PhD Courses in Denmark

Project Management for your PhD

PhD School at the Faculty of Humanities at University of Copenhagen

Date and time:
11-12 November and 12 December 2024, 9:00-16:00


This course will help you make your PhD-plan more robust, realistic, and operational. We will create a visual overview of all major elements and milestones. Break it into phases and activities, estimate time and duration, analyse the risks and finally create short time activity plans.

We also work with effective personal habits regarding managing and prioritizing your time and activities, while maintaining a good work/life balance and avoid stress!

The course is highly interactive and personal, and you are expected to participate actively and share your project plans and personal preferences. 


Academic aim
After this course the aim is, that you:
 - Have been inspired by best practices/ tips and tricks, to manage your PhD effectively
 - Have learned how to create a robust, realistic, and operational milestone plan and activity plan for your PhD.
 - Have increased understanding of the dynamics of (your) personality types in relations to planning and managing a/your Ph.D.
 - Have created a list of “working principles”; and identified good habits that will help you manage your time and activities.


Target group
New PhD students – who started their PhD within about a year. Have done their PhD plan, but might need a more manageable plan, and they might want tips and tricks on how to work effectively on a week-to-week basis. 
 

Venue:
University of Copenhagen, South Campus, Karen Blixens Plads 8-16,
 - 11 November 2024 in Room 4A.0.56 (Building 4A, ground floor, room 56)
 - 12 November 2024 in Room 4A.1.68 (Building 4A, ground floor, room 68)
 - 12 December 2024 in Room  4A.0.56 (Building 4A, ground floor, room 56)

 

PROGRAMME:

Day 1

  • Introduction to programme
     
  • You and your PhD
    - Sharing your PhD theme and overall plan
     
  • Personality Profiles
    - DiSC types introduction
    - Your type
    - Typical challenges and approaches regarding planning and managing projects.

     
  • Milestone planning
    - Introduction to method
    - Do a visual overview of all elements from your PhD plan in a milestone plan on the wall
    - Presentations, feedback, and adjustments


Day 2

Risk Analysis

  • - Tips and Tricks on most common challenges by Thomas Olander, experienced PhD supervisor
    - Introduction and examples
    - Risk analysis on milestone plan
    - Presentations, feedback, and adjustments
  • Activity plan
    - Introducing method, formats, and tools
    - Create an activity plan for first milestones in your milestone plane.
    - Do a risk analysis of your activity plan
    - Presentations, feedback, and adjustments

Homework

  • Finalize your milestone plan and activity plan incl. adjustments based on the risk analysis and send to trainer.
  • Read the plans of two fellow students and prepare feedback.
     

Day 3

  • Follow up on homework
    feedback and sparring on plans
     
  • Time Management and prioritisation
    - Tips and tricks for managing your time and prioritize tasks
     
  • Good work/life balance and preventing stress
    What is a good balance?
    - What is stress?
    - Tips and tricks on how to prevent stress

     
  • Your “Working Principles”
    - Develop 5-10 working principles that will help you be effective, keep motivation and prevent stress.


Preparation:

 - Send your personal motivation for participating
A mini template will be sent to the participants when they are admitted to the course.
Must be filled out and submitted via email to phd@hrsc.ku.dk when confirming participation. 

 - Send your PhD plan (as in PhD-planner) to the course organiser
Must be submitted via email to phd@hrsc.ku.dk when confirming participation

 - Fill out your personality profile DiSC
Will be sent to participants by the course organiser after the deadline for confirming participation

 - Read books
 

ECTS: 1.9 

Max. number of participants: 24.

Registration: Please register via the link in the box no later than 16 October 2024. Registration is closed.
Participants will be notified about admission / waiting list / nonacceptance shortly after this deadline. Admitted PhD students will have 5 days to confirm their participation in the course. 

Further information: For more information, please contact the PhD Administration (phd@hrsc.ku.dk) or the course organiser.


Literature, main references:
“Planning Your PhD: All the Tools and Advice You Need to Finish Your PhD in Three Years” by Hugh Kearns and Maria Gardiner. (Thinkwell, 2013, ISBN: 0992275016, 9780992275013 - 154 pages).

“How to Get a PhD, A Handbook for Students and Their Supervisors” by Estelle Phillips and Colin Johnson (280 pages).