Transferable Skills Seminars

Seminars in Transferable Skills (co-)organised by the Doctoral School

After successful participation, the Doctoral School Office will add this course to your curriculum of the Doctoral Training Programme in Oasis.

Communication skills

Subject / Course Title	Dates	Competencies as defined in the competency matrix for PhD students*
Advanced Strategies on Writing and Figure Preparation for Scientific Publishing	10 March 2025	Communication (IS)
Academic Posters	10 + 17 February 2025 8 + 15 May 2025 (ONLINE)	Communication (IS)
Advanced Academic English Conference Skills	11 February until 06 May 2025 (10 sessions - ONLINE)	Communication, Teamwork, International & cross-cultural mindset (IS)
Advanced Academic English Writing Skills	First and second semester Academic Year 2024-2025	Communication (IS)
Creating scientific visuals	07 +14 March 2025 05 + 12 June 2025	Communication (IS)
Effective Slides	10 + 17 March 2025 (ONLINE) 20 + 27 May 2025 (ONLINE)	Communication (IS)
English Proficiency for Presentations	11 February until 04 March 2025 (4 sessions)	Communication (IS)
FEARS	TBA	Communication (IS)
How to deal with media and journalists as a researcher	07 February + 14 February 2025	Communication, International & cross-cultural mindset (IS)
How to get published	23 January + 30 January 2025 22 May + 29 May 2025	Communication (IS) Ethics and integrity (PR)
Intercultural communication: Meet people, not cultures & practice communication styles	TBA	Communication, International & cross-cultural mindset (IS)
Intercultural competences: navigating foreign academic cultures	TBA	Communication, International & cross-cultural mindset (IS)
Let's Talk Science	1-3 July 2025	Research management (EX) Project management (CT) Ethics and integrity (PR) Critical and analytical skills (CT) Communication (IS)
Manage your public speaking stress	TBA	Communication (IS) Personal Effectiveness (PL)
Popular scientific writing: reach readers outside of academic walls	27 February + 13 March 2025	Communication, Teamwork, International & cross-cultural mindset (IS) Community engagement (PR)
Presentation Skills	3 March until 24/03/2025 (4 sessions - ONLINE) 6 May until 27 May 2025 (4 sessions )	Communication, International & cross-cultural mindset (IS)
Scientific Presentation Skills	06 + 13 March 2025 (ON CAMPUS)	Communication, Teamwork (IS)
Turning research data into powerful visuals	08, 15 and 22 May 2025	Communication (IS)
Writing Academic papers	TBA	Communication (IS)
Writer Development Course	09 + 10 January + 24 February 2025 19 +20 February + 24 March 2025	Personal Effectiveness (PL) Communication (IS)
Study week Mathematics for Industry 2025 _{This course counts as two Transferable Skills Seminars: cluster "Communication Skills" and "Research and Valorization"}	TBA	Communication (IS) Critical and analytical skills (CT)

^{*Every competency corresponds to a skill cluster: EX: Expertise; CT: Critical Thinking; PL: Professional Leadership; IS: Interpersonal Skills; PR: Professionalism}

^{Leadership & Personal efficiency}

Subject / Course Title	Dates	Competencies as defined in the competency matrix for PhD students*
Building a positive communication culture	Dates 2025 to be announced	Informal leadership, Personal effectiveness (PL) Communication, Teamwork (IS)
Conflict management	14 + 28 April 2025	Informal leadership, Personal effectiveness (PL) Communication, Teamwork (IS)
Grow to lead	24 + 25 February +13 + 27 March + 30 April 2025	Informal leadership, Personal effectiveness (PL)
Grow your network: from the perfect pitch to lasting relations	11 + 27 March 2025	Personal effectiveness (PL) International & cross-cultural mindset (IS)
Grow your personal brand	12 March 2025	Informal leadership, Career development, Personal effectiveness (PL)
Handling your fear of failure	TBA	Personal effectiveness (PL)
Meeting skills	03 February 2025	Personal effectiveness (PL) Teamwork (IS)
Negotiation skills	29 January + 26 February 2025 07 May + 04 June 2025	Informal leadership, Personal effectiveness (PL) Communication, Teamwork (IS)
Personal effectiveness	February 2025 (ONLINE) March 2025 (ON CAMPUS) June 2025 (ON CAMPUS)	Project management (CT) Personal effectiveness (PL)
Stress and resilience for researchers	27 February + 27 March 2025	Personal effectiveness (PL)

