ED PhD studies at the Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University FACULTY OF MEDICINE, MASARYK UNIVERSITY med.muni.cz/en AUTHORS Petr Bureš, MSc -assistantfor international relations Tomáš Navrátil, MSc - head of Office for Qualifying Development Prof. Tomáš Kašpárek, MD, PhD - vice-Dean for Research, PhD. Studies and Institutional Development Jana Sedláková, MSc - head of Office for Quality TYPESETTING Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University med.muni.cz/en Table of Contents 7-14 Introduction 7 A word by the Vice-dean 7 Brief introduction of the faculty 8 Why study for a PhD 10 I want to study at the Faculty of Medicine of the Masaryk University 13 Main actors in PhD studies - Who is who? 15-38 1 am student 15 Before you start 16 Starting your studies 19 Requirements during the studies 22 The course of the studies 23 Individual study plan (ISP) and semester content 27 Doctoral thesis and state doctoral examination 30 Interruption of the studies 30 Completing the studies 31 Variants of PhD studies 32 Good practice of a PhD student 34 Administration a legislation 34 Available support 37 Competitions and awards 38 Problem solving 3 9-54 1 am Supervisor 39 How to become a supervisor 39 Principles of supervision 40 Relationship between the supervisor and the Doctoral Board / Doctoral Committee / Mentor 40 Announcing the topic of the doctoral thesis 41 Resources for the doctoral thesis project and funding the student 42 Admission procedure 43 Course of the studies, individual study plan 47 Doctoral thesis 49 State doctoral examination 49 Completing the studies 49 Administration and legislation 51 Available support 54 Problem solving 55-65 I am the chair of the the Doctoral Board / Doctoral Committe 55 Appointment of the Chair of the Doctoral Board 55 Activities of the Chair of the Doctoral Board 57 Appointment of the Chair of the Doctoral Committee 59 Meetings of the Doctoral Board / Doctoral Committee 59 The Vice-Dean and the Doctoral Borad / Doctoral Committee 60 Legislation / Internal and external regulations 61 Available support 65 Problem solving 66-72 I am a member of the Doctoral Board / Doctoral Committee 66 Doctoral Board 67 Doctoral Committe 68 Legislation / internal and external regulations 68 Available support 73-74 I am a member of the Admission Board / Doctoral Thesis Defence Board / State Doctoral Examination Board 75-77 Management and evaluation of the quality of PhD studies at the Faculty of Medicine 78-80 Problem solving 81 List of Czech Abbreviations med.muni.cz/en med.muni.cz/en 1. Introduction 1.1 A word by the Vice-dean PhD studies at the Faculty of Medicine of the Masaryk University are among the most prestigious study programmes and among the best at the Masaryk University and in the Czech Republic. This is the case thanks to the effort of all parties involved - the Faculty management, the Doctoral Boards, the supervisors as well as the students. All of them strive to maintain the high standard set at the Faculty of Medicine in 2018 by amending the rules and conditions of PhD studies. Thanks to this joint effort to provide meaningful curriculum and a competitive level of each doctoral thesis project, our students gain deep knowledge of their field and the methodology of experimental work, participate in international cooperation with top foreign institutions, attend international conferences and take part in international projects, go abroad to gain experience and make connections beneficial for their further career; they also publish the outcome of their work in prestigious journals widely recognized in the scientific community. The PhD graduates usually continue their academic careers; work as sought-after postdocs abroad or as professionals in the biomedical industry. It is vital for the Faculty of Medicine that the PhD studies flourish and enrich our academic environment in terms of research as well as education in undergraduate study programmes. This is why we strive to create a supportive environment where our students feel that they are on an important mission and have all available support to complete the challenging study goals or their projects successfully. This requires a constant systematic effort of all parties involved. This brochure has been issued to facilitate understanding of the individual roles, responsibilities, and competences throughout the studies. I hope that this guide will be helpful and make our work easier. Prof. Tomáš Kašpárek, MD, PhD Vice-Dean for Research, PhD Studies and Institutional Development, Faculty of Medicine 1.2 Brief introduction of the faculty The Masaryk University was founded in January 1919, not long after the independent Czechoslovak Republic. With its 35,000 students, it has become the second largest university in the country. There are more than 200 departments, institutes and clinics across its 10 faculties. The University has its own museum, a university cinema, a university centre in Telč, and it also manages a polar station in Antarctica. It has repeatedly ranked among the world's best universities in the QS TopUniversities Rankings; in 2020 it ranked in the top ten universities in the QS Emerging Europe and Central Asia Ranking. The Faculty of Medicine was one of the four founding faculties of the University. Teaching at the Faculty began in November 1919 with a lecture by Edward Babák, who played a fundamental role in the development of the Masaryk University and the Faculty of Medicine, where he later became the Dean. The Faculty of Medicine is above all a professionally-oriented faculty which has educated tens of thousands of medical and non-medical professionals during its more than a hundred year-long history. Educational activities at the undergraduate level are carried out in more than 15 study programmes; students can then continue their postgraduate education in 14 accredited study programmes which cover almost the entire spectrum of biomedical sciences and clinical medicine. Thanks to more than 20 accredited fields of habilitation procedure and Professor Appointment procedure, you can continue your academic and scientific career up to its peak in the form of professor appointment procedure. med.muni.cz/en 7 Educational and research activities take place at more than 70 workplaces - theoretical institutes and laboratories located on the modern University Campus and at the clinics of University hospitals. The Faculty offers an excellent infrastructure; laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation, the University Campus Library with more than 300,000 volumes of scientific literature, top clinical workplaces, and certified cleanrooms for the production of somatic cell medicine, as well as laboratory for animal breeding and user facilities, and a centre for medicinal plants. The Simulation Centre of the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, the largest institution of its kind in Central Europe, is starting to operate in autumn 2020. The state-of-the-art technology simulating a real hospital environment allows students to repeatedly practice routine as well as rare activities and tasks in a safe environment. These innovative teaching methods bring the education of doctors and health professionals to a whole new level. In addition to close connections to the clinics of the two university hospitals and other medical institutions in Brno (for example the Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute and the Trauma Hospital of Brno) in science and research, the Faculty has established long-term cooperation with other partners in the Brno research area with whom it creates joint scientific teams and shares parts of their infrastructure (with the Faculty of Science MU, CEITEC MU, the International Clinical Research Centre, Brno University of Technology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Czech Academy of Sciences and so on). Many international partnerships and cooperations have also been established. In many fields, the researchers from the Faculty of Medicine are among the top national and international scientists (molecular biology and genetics, cell biology and stem cell research, oncology and cancer biology - especially hemato-oncology and paediatric oncology - cardiology, neurosciences, innovative therapies, microbiology, regenerative and reproductive medicine). The most significant scientific and research success and its subsequent use in clinical practice has been achieved by the scientists from the Faculty of Medicine in the field of the development of innovative therapies and pharmaceuticals, and new clinical and therapeutic guidelines. The original scientific research results are regularly published in prestigious international journals (for example Cancer Cell, Leukemia, Lancet Haematology, Molecular Cell, Bone, Stem Cells, Stroke). You can find the organizational structure of the Faculty and the list of its workplaces here. 1.3 Why study for a Ph D PhD (or postgraduate) studies are the first step towards your further academic and scientific career. Once you complete them successfully, you will be awarded the first academic degree, the PhD. It is also an opportunity to expand your existing knowledge and continue your