The German Institute for Adult Education – Leibniz Centre for Lifelong Learning (DIE) conducts research in the field of adult teaching and learning, continuing education programmes and institutions, as well as on political and institutional contexts of lifelong learning. DIE focuses its promotion of young adults on apprentices, doctoral and post-doctoral students.

Target Group

The academic support program at the DIE refers to doctoral and post-doctoral students and provides them with support suitable for their specific group.

Objectives

The DIE promotes young researchers in acquiring career-oriented competences, with individual support and facilitating professional perspectives.

The structured postgraduate education (SDA) at the DIE aims at effectively and systematically providing support to young researchers with their doctoral thesis and qualification for a career in research or practrical adult and continuing education. Postdoctoral researchers focus not only on writing their postdoctoral thesis but also on the systematic preparation of a career in research as head of Junior Research Group, junior professorship or specific individual support e.g. in the Leibniz Mentoring Programs.

Theme Focus

Main topics of the structured postgraduate education:

• Introduction to empirical education research: traditions, strategies and research designs
• Procedures in empirical education research: qualitative and quantitative methods
• Individual specialisation of qualitative and quantitative methodological skills in accordance to the PHD-project
• Acquisition of general skills, which are useful for a career in research (e.g. science communication, scientific writing and target group oriented presentation skills)

Activities

Activities as part of the structured postgraduate education:

• regular, structured course offering (available for all DIE Research Associates)
• extensive and obligatory scientific counselling
• additional cross-institutional courses in cooperation with other universities and research institutes

Activities for the postdoctoral phase:

• provision of Junior Research Groups with personnel and budget responsibilities
• support of visiting and deputy professorships
• individual support in the form of scientific stays abroad, conferences, and postdoctoral experiences e.g. guest and deputy professorships