Organisation

Organisation of the PhD school

The course program of the WES PhD School is developed by a dedicated doctoral program committee. This committee is responsible for establishing the yearly course program. It is formed with all interested PhD supervisors of the partner organization and representatives of the PhD students. It meets once a year in the fall to develop next year program.

A steering committee formed by one representative of each partner organization is responsible for strategic planning, quality control, and operational oversight of the PhD school. The steering committee meets when necessary and draws up a three-year plan to ensure funding and planning for the PhD school. The steering committee is presided by the Director of the Program. Operational and coordination task are assumed by a Program Coordinator. The Program Coordinator, employed at 15%, plays a vital role in ensuring the smooth operation of the WES PhD School. Key responsibilities include coordinating and supporting the organization of PhD school activities, monitoring quality control, tracking student participation and credit acquisition, preparing committee meetings, and reporting to partner institutions and funding bodies.

In 2024, responsibilities are distributed as following:

  • Director of the Program and UNINE representative (from August 2024): Prof. Benoît Valley (UNINE)
  • Program Coordinator (from January 2024): Dr. Qi Tang (UNINE)
  • UNIL representative: Prof. Niklas Linde
  • EAWAG representative: Prof. Mario Schirmer
  • ETHZ representative: Prof. Joaquin Jimenez-Martinez
  • UNIBAS representative: Prof. Oliver Schilling
  • UNIBE representative: Prof. Bettina Schaefli

Suggestions for course topics can be submitted to the PhD school coordinator for consideration at any time. Each course or activity within the PhD school is assigned to a responsible individual from a partner institution, who drafts the program and submits it to the program committee for review. The course is then organized in collaboration with the program coordinator to ensure smooth execution.