professional growth. The most important duty of a PhD student, in other words, the basis of PhD studies, is systematic work on a doctoral thesis project, which results in summarizing its outcomes in the doctoral thesis. The student conducts research during the studies independently as well as together with his or her supervisor; the purpose of this research is to fulfil the goal that was set and is completed by a successful defence of the 8 med.muni.cz/en doctoral thesis before an expert committee. In order to complete the studies, it is also necessary to pass the doctoral state examination and fulfil other requirements (see below). A model of the curriculum of a PhD student: r Field-specific courses Disertation Publication Intership Conference Teaching Given the crucial role of the doctoral thesis, it is vital for the success or failure of the studies that the student pays attention above all to the choice of the topic of his or her doctoral thesis project, and to the cooperation with their supervisor. The development of the student's pedagogical competency and his or her involvement in academic life is also part of the PhD studies. That is why PhD students participate (in the scope of maximum 150 hours during the entire course of the studies) in teaching students in undergraduate Bachelor's and Master's Degree programmes. Why choose the Faculty of Medicine of the Masaryk University? 14 28 >2700 >550 study specializations students supervisors programmes in 20 years in 20 years — Our offer of study programmes: You can choose from a wide range of study programmes covering virtually the entire spectrum of biomedical research. The new design of PhD study programmes (accredited since 2018), which often combines clinical and preclinical disciplines, enables interdisciplinarity and mutual interaction. All study programmes are accredited in Czech and English, and in full-time as well as combined form, which enables the students to combine PhD studies with employment. The decision about an announced topic, form, and language of the studies is in the competence of the Doctoral Board. med.muni.cz/en 9 — Your scientific work will be inspired by clinical practice, you will work on real problems with the possibility of applying your research in practice. — You will gain a deeper insight into the field beyond specialized professional education (credentialing). — You can start your own scientific career, and possibly set up your own research group. — You will use the facilities of a prestigious and strong institution, modern infrastructure and top-equipped laboratories, you will also benefit from the facilities of 70 theoretical institutes and clinical workplaces. You will get in touch with the top biomedical researchers in the Brno research area. — Thanks to numerous international contacts and existing collaborations, you can complete internships at the world's most prestigious university, scientific and clinical institutions. — You will have the opportunity to study under joint supervision at a foreign institution, the so-called cotutelle, with the option to receive a European Doctorate, or in cooperation with the individual institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences. — You will become one of our successful students and alumni - a holder of many national and international awards. — You will spend unforgettable years in Brno, a city famous for its unique atmosphere, student life, gastronomy, culture, leisure activities, and beautiful surroundings. Spend your studies in "Central Europe's Most Central City" - Ranked by students as the 4th most popular student city in the world, 400,000 inhabitants, - 6 public and several private universities with almost 65,000 students (17% of the city's population) - Numerous bus, train and plane connections to Europe's other major cities, including Vienna, Budapest, Milan, Krakow, Berlin or London - The Czech Republic's second largest city - Over 50 public parks and nearly 3,000 hectares of accessible woods, it's a very green city as well. - 24-hour public transit system is made up of 11 tram lines, 13 trolleybus lines, 51 bus lines and 1 boat line to get you almost anywhere you need to go without a car Read here about all the things you can experience and taste in Brno. 1.4 I want to study at the Faculty of Medicine of the Masaryk University Start of the studies Autumn semester Start of the studies Spring semestr Collection of applications 1 December -28 February Collection of applications 1 September -31 October Entrance examination Spring months Entrance examination November 10 med.muni.cz/en 1.4.1 Before you submit your application The PhD studies at the Faculty of Medicine of the Masaryk University take place in accredited study programmes in accordance with the Masaryk University Study and Examination Regulations. The key factor for successful defending the doctoral thesis and completing the studies is the choice of the topic of the doctoral thesis project and cooperation with the supervisor. On the website of the Faculty of Medicine, first, go through the topics offered, gather information about the supervisor and about the financing of the project, see which workplaces are involved and check the international cooperation the supervisor is involved in. It is, of course, easier to study with a supervisor who is active in research in the field you are considering, is successful in obtaining grants for his or her research and publishes in prestigious journals in collaboration with foreign colleagues. Last but not least, you can also decide on the basis of whether the career of the PhD graduates supervised by the person you have chosen is what you are expecting. The topics for doctoral thesis are announced in regular cycles in the spring and in the autumn and are listed on the website of the Faculty of Medicine under the OFFER OF ANNOUNCED TOPICS. Here you can also find information about supervisors including their professional profiles, research topics and specializations, publishing activities, grants they have obtained, and brief information about the supervisor's workplace. You can also find important deadlines for submitting your application here. Some Doctoral Boards expect the students to apply with their own topics, but the topics are most commonly announced by the individual supervisors (for more information, see the conditions of the individual Doctoral Boards). Take note of the requirements and obligations you must fulfil during your studies before proceeding to defend your doctoral thesis. This is in fact a list of specialized courses, requirements for publication output of the doctoral thesis project, and an internship abroad. Apart from faculty-wide conditions, there are also field-specific requirements for the individual study programmes or their specializations. A brief scheme of the curriculum can be found on the Faculty's website here. The standard length of the studies is 4 years. Consider also the form of your studies - you can choose between full-time and combined studies. — Full-time studies - connected to staying at the particular workplace of the Faculty of Medicine — Combined studies - no need to stay at a particular workplace at the Faculty of Medicine (it is possible to combine this form of studies with employment outside the Faculty of Medicine) However, depending to the type of workplace (theoretical institute / laboratory / clinic) and the topic of the doctoral thesis, it is not always possible to study in a combined form. We recommend to contact your potential supervisor in advance and consult the suitable form of preparation for the interview. Each field has its own specifics, so the supervisor can help you to prepare for the specialized entrance examination - the interview. Sources of financial support for your studies You should also find information about the financial resources both for yourself and for your doctoral thesis project. In an effort to support gifted and motivated foreign students, the Faculty of Medicine has set up a special scholarship fund, which allows scholarships to be paid to students who study in English. Following the proposal of the selection committee, the student gets a scholarship of 12,000 CZK until the 8th semester. You can find more information here. In case the student does not fulfil his or her obligations, the scholarship can be withdrawn at the proposal of the supervisor. Likewise, the right to a scholarship expires when switching from a full-time to a combined form of studies. You can find more information about scholarships and other forms of support here. Scholarship Programmes of the Faculty of Medicine Scholarships of the Masaryk University [2j MU Scholarship and Bursary Regulations med.muni.cz/en 11 Come and learn about the offer and requirements of PhD studies at the Faculty of Medicine in person Every autumn, the Masaryk University organizes a PhD DAY - a meeting of PhD students, representatives of study programmes, research teams, Faculty management and administrative staff with the applicants. Presentations of individual study programmes, panel discussions and lectures are held; you can learn detailed information about PhD studies, get acquainted with the offer of study programmes, research topics, grant offers, development and mobility opportunities and various study option (European Doctorate, cotutelle, cooperation with the Czech academy of Sciences). Information about the date of the PhD DAY can be found well in advance on the website and other information channels of the Faculty (Facebook, Instagram, etc.). 