Monitoring the progress of students and providing regular feedback on their performance are central issues in optimizing the career pathway of young researchers. As such they are also vital for the success of the CUI’s research.
To this end, every Ph.D. student has a co-advisor in addition to the supervisor of her/his thesis. Twice per year the student meets with his advisory board, which is an excellent opportunity for discussing the educational status, forthcoming training, and research achievements. Estimating the time scales for further progress of the scientific project goes hand in hand with the planning of the next steps. Potential problems and their solution can be discussed here in addition to longer-term perspectives. The advisory board meeting will also be the forum for an individual career planning of the Ph.D. student, since the supervisor and the co-advisor closely follow the student’s progress.