The aim of the International Environmental Doctoral School associated with the Centre for Polar Studies at the University of Silesia in Katowice (IEDS) is to provide a new generation of scientists with new opportunities for high-quality contributions to scientific research by offering them theoretical and practical (methodological) training, designed to stimulate their intellectual growth and boost their academic status. These aims are in line with the general strategy of the University of Silesia in Katowice and the Institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

The University of Silesia in Katowice and the Institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences aim to achieve the highest standards of education and scientific research, assessed with the use of parameterised assessment methods. The International Environmental Doctoral School is likely to significantly help the cause through educating young academic staff and conducting research in collaboration with renowned academic centres from abroad. Useful in working towards the goal will also be the experience gained as a result of the previous activity of the Centre for Polar Studies and Interdisciplinary Polar Studies KNOW.

The International Environmental Doctoral School (IEDS) will involve cooperation with foreign academic centres, whose academic staff will work as supervisors or auxiliary supervisors and lecturers at IEDS, and which will accept IEDS doctoral students for internship programmes. Such cooperation will make it possible to ensure very high standards of education, which is a priority for the University of Silesia in Katowice and for the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Contact:  Centre for Polar Studies  (+48) 32 3689 380

Email: polarknow@us.edu.pl

The recruitment will be conducted in accordance with the requirements of the National Science Centre (NCN) for the PRELUDIUM BIS 1 competition, under which the future PhD student will be awarded a scholarship. These requirements are:

- a person who does not have a doctoral degree and is not a doctoral school participant may enter the competition;

- the competition is carried out by a commission appointed by the head of the entity in which the research project will be implemented, consisting of the project PI as chairman and at least two persons indicated by him with appropriate scientific or professional qualifications;

- the commission assesses the candidates on a point scale taking into account the competence to carry out specific tasks in the research project and the candidate's current scientific achievements, on this basis compiling the ranking of candidates according to the following criteria: competence to carry out specific tasks in the research project (70% of the final grade; 3 points very good, 2 points good, 1 point weak; 0 points lack of competence); candidate's scientific achievements, including publications in reputable scientific publications/journals (30% of the final grade; 4 points distinctive, 3 points very good, 2 points good, 1 point weak; 0 points no scientific achievements).

The commission will also assess whether there are any formal obstacles to the correct implementation of the project by the candidate, take into account the opinion of the proposed Supervisors and set a minimum point limit allowing the admission of the candidate to the project. As a result of all these activities and based on the result obtained in the course of the qualification procedure, the commission will make the final decision on admission or non-admission to the doctoral school.