1.4.2 Admission Procedure Applicants for studying in English submit applications for a separate run of the admission procedure. Foreign applicants choose from the offer of announced topics just like the others, but they can also come up with their own topic. The admission procedure begins by submitting an application in the form of an electronic application and paying the admission fee. The application can be submitted for the topics announced for a specific study programme and its possible specialization. You can find current information on the website of the Faculty of Medicine here. Entrance examination In the case of foreign applicants and the applicants for study programmes in English, the admission procedure takes place in two rounds: — 1st round - the admission committee evaluates the materials which the applicant has attached to the application: curriculum vitae, an essay - a motivation letter, a diploma and transcript of courses taken, 2 letters of recommendation from previous teachers. — 2nd round - the entrance examination in the form of an interview conducted before the admission committee; upon prior agreement, it can be held using videoconferencing technology. The admission procedure takes place twice a year: — Starting in the autumn semester - the collection of applications takes place from 1 December to 28 (29) February, (the entrance examination takes place in the spring of the particular year) — Starting in the spring semester - collection of applications: from 1 September to 31 October (the entrance examination takes place in November) Admission to Study Applicants who are graduates of a Master's Degree programmes as of the day of enrolment at the latest, demonstrate adequate knowledge of the English language and pass the entrance examination will be admitted to study. The admission depends also on the availability of the supervisor. An Appeal against the Results of the Admission Procedure A report is made on the results of the entrance examination. An appeal may be made against the results of the admission procedure within 30 days from the date the applicant was notified about them. The notification about the results of the entrance examination also includes instructions on how to appeal, including all the requisites. A duly completed and reasoned appeal with a handwritten signature is submitted to the Dean of the Faculty in the manner specified by the instructions in the decision. Criteria are applied in assessing the Deans decision in accordance with Act No. 111/1998 Coll., on Higher Education Institutions and on Amendments and Supplements to Some Other Acts, as amended (hereinafter The Higher Education Act). 12 med.muni.cz/en Important Contacts and Documents \2 Office for Quality [2j MU Study and Examination Regulations [2j Appeal Form 1.5 Main actors in PhD studies - Who is who? Student By studying specialized courses, the student expands his or her scientific knowledge, works on a doctoral thesis project, publishes original research results, and participates in teaching in undergraduate study programmes. He or she submits a doctoral thesis for defence. Supervisor Systematically and regularly cooperates with the student on the assignment of the doctoral thesis project and the creation of his or her study plan, reviews the proposed methodology, support the acquisition of necessary skills and knowledge of the student, involves him or her in the scientific team and cooperation, guides him or her in presenting. Participates in securing resources for the student and his or her project, monitors the course of the studies and communicates about it with the Doctoral Board or Committee. Second supervisor / Specialist supervisor In some cases, it is possible to appoint a second supervisor to provide the necessary expertise, for example on interdisciplinary topics. He or she can be a researcher from an institution other than the MU, who cooperates with the student and his or her supervisor on a doctoral thesis project on the basis of a cooperation agreement (for example with the Czech Academy of Sciences) or as part of cotutelle. Mentor Advisor of the student, acquainted with the topic of the student's doctoral thesis project, who is in an independent position from the supervisor. He or she regularly consults the course of the studies with the student, his or her direction, possible personal obstacles and problems, and other possibilities of his or her development. He or she can become a mediator of conflicts between the student and the supervisor and provide motivation and support for example in the moments when the student is considering interrupting or leaving the studies. A member of the academic community of the MU, as well as an external expert, can be a mentor. The establishment of the role of a mentor is in the competence of the Doctoral Board, as well as the decision whether the choice of a mentor should be left to the student, or whether it is appropriate to choose from a predefined offer of mentors. Specialist advisor This is usually an expert on the research topic or a specialist in the research field. He or she is in an independent position from the supervisor and the Doctoral Board and consults the progress of the doctoral thesis project with the student. The roles of a mentor and specialist advisor can intersect. Chair of the Doctoral Board (a guarantor of the study programme) Chairs the governing body - the Doctoral Board - and makes decisions on its behalf. At the same time, he or she is the guarantor of the study programme, prepares materials for accreditation, evaluates the study programme, evaluates the course of the studies of individual students, and issues statements on meeting the requirements of the Doctoral Board. He or she also decides about starting the admission procedure and about the topics announced, assigns supervisors, sets up the admission committee, the committee for the state doctoral examination, and the committee for doctoral thesis defence. Lastly, he or she evaluates the activities of individual supervisors. Chair of the Doctoral Committee He or she chairs the Doctoral Committee set up for any study plans with a specialization, where the Committee takes up part of the responsibilities of the Doctoral Board. Doctoral Board, Committee Governing bodies of the study programmes. In the case of programmes with specialization, some of the competencies of the Doctoral Board are taken up by the Doctoral Committee which manages the course of the studies of the specialization. med.muni.cz/en 13 Committee for Defence, Admission Committee, Committee for the State Doctoral Examination Individual committees that manage these activities. They are not identical with the Doctoral Board, the members of these committees are appointed by the Chair of Doctoral Committee. Vice-Dean for PhD Studies Coordinates the activities of the individual Doctoral Boards, is responsible for the quality of the individual study programmes and makes decisions about exceptions. Vice-Rector for Research and Doctoral Studies Supports development and harmonizes the requirements for PhD studies at the University level, plays a role in the appeal procedure. Office for Qualifying Development of the Faculty of Medicine Provides administrative support for PhD studies at the Faculty of Medicine in Czech programmes. Office for Quality of the Faculty of Medicine Provides evaluation of the quality of PhD studies, support for their internationalization and development of their standards, prepares documents for accreditation and evaluation of PhD study programmes. Provides administrative support for PhD students in English study programmes. Research Office of the Masaryk University Provides methodological guidance of the administration of PhD studies. Particular roles in PhD studies Mentor advisor in any field depending on the needs of a „mentee" I Doctoral board Doctoral comission Supervisor guide with professional responsibilities connected to research, and also to studies PhD candidate Another institution Co - supervisor „second" offical supervisor; based on cotutelle/ co-supervision agreement Consultant specialist in the research field; can't replace the supervisor «-1 14 med.muni.cz/en 2. am student PhD studies are the first stage of your academic and scientific career. At its forefront is the systematic work on the doctoral thesis project you have chosen, together with the fulfilment of the requirements set by the individual study plan. The individual study plan consists of conditions mandatory for the whole Faculty, the field-specific courses, and the requirements of the individual Doctoral Committees. You will work with your supervisor while putting it together. Your supervisor will guide you through the process of working on your project and evaluate your progress through the studies on a regular basis. You will expand your knowledge in the specialized courses, gain