Organisation

The administrative office of the Doctoral Centre manages the application and admissions process and provides guidance to prospective and current doctoral researchers. The office acts as the main point of contact for professors involved in the supervision and examination of doctoral projects and supports the Centre’s Executive Board and the Doctoral Committee in their work.

The Executive Board consists of four elected affiliated professors from the participating partner universities. The responsibilities of the Centre’s Executive Board include, in particular:

• overseeing the development, refinement and implementation of the Doctoral Regulations, research programme and training programme
• ensuring the effective exercise of the partner universities’ doctoral awarding power
• strengthening structured support for early-career researcher
• maintaining and enhancing quality standards
• meeting the annual reporting obligations.

Admission as a doctoral candidate to the Doctoral Centre of Applied Computer Science is subject to the approval of the Doctoral Committee with regard to the proposed research project and the submitted application documents.

The Doctoral Committee decides on admission as a doctoral candidate, the formal opening of the doctoral examination procedure, and the conduct of the doctoral viva.

The Governing Board is composed of the Vice Presidents for Research of the partner universities. The Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Art and Culture holds an advisory seat on the Board.

The Governing Board’s responsibilities include overseeing the bodies of the PZAI, deciding—on the recommendation of the Centre’s Executive Board and the Academic Advisory Board—on the affiliation of new professors, approving the budget plan, and, where necessary, providing guidance to the Centre’s Executive Board on fundamental strategic issues as well as budgetary and staffing matters.

The Members’ Council consists of all affiliated professors of the Centre, one representative from the administrative office, and four elected doctoral researchers from the partner universities. The Council is assembled by the Centre’s Executive Board.

During its meetings, the Members’ Council discusses the Centre’s training and research programmes, approves procedures for maintaining academic quality standards, and advises on required resources.