^{*Every competency corresponds to a skill cluster: EX: Expertise; CT: Critical Thinking; PL: Professional Leadership; IS: Interpersonal Skills; PR: Professionalism}

^{Research & Valorization}

Subject / Course Title	Dates	Competencies as defined in the competency matrix for PhD students*
A starter’s guide to socio-economic impact of research	13 February + 20 February 2025	Communication (IS) Research management (EX) Ethics and integrity (PR)
Comon Make-a-Ton. From theory to product, using design thinking and rapid prototyping in transdisciplinary teams	2-5 April 2024	Research management (EX) Project management (CT) Critical and analytical skills (CT) Communication (IS) Personal effectiveness (PL)
Data manipulation, visualisation and analysis in Python	27+ 30 January + 03 February 2025	Critical and analytical skills (CT)
Design of experiments (DOE)	9–10 September 2025	Critical and analytical skills (CT)
Doctoral Discovery Camp	3 and 4 February 2025	Critical and analytical (CT) Project Management (CT)
Faculty of Law and Criminology Research Training Program: how to conduct excellent research in law and criminology _{This course counts as two Transferable Skills Seminars: cluster "Communication Skills" and "Research and Valorization"}	Each academic year	Research management (EX) Project management (CT) Ethics and integrity (PR) Communication (IS)
GDPR in research	23 April 2025 (ON CAMPUS)	Research management (EX) Critical and analytical skills (CT) Ethics and integrity (PR)
Gene Therapy	7 February 2025	Research management (EX) Critical and analytical skills (CT)
Introduction to Causal Inference	8 April 2025	Research management (EX) Critical and analytical skills (CT)
LISa-team tutor	March - April 2025	Communication (IS) Research management (EX) Project management (CT) Personal effectiveness (PL)
Towards Continuous Lyophilization – CESPE	13 May 2025	Critical and analytical skills (CT)
Medical Writing (Basic)	TBA	Research management (EX) Project management (CT)
Medical Writing (Advanced)	TBA	Research management (EX) Project management (CT)
Methodological aspects of research and societal outreach in public health and primary care	October 2024- May 2025	Research management (EX) Project management (CT) Ethics and integrity (PR) Communication (IS)
Module 8 - Getting Started with NVivo for Qualitative Data Analysis	February 2025	Critical and analytical skills (CT)
Next-level searching for scientific information	Each academic year	Research management (EX) Project management (CT) Personal effectiveness (PL)
Process Control and Optimization – CESPE	29 April 2025	Critical and analytical skills (CT)
Research methods on hard-to-reach and vulnerable populations	TBA	Research management (EX) Ethics and integrity (PR)
Research Data management: a practical course	February 2025	Research management (EX) Project management (CT) Ethics and integrity (PR)
Research Day Gamma Faculties	20 March 2025	Critical and analytical skills (CT)
Speed Reading	18 March + 01 April 2025 (AM) 18 March + 01 April 2025 (PM) 13 May + 27 May 2025 (AM) 13 May + 27 May 2025 (PM) (ALL ON CAMPUS)	Critical and analytical skills (CT) Personal effectiveness (PL)
Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment: From Theory to Practical Applications in Pharma – CESPE	7–9 May 2025	Critical and analytical skills (CT)
Flames Summer School _{This summer school counts as one Transferable Skills Seminar, irrespective of the number of modules that were followed.}	To be announced	FLAMES	Research & Valorization
Study week Mathematics for Industry 2025 _{This course counts as two Transferable Skills Seminars: cluster "Communication Skills" and "Research and Valorization"}	TBA	Communication (IS) Critical and analytical skills (CT)

^{*Every competency corresponds to a skill cluster: EX: Expertise; CT: Critical Thinking; PL: Professional Leadership; IS: Interpersonal Skills; PR: Professionalism}

^{Career management}

Please note that you can visit the PhD Career Hub, an online learning track developed by UGent to help you choose and apply for jobs.