experience at a foreign research institute, improve your presentation and publishing skills to be able to work as a full-fledged researcher capable of planning a scientific project, obtain funding for it, share its results with the scientific community, and cooperate with researchers at home as well as abroad further down the road. Your efforts will be crowned with the successful defence of the doctoral thesis, passing the state doctoral examination, and subsequently being awarded the first academic degree, the PhD. 2.1 Before you start Welcome Office of the Faculty of Medicine Welcome office of the Faculty of Medicine is part of the Office for Quality of the Faculty of Medicine and offers all kinds of support to foreign PhD students and applicants for English PhD study programmes in settling the administrative matters before arriving in the Czech Republic and before the start of their studies at the Faculty. By communicating with the authorities and institutions, it will help you minimize the administrative and bureaucratic issues with getting the necessary documentation. — It is the first place of contact of foreign PhD students with the Faculty of Medicine. — It provides support before arriving in the Czech Republic, and it is available throughout their studies. — It helps process visas, residence permits, recognition of education, finding accommodation, providing health insurance, and other practical issues related to living in the Czech Republic. Residence Permit / Visa Foreign applicants who have successfully passed the admission procedure will receive documents of admission to study. These documents contain the decision of admission to study, a unified certificate of admission to study, a proof of accommodation in the Czech Republic, a unique user number (UCO) and the password for access to the IS MU information system, information about the academic year schedule, and information about accommodation options at the MU dormitories. Use the "unified certificate of admission to study" and "proof of accommodation" to apply for a visa. You have the option of applying for a long-term visa (for a 1-year period) or a long-term residence (up to 2 years), in both cases for the purpose of studies. Additional documents must be submitted with the visa or long-term residence application. The applicant arranges these documents himself or herself; support from the Welcome Office of the Faculty is available during the proceedings if needed. The information about all the requirements for a visa or residence permit can be found on the websites of the specific embassies, and also of the Ministry of the Interior: [2j Long-term visa [2j Long-term residence Accommodation and Meals Being a student city, Brno offers many accommodation options. It is therefore up to you whether you choose private accommodation or living together with other students in the student dormitories. The Accommodation and Catering Service of Masaryk University offers 3,800 beds in 11 buildings in different parts of Brno at various price ranges. You can find Internet connection, a laundry, and a study room in med.muni.cz/en 15 all the dormitory buildings. Frequently asked questions and detailed information about the individual dormitories can be found here. Private accommodation offers can be found at bydleni.muni.cz. Masaryk University manages 12 canteen-type catering facilities. The current menu, including all practical information, can be found here. In recent years, Brno has been renowned for its amazing gastronomy - a lover of fine dining, quality coffee, oriental cuisine or unusual gastronomic experiences can all find something to enjoy here. In the Go To Brno guide, you can find tips for interesting restaurants, experiences and entertainment, as well as practical information. Health Insurance Foreign applicants arrange their health insurance themselves. EU citizens must come to a branch of Všeobecná zdravotní pojišťovna with their health insurance card, and they will be issued an insurance card of an EU citizen. Citizens of other countries buy their health insurance from health insurance companies operating in the Czech Republic. An overview of these insurance companies can be found here in the Life in Czech Republic section. The support of the Welcome Office of the Faculty is available in case of interest. Health Care An overview of physicians of individual specializations and contacts for emergency medical services for foreign students is available on the Faculty website here. In emergency situations, we recommend using the emergency service. The emergency service for adults (including dental emergency service) is located in the Trauma Hospital. University Sport Facilities Students interested in sports can use university sport facilities for individual as well as organized sport activities. Among the available facilities are a hall for ball sports, gyms, fitness clubs, and outdoor and indoor tennis courts. You can find the list of sport facilities here. Transportation Public transport in the city and the region is provided by the Integrated Public Transport System of the South Moravian Region (IDS TMK). One ticket is enough to travel around Brno and its surroundings with various carriers. 2.2 Starting your studies Enrolment Your studies start with the enrolment. At the Faculty of Medicine it is organized by the Office for Quality. Foreign applicants usually enrol at the beginning of February (when starting in the spring semester) and at the beginning of September (when starting in the autumn semester). You will receive the specific date of enrolment together with the notification about being admitted to the studies. Only due to a delay in granting a visa or residence permit in the Czech Republic it is possible to arrange the enrolment individually with your supervisor or with the Office of Quality - Welcome Office of the Faculty. During enrolment, you will receive basic information on the beginning and course of your studies, as well as information about the life at the Faculty. You can get other important information during the annual PhD DAY, which takes place at the beginning of the autumn semester. Afterwards, your supervisor will explain to you how the workplace operates, introduce you to your colleagues, and you will start working on the individual study plan, that is, a specific plan of your studies and your doctoral thesis project. 16 med.muni.cz/en Practical information Information System of the Masaryk University (IS MU) The Masaryk University uses the Information System of the Masaryk University to manage the data on studies, students and teachers, to communicate and administer the study agenda, and many other purposes. Upon enrolment, you will receive login details for the IS MU, as well as a Faculty e-mail for communication with your colleagues, your supervisor and the Doctoral Board. In the IS MU, all the agenda related to your studies will take place - the initial determination of the individual study plan and semester curriculum / milestones of your studies, course enrolment, approval of the semester curriculum and the individual study plan, administration of internships, as well as the successful completion of your studies. Freshers This is a series of lectures intended primarily for new PhD students. They address topics that students and young researchers encounter when building their scientific careers. The aim of the course is to get a general knowledge about the possibilities of stays abroad during the PhD studies, preparation and funding of research projects, publication ethics, communication of scientific research and promotion of its outcomes, intellectual property, etc. These lectures should strengthen the skills of young researchers so that they can integrate into the research structures and national and international projects more easily. You can find more information about these lectures here. ISIC When you enrol in the full-time form of studies, you acquire the status of a student and therefore the right to get the International Student Identity Card (ISIC). The ISIC will grant you access to many University and Faculty systems; at the same time, it is an international student card that will allow you to enjoy a lot of benefits and discounts not only in the Czech Republic but also abroad, and much more. If you already have an ISIC from previous undergraduate studies at the Masaryk University, it is not necessary to get a new one. With ISIC, you get: — access to buildings and classrooms and access to equipment in case you participate in teaching, — access to the University computer room, to libraries and study rooms, — the possibility to pay for copying and printing in the libraries and computer rooms, — the possibility to pay for meals in the canteen. How to get ISIC: — Enrol for studies. — Have a photo taken (preferably right after enrolment) - the photo will be displayed on the card and in the MU Information System. You can find information about taking the photo here. — Order ISIC in the MU Shopping Centre and provide a personal data processing agreement. In case of loss, damage, or theft of the card, contact the Welcome Office of the Faculty by e-mail and request to print out a new card, afterwards you