impactful research (Seminar)

Science Communication (Seminar)

Vom Forschen zum Schreiben einer Monografie (Seminar)

Writing a journal article (Dr. phil / Dr. rer. pol. / Dr. rer. nat) (Seminar)