Subject / Course Title	Dates	Competencies as defined in the competency matrix for PhD students*
Applying for a post-PhD job	28 April until 12 May 2025 (3 sessions - ONLINE) 10 June until 24 June 2025 (3 sessions - ONLINE)	Personal effectiveness, Career development (PL) Communication (IS)
Belgian Service Research Day – 10th edition: Paving the Way for a Journey as Service Scholar	19 April 2024	Career development (PL) Ethics and integrity, Community engagement (PR) Personal effectiveness (PL)
Creative thinking	25+26+27+28 February 2025 (ONLINE) 05 + 06 June 2025	Critical & analytical skills, Innovation & creativity (CT) Personal effectiveness (PL)
Dealing with challenges, setbacks and confidence	27 March and 28 March 2025	Personal effectiveness (PL)
What does it mean to be a researcher in 21^st century academia	08/05 + 15/05+ 22/05/2025	Career development, Personal effectiveness (PL)
From PhD to SME	TBA	Career development (PL)
From the definition of a realistic career plan to an effective job search strategy	TBA	Informal leadership, Career development (PL)
FWO Postdoc Grant Writing	TBA	Specialised knowledge (EX) Project management (CT) Career development (PL)
How to find a fulfilling job. Discover your values, competencies and interests	03 February 2025 05 May 2025	Career development (PL)
Interactive Career Day Life Sciences @ Johnson & Johnson	TBA	Informal leadership, Career development (PL) Communication (IS)
Interuniversity Job Market for Young Researchers	February- March 2024	Informal leadership, Career development (PL)
Job Shadowing for PhD candidates and postdocs	TBA	Career development (PL)
Knowledge for growth	TBA	Informal leadership, Career development (PL) Communication (IS)
PhD Innovation Café	TBA	Informal leadership, Career development (PL) Communication (IS)
Preparing for an international career	05 June 2025	Informal leadership, Career development (PL) Communication, International & cross-cultural mindset (IS) Ethics and integrity, Community engagement (PR)
Project management	17 March + 31 March+18 April +12 May 2025 03 February + 17 February + 19 May + 02 June 2025	Project management (CT) Informal leadership (PL) Communication (IS)

^{*Every competency corresponds to a skill cluster: EX: Expertise; CT: Critical Thinking; PL: Professional Leadership; IS: Interpersonal Skills; PR: Professionalism}

Selection of other courses (AfR)

The courses listed below are organised by third parties and are not part of the Doctoral School own course offer, but you can include them in your Doctoral Training Programme by submitting an application for recognition (AfR) .

Subject/Course title	Academic Year/Dates	Organiser	Cluster
Mind the GAP (Ufora course)	2024- 2025	VLIR	Research & Valorization
TT-skills: course in technology transfer	2024- 2025	Ghent University TechTransfer	Research & Valorization
FLAMES courses	2024-2025	FLAMES	Research & Valorization
Scientific writing and publishing	2024- 2025	Nature Masterclasses	Communication skills
Effective collaboration in research	2024- 2025	Nature Masterclasses	Career Management
Managing research data	2024- 2025	Nature Masterclasses	Research and Valorization
Narrative tools for researchers	2024- 2025	Nature Masterclasses	Communication skills
Persuasive Grant Writing	2024- 2025	Nature Masterclasses	Career Management
Networking for researchers	2024- 2025	Nature Masterclasses	Leadership and personal efficiency
Advancing Your Scientific Presentations	2024- 2025	Nature Masterclasses	Communication skills
Data Analysis: Planning and Preparing	2024- 2025	Nature Masterclasses	Research & Valorization
Data Analysis: Conducting and Troubleshooting	2024- 2025	Nature Masterclasses	Research & Valorization
Focus on peer review	2024- 2025	Nature Masterclasses	Research & Valorization
Writing a research paper	2024- 2025	Nature Masterclasses	Research & Valorization
Knowledge to Connect	2024-2025	KCGG	Research & Valorization
Courses & training in AI	2024- 2025	Flemish AI Academy (VAIA)	Research & Valorization (if minimum conditions are met and AfR is approved)
Online Onderwijstraject voor Assistenten (in Dutch) _{Search for the course title in the UTOP course catalogue.}	See UTOP	Office for Educational Quality Control	Career management
Online Learning Track for Assistants (OLTA) (in English) _{Search for the course title in the UTOP course catalogue.}	See UTOP	Office for Educational Quality Control	Career management

Related information

Structure of the Ghent University Doctoral Training Programme
Registration, recognition and funding procedures