can order the card in the Information System. med.muni.cz/en 17 The University Campus Library and Other Libraries The students of the Faculty of Medicine can use the services of all the libraries of the Faculty and individual Departments. The University Campus Library (KUK) is the most important library for the students of the Faculty of Medicine; there are over 300,000 volumes of specialized literature in its collection. With a valid ISIC card, the students also have access to a large study room and computer rooms; they can also print out materials from their own devices or use copying and scanning services. Academic staff, students, and University staff can also use a wide range of online resources (the electronic information resources) available at the University: journal databases offer abstracts or full texts of articles, the Library has also purchased electronic books and access to individual journals. An overview of all resources, information on access, etc. can be found on the MU Portal of Electronic Information Resources. University Computer Network and Internet Connection A wireless Internet connection is available free of charge to all students and staff in the buildings on the University Campus, libraries and at the entire Masaryk University, providing internet access from a laptop, tablet, or mobile phone. Masaryk University uses the worldwide Eduroam network. This network, based on the principle of single sign-on, is used by many academic institutions around the world, so you can often access it automatically during your business of study trips. You can find instructions on how to connect to the network here. Both cable and Wi-Fi connection are available in the Faculty and University computer rooms and study rooms. Scholarship In an effort to support gifted and motivated foreign students, the Faculty of Medicine has set up a special scholarship fund, which allows scholarships to be paid to students who study in English. Following the proposal of the selection committee, the student gets a scholarship of 12,000 CZK until the 8th semester. The scholarships for students in English study programmes are administered by the the Office for Quality - Welcome Office of the Faculty. [2? MU Scholarships [2j MU Scholarship and Bursary Regulations 18 med.muni.cz/en 2.3 Requirements during the studies The basis of PhD studies at the Faculty of Medicine is systematic work on the doctoral thesis while interacting with the supervisor regularly, as well as the fulfilment of faculty-wide requirements for completing postgraduate studies in the way you have specified together with your supervisor. Fulfilment of the study requirements (semester content) is evaluated by the supervisor each semester, and by the Doctoral Board at least once a year using the IS MU. After fulfilling the study requirements, the doctoral thesis defence takes place, which completes the studies. The scope of full-time PhD studies requires the presence of the PhD student at the training workplace corresponding to standard working hours (40 hours a week) during the entire standard study period (the amount of necessary credit corresponds with this as well). Common faculty -wide courses 25 ECTS (at least 4) Field-specific courses 20 ECTS (at least 4) Disertation -120 ECTS Publication - 30 ECTS Intership - 25 ECTS Conference -10 ECTS Teaching -10 ECTS Before the defence of the doctoral thesis, it is necessary to meet the following requirements: — meet the requirements of the individual study plan — momplete at least 4 areas of common core (see below) — complete at least 4 specialized courses (according to the specifics of the Doctoral Board) — complete the publishing activity at least to the required extent and according to the specifics of the Doctoral Board — participate in teaching in Bachelor's or Master's degree programmes — complete an internship abroad (lasting at least 1 month), or cooperate on an international project (with participation in regular project team meetings) — present original data at an international conference — pass the doctoral state examination — submit a doctoral thesis — get 240 credits during the studies 2.3.1 Common Core Faculty-wide Courses These courses include the following areas of scientific skills. It is possible to complete them through the courses organized by Masaryk University (e.g. specific subjects organized for PhD studies etc.) or in analogous external courses (e.g. the course Basics of Scientific Work by the Czech Academy of Sciences). The student chooses at least 4 courses he or she prefers from the following six areas: — Scientific information, evidence-based medicine med.muni.cz/en 19 — Ethical and legal aspects of research — Organization of research projects and clinical trials — Data analysis — Publishing, presentation and grant skills — User of the computer network 2.3.2 Specialized Courses They expand the knowledge and skills in the field of studies and its methodology. The offer and possible requirements of these courses are always determined by the Doctoral Board or Doctoral Committee. These can be courses (e.g. methodological courses) or regular seminars. The student chooses those that correspond with the topic of his or her doctoral thesis. These courses are usually included in the "course" Professional Training - Specialized Courses. The need for these courses and their combination related to the doctoral thesis topic is the matter of agreement between the supervisor and the student. Usual teaching does not take place in these courses, they are based on self-study and taking part in appropriate professional events during the entire course of the studies. 2.3.3 Doctoral thesis Preparation This is an activity for which it is possible to gain credits during the studies - in the course of the same name. It includes the creation of an overview of literature and claims, data collection, statistical evaluation, the preparation of your own project, processing of samples, participation in a specialized seminar, giving lectures on the topic of your work, or clinical practice. The supervisor evaluates at the end of each semester whether the requirements have been met, the Doctoral Board then provides assessment based on the supervisor's proposal. 2.3.4 Publishing Activities The publication of original research is one of the main outcomes of PhD studies at the Faculty of Medicine. The faculty-wide requirements of PhD studies specify a minimum amount of publications as one first-author publication of original work in a journal with an impact factor (IF) above the median of the field (that is, the relevant categories according to Web of Science) or two first-author publications in a journal with IF in the III. quartile of the doctoral thesis field (Q3). Individual Doctoral Boards may increase the publication minimum for their field at their discretion. The WoS category corresponds with the topic of the doctoral thesis. When classifying a category into more than one field, the quartile of the highest field counts. It is not allowed to submit publications in predatory journals - information about what is a predatory journal can be found in the University Campus Library. In the library, it is also possible to get advice on whether the magazine where you are going to send your work shows any signs of a predatory magazine. Only publications that the student affiliates with the Faculty of Medicine - that is, the publications where the students state that their workplace at the Faculty of Medicine next to their name - are valid. For more information, see the conditions of affiliation of publication outputs. It is necessary to observe these rules even in case of simultaneous studies and employment at the Masaryk University or in a healthcare institution. A first-author publication means that you are the first one in the list of authors - this position belongs to researchers who have a leading role in its creation. Another special place is usually held by the last position among the authors - this is the senior author, for example, the leader of the project or the group; the work then may have taken place as a part of more complex research of this author. The role of a corresponding author belongs to the first or senior author - this is the person who communicates during the peer review process, guarantees the integrity of the data and their long-term availability so that he or she can answer any questions from the scientific community. You can find more information about these matters in the document Good practice in Scientific Publishing at the Masaryk University. Learn these conditions and respect them. 20 med.muni.cz/en You can also encounter co-first authorship. This means that two (or more) authors are mentioned as the first authors of the publication; they worked on it together and contributed to it to the same extent. The declaration of equal share of the authors on the publication is often stated in the text in the appropriate section. Interdisciplinary publications or publications created in international collaboration at several workplaces (multicentre research) are some examples of this. The individual departments of the Faculty of Medicine, in cooperation with other departments of the Masaryk University, provide students with support for publishing activities in the form of, for example: — A publication fund to support excellent publications in the 1st of 2nd quartile of the Web of Science category, from which it is possible to pay publication fees, language correction fees, Open Access fees (Office for Research, Development and Project Support), etc. — Access to electronic information resources (University Campus Library) — Education and support in academic and creative writing, scientific publishing, citation ethics -workshops, courses, instructions and teaching (University Campus Library, MU Writing Lab) — Prevention of publishing in predatory journals (Office for Quality, University Campus Library - the To Check service) — Information register of research and development results - RIV (Office for Quality) — Bibliometry (Research Office, Rectors' Office of Masaryk University) — Scientific identity (Office for Quality, Research Office at the Rector's Office) — Open Access, scientific data, repository (Office for Quality, Institute of Computer Science) — Transfer of technologies, intellectual property (Technology Transfer Office) — Help with language correction and translation of articles (Language Centre) The publications, as well as other research results, are a work for hire, which is subject to the intellectual property conditions. The management of intellectual property at Masaryk University is regulated by the Rector's Directive No. 10/2013. Forms, guidelines, and manuals related to intellectual property at Masaryk University can be found here. 2.3.5 Participation in Teaching PhD studies are the first stage of an academic career, which largely includes teaching activities; it is, therefore, necessary to focus on the development of pedagogical skills during the studies. PhD students participate in teaching in Bachelor's and Master's study programmes taking place at the Faculty of Medicine. The maximum volume of teaching can be 150 hours altogether in 4 years (during the standard period of the studies, unless the student has a teaching job at the same time). It is also possible to develop teaching skills with the help of the services of the Pedagogical Competence Development Centre (CERPEK) of the Masaryk University, which aims to systematically increase the level of competencies of academic staff related to the preparation and conduction of the courses, the use of new technologies in teaching, the involvement of students in the teaching process and their evaluation. At the same time, PhD students have the possibility to develop their language skills through foreign language courses for scientific and academic purposes organized by the Language Centre of the Masaryk University. 2.3.6 International Internships The students of PhD study programmes are required by the Government Regulation No. 274/2016 Coll., on Standards for Accreditation in Higher Education, to complete an internship abroad for at least one month during their studies. Alternatively, they may be a part of an international project with results published or presented abroad or may directly participate in international cooperation in a different way. It is always evaluated individually whether this requirement has been met. med.muni.cz/en 21 Ideally, students choose a foreign institution themselves in cooperation with their supervisor. The supervisor and their personal and professional contacts or experience with the institution usually play a key role when choosing the institution. It is also possible to choose from the offer of partner institutions that have long-term cooperation with the Faculty of Medicine in the field of science and research or, for example, trough the Erasmus programme. The internship can be financed from various scholarship and grant programmes. The costs of the internship are not covered by the Faculty of Medicine or other central resource pools. The Office for Quality - Faculty Welcome Office will help you to choose the appropriate programme and fill in the application for funding. Even during your stay abroad, you remain a student of the Faculty of Medicine, which means that you still get your scholarship. In case you have a job at the Faculty of Medicine or in a university hospital, the situation will be addressed individually. 2.3.7 Compulsory Practice For individual study programmes, especially in clinical disciplines, it may be mandatory to complete a practice during your studies. The conditions of the practice are defined by the Doctoral Board or Doctoral Committee. 2.3.8 Credit System The course of the studies and the credit system can be described by the following model: 25 ECTS Common basis courses: at least 4 195 ECTS Doctoral thesis (120 ECTS) Publishing activity (30 ECTS) Foreign internship (25 ECTS) Presentation at an international conference (10 ECTS) Participation in teaching (10 ECTS) Possible attestation in clinical fields completed during the studies (10 ECTS) 20 ECTS at least 4 specialized courses 2.4 The course of the studies The studies start with the enrolment. The specific study plan - its content and course - is defined in the individual study plan, which is created by the student in cooperation with his or her supervisor. It takes into account the faculty-wide requirements, the requirements of the Doctoral Board, and the assignment of the doctoral thesis project. The course of the studies is defined by individual semesters; for each semester the student prepares a specific plan ("semester curriculum"), again in cooperation with the supervisor. At the end of each semester, the implementation of this plan is evaluated and the supervisor confirms that the planned requirements are met, and the student enrols in the next semester (in the form of an online application in the IS MU - the system notifies the student of this requirement) specifying further curriculum. Failure to complete the study plan may result in sanctions - see blow. Failure to enrol in the next semester can also be a reason for the termination of the studies. Specific milestones of the studies may be set by the requirements of the Doctoral Board, for example meeting a specific requirement at a specific point in time. Failure to meet this specific requirement may be a reason for the termination of the studies. The course of the studies and working on the doctoral thesis project are usually evaluated in the form of a conference organized by the relevant Doctoral Board, or individually during the meeting of the Doctoral Board. 22 med.muni.cz/en In addition to passing the individual specialized courses, passing the state examination in the field of the studies is also part of the studies. After meeting all the requirements included in the ISP or determined by the Doctoral Board and the Faculty ("faculty-wide requirements of PhD student plans") and after completing the work on the doctoral thesis project, the studies are completed by defending the doctoral thesis. The doctoral thesis is based on the original published results of the doctoral thesis project. All students enrol in faculty-wide common core courses in the IS, see the schedule of the Faculty of Medicine. You can find the offer of faculty and university-wide courses in the IS in the Course Catalogue section; it is also possible to consult the selection with your supervisor. The courses taught in cooperation with the Academy of Sciences will be specified by the supervisor according to the specific conditions of cooperation with the relevant Academy of Sciences institute. You can find electronic publications on teaching and courses, filterable by the faculty or field, on the Masaryk University Elportal. Usual teaching does not take place in field-specific courses - they are completed by self-study and by taking part in suitable professional events during the entire studies. 2.5 Individual study plan (ISP) and semester content 2.5.1 Individual Study Plan The individual study plan (ISP) is the basic document on which the entire PhD studies are based. You can imagine it as a timetable which contains the curriculum of the studies, the assignment of the doctoral thesis project, and a schedule for meeting the individual requirements and key milestones of the studies. In other words, the individual study plan is a list and summary of requirements, the scientific and research work planned, creative work, an international internship, teaching activities, and intended presentations of the results of the PhD student's work at conferences. This individual study plan is created by the student during the first year of the studies and approved by the supervisor and subsequently by the Doctoral Board / Committee. In case of a fundamental change of the plan (for example a change of research focus) it is necessary to fill in a new plan for the entire studies and have it approved. Include in the ISP in particular: — the plan of your studies / research / doctoral thesis project for the entire period of the studies, — the focus of your research and its intended course, — the plan of publishing activity (for example in which journals, peer-reviewed, with an impact factor, etc., in cooperation with whom you plan to publish), — the plan of participation in professional conferences and internships at foreign institutions, — it is possible to lay down a plan for the course of the studies (course registration in the individual semesters) - however, you also need to include this information in the semester curriculum. Important documents \2 isp - overview for new students \2 ISP - overview for students in the 2nd year and further ISP-what to do in the IS How to get to Individual study plan (ISP) in IS MU: IS MU > Personal Administration > Student > Beginning of the semester > Individual study plan Ph.D. and its evaluation med.muni.cz/en 23 Sample of Individual study plan Uco: 123 MUDr. Jana Nováková Individual study plan: Entire studies plan Student proposal for the entire studies: Schedule — Pilot Experimental Models .... — Literary Research I - preparation of a review text — Beginning of Quantitative Analysis... 1st semester Autumn Courses — Doctoral thesis Preparation I. — Professional Training I. — Acquisition of Scientific Information (2nd common area) - 5 credits — • Literary Research II - finishing a review text - preparation of publication I, — • Completion of Quantitative Analysis... Courses 2nd semester Spring — Doctoral thesis Preparation II. — Professional Training II. — Academic Writing in English (1st common area) - 5 credits — .... (field-specific courses) - 5 credits — Experimental Models... — Processing the Measurement Results, Preparation of the Publication Manuscript Courses: 3rd semester Autumn — Doctoral thesis Preparation III. — Professional Training III. — Data Analysis (5th common area) - 5 credits — .... (field-specific courses) - 5 credits — EExperimental Models... — International Internship — Analysis of Results — Preparation of Publication Manuscript 4th semester Spring Courses: — Doctoral thesis Preparation IV. — Professional Training IV. — Computer Network User (7th common area) - 5 credits — .... (field-specific courses) - 5 credits 24 med.muni.cz/en 5th semester Autumn — Verification of the Results Gathered by Experiment Repetition — Processing Measurement Results — Preparation of the Doctoral thesis Manuscript Courses: — Doctoral thesis Preparation V. — Professional Training V. — .... (field-specific courses) - 5 credits 6th semester Spring — Verification of the Results Gathered by Experiment Repetition, — Processing Measurement Results — Preparation of Publication and Doctoral thesis Manuscript Courses: — Doctoral thesis Preparation VI. — Professional Training VI. — The Art of Research and Scientific Writing (6th common area) - 5 credits — English Language Exam (1st common field) - 5 credits 7th semester Autumn — Finalization of the Processing of Results — Preparation of the Publication and Doctoral thesis Manuscript Courses: — Doctoral thesis Preparation VII. — Professional Training VII. 8th semester Spring — Finalization of the Doctoral thesis and its Defence Courses: — Doctoral thesis Preparation VIII. — Professional Training VIII. Approved by supervisor: Yes Changed: 12 November 201108:20, prof. MUDr. Jan Novák, CSc, učo 111 (LF MU) 2.5.2 Semester Content At the beginning of each semester, the student, in agreement with the supervisor, proposes a so-called semester content. Part of the semester content is the plan and expected course of the studies and research (that is, milestones) in the following semester: Include in the semester content in particular: — The plan of your work on the doctoral thesis project (e.g. recruitment of subjects, the experiment phase, data analysis etc.) med.muni.cz/en 25 — The plan of publishing activities (preparation state of the publication / article and a plan for the following period) — The plan for enrolling in specialized / faculty-wide courses — The plan of participation in professional events, selected lectures and conferences — The plan of internship at foreign or domestic institutions At the end of the semester, the student fills in the feedback on fulfilling the semester content; the supervisor then evaluates it and approves the student's progress into the next semester, as well as the semester content for the next semester. Once a year, the fulfilment of the semester content is evaluated by the Doctoral Board / Committee, which issues a statement on the continuation of the studies. If there are changes in your approved semester content, it is possible to explain and justify them at the end of the semester (via the Student's Feedback agenda in the Semester Content section). Students are notified about the need to fill in the semester content by e-mail about a week before the deadline. As soon as you enrol in the courses for the semester (in the Student agenda in the Course Registration and Enrolment section), their list will also appear in the ISP agenda in the Overview of Courses Studied section. If the supervisor declares that the requirements of the semester content have not been met, we proceed in accordance with Section 30 (7, 8) of the Study and Examination Regulation of the Masaryk University. Sample semester content Faculty of Medicine: Autumn 2019 Doctoral thesis preparation: Getting acquainted with the topic that is the subject of my doctoral thesis, namely the topic of sleep and orthodontic anomalies in children, the relationship between these issues, their etiopathogenesis and treatment. Literary research based on the instructions of the supervisor. Getting acquainted with the design of the study, its methodology, and the clinical part of the research. Publications/articles: Preparation of a first-author publication - literary research. Science Forums/Conferences/Lectures: Active and passive participation in domestic as well as foreign conferences, e.g. the XX. Congress of the Czech Orthodontic Society, the IV. Czech-Slovak Orthodontic Congress, the 50th Sido International Congress in Italy, the lecture by Dr. G. Sampermans in Brno, the Dental Summit 2019 in Prague, the lecture by B. Wilms in Prague. The presentation of pilot data. Student's feedback: During this semester, I got acquainted with the topic of my doctoral thesis. I successfully completed the first year at the Department of Orthodontic, including many training lessons in the field of orthodontics, as well as an intensive course on sleep medicine. I worked on literary research on the topic and submitted an article. The supervisor agrees with the student's progress into the next semester: Yes 26 med.muni.cz/en Supervisor's evaluation: The student wrote an overview article in Czech and English on the topic of sleep apnoea and orthodontic anomalies, which was accepted for publication in a Czech peer-reviewed journal. The article will be a part of the introduction to her doctoral thesis. The student goes above and beyond in fulfilling her duties, actively participates in specialized seminars and conferences. As part of her research work, she prepared material for the ethical committee in cooperation with other researchers; an original survey which is going to be tested was also designed. Important documents How to get to Individual study plan (ISP) in IS MU: IS MU > Personal Administration > Student > Beginning of the semester > Individual study plan Ph.D. and its evaluation IS MU > Personal Administration > Student > End of the semester > Individual study plan Ph.D. and its evaluation Schedule and Crucial Milestones Overall Study Plan Schedule Autumn Spring Student's suggestion During first two terms Supervisor's approval During first two terms Doctoral Board's approval During first two terms Any change to the overall study plan has to be approved by the supervisor and the Doctoral Board again. Term Content Schedule Autumn Spring Student's suggestion 1. 6. - 20. 9. 1.1. - 20. 2. Supervisor's approval 15. 6. - 30. 9. 15.1. - 29. 2. Students feedback 1.12. - 31.1. 1. 5. - 31. 8. Supervisor's evaluation 15.12. - 15. 2. 15. 5. - 15. 9. Doctoral Board's evaluation anytime anytime Důležité kontakty a dokumenty Office for Quality [2j Schedule of individual steps when completing the ISP and ISP manuals [2j MU Study and Examination Regulations 2.6 Doctoral thesis and state doctoral examination The core activity of a doctoral student during their studies should be systematic work on his or her doctoral thesis project and preparation of the doctoral thesis, which includes the creation of a literary review of claims, data collection, statistical evaluation, preparation of the project itself, sample processing, data analysis and interpretation, the presentation of results, etc. The fulfilment of the work plan is evaluated at the end of each semester; the evaluation is then issued by the Doctoral Board at least once a year on the med.muni.cz/en 27 supervisor's proposal. In the doctoral thesis, the student presents the results of the work he or she has done while studying the PhD study programme. The supervisor and the head of the relevant workplace are responsible for providing the student with all the conditions necessary to meet the requirements of the PhD programme. Form of the Doctoral thesis The recommended length of the doctoral thesis is 100,000-180,000 characters including spaces, which means 50 - 100 standard pages. The doctoral thesis can be written in Czech, Slovak or English. The doctoral thesis must contain original results, either already published or accepted for publication. Detailed requirements for the publication of the results and the scope of the doctoral thesis are set by the Doctoral Board. A collection of already published works or work accepted to be printed or published in another way concerning the given topic may be accepted as a doctoral thesis; the student must then add a comprehensive introduction into the topic and a commentary. If the student submits results of a collective research work that he or she participated in as an author for defence, the parts done by the student must be clearly marked in the doctoral thesis. The doctoral thesis must be accompanied by the supervisor's confirmation of the student's authorship of the marked parts, and evaluation of his or her share. Formalities, citation standards, and a template can be found in these guidelines. The published works for hire are collected through the University Repository in the IS MU, established to ensure responsible enforcement of property rights, archiving of employees' works, prevention of plagiarism, and to confirm the University's active approach to "Open Access"; that is, the effort to ensure fast and unlimited access to the specialized information and knowledge that the University has created for the scientific community as well as for the society as a whole. The principles of good citation practice, publishing ethics, and prevention of plagiarism are summed up in the handbook by the University Campus Library titled How to Cite. Registration for Doctoral thesis Defence After completing the doctoral thesis, it is necessary to fill in the application for the doctoral thesis defence as well as the list of publications related to the topic of the doctoral thesis. The student submits both of these documents (by e-mail) to the Office for Quality of the Faculty of Medicine. In addition to the previous two documents, it is also necessary to fill in the Archive of Doctoral thesis in the IS MU before submission. The condition for submitting the application for the doctoral thesis defence is the fulfilment of all requirements (faculty-wide as well as field-specific), successfully passing the doctoral state examination or simultaneous submission of the application for the doctoral state examination. You can also find detailed instructions and the application form here. The application for permission of the defence must include a confirmation from the Chair of the Doctoral Board that the student has met all faculty-wide conditions and field-specific requirements. Hiding the Doctoral thesis On the day of submitting the doctoral thesis, the Office for Quality of the Faculty of Medicine will publish it in the IS. From this day on, the doctoral thesis is publicly available and searchable. It is therefore no longer possible to manipulate with it and edit it. Upon prior agreement with the supervisor or in case such decision was made when assigning the doctoral thesis, the student has the option not to publish parts of the doctoral thesis or the entire doctoral thesis (especially if the reason for the non-disclosure is to protect information protected by a special law, trade secrets, legitimate interests of third parties, intellectual property of the Masaryk University, inventions and technical solutions). However, it is the student's duty to process and structure the doctoral thesis so that, with few exceptions, there is no need not to publish the doctoral thesis and so that its public part provides complete information about its objectives and the results achieved. Opponent's Report An opponent's report on the doctoral thesis is prepared. According to the Study and Examination Regulations, it is not possible to edit the doctoral thesis in any way according to the opponent's 28 med.muni.cz/en recommendations. On the proposal of the Doctoral Board, the Dean appoints at least two opponents of the doctoral thesis, at least one of whom is not employed by the Masaryk University. Your supervisor or former supervisor, if they have changed during your studies, cannot be your opponents either; the same applies to your advisor, mentor, or a co-author of your publications or works on which the doctoral thesis is based. All the opponents' reports are collected by the Office for Quality Development. As soon as they have all the reports available, they address the Chair of the Doctoral Board or the Chair of the Doctoral Committee (if this is a study programme with specializations) with a request to determine the date, time and place of the doctoral thesis defence, and a request to set up a doctoral thesis defence committee. The supervisor also submits his or her report before the doctoral thesis defence. The student has the right to see this report at least 7 working days before the defence. Date of the Defence If the state doctoral examination has not taken place by the date of the doctoral thesis defence, the date for the state doctoral examination is also set. The defence must take place no later than one year after the date of submission of the application for defence. If the state examination and the doctoral thesis defence take place on the same day, one joint committee which meets the requirements for the committee members for state doctoral examination as well as for the committee for the doctoral thesis defence is appointed. Doctoral thesis Defence The doctoral thesis defence takes place before the committee. The Chair of the committee acquaints the members of the committee with the applicant, and with the statement of the Chair of the Doctoral Committee on the fulfilment of the requirements and conditions of the studies. The student's supervisor evaluates the course of the studies and the student's results. Then the applicant presents the results of his or her work, the opponents' reports are presented and a discussion with the opponents takes place, followed by a public discussion of the doctoral thesis project. After this part, a private meeting of the defence committee takes place and the committee decides by a majority vote on the success of the defence and the final evaluation. These results are then immediately communicated to the student. The doctoral thesis defence and the announcement of the results are public. Successful Doctoral thesis Defence In case of a successful defence of the doctoral thesis and passing the state doctoral examination, the PhD studies are successfully completed on this day in the IS, and the student becomes a graduate of PhD studies at the Faculty of Medicine. Unsuccessful Doctoral thesis Defence In case of a doctoral thesis defence finished with the evaluation "unsatisfactory", the student has the right to repeat the defence once. The Dean, on the proposal of the Doctoral Board, sets the date of the repetition and a committee for the doctoral thesis defence. The new defence must take place within the following two semesters. The committee must set the requirements for the repetition no later than one month after the date of the unsuccessful defence. The Dean may interrupt the student's studies until the date of the repeated defence. The studies of a student who does not successfully defend the doctoral thesis for the first time or on the date of the repeated defence are terminated for failure to meet the requirements. If the student is unable to attend the doctoral thesis defence at the set date for serious reasons, he or she must send a letter of apology for his or her absence within 5 working days after the date. Failure to do so will result in the "unsatisfactory" evaluation. The assessment of the relevance of the reasons for absence is in the competence of the Dean. State Doctoral Examination Fulfilling all the requirements set by the Doctoral Board is a necessary condition for submitting an application for the state doctoral examination. If it is required by the Doctoral Board, the student submits the claims of the doctoral thesis together with the application at the latest. med.muni.cz/en 29 The date of the state doctoral examination is proposed by the subject council and set by the Dean as soon as possible, while the state doctoral examination must take place no later than one year after the submission of the application, unless there are serious reasons of which the student must be informed. The general requirements of the state doctoral examination are based on the nature of the doctoral programme and approved by the Doctoral Board; the student must be informed of any other requirements set by the Doctoral Board at least 4 weeks before the date of the examination. The state doctoral examination takes place before the committee for the state doctoral examination in the language of the relevant doctoral programme or in the language specified for this purpose in the description of the doctoral programme. The examination may also include a discussion of the doctoral thesis claims if they are required by the Doctoral Board. The results of the state doctoral examination are evaluated by a letter according to the classification scale specified in Section 17 (l) of the Study and Examination Regulations. The committee prepares a written record of the entire course of the state doctoral examination and the doctoral thesis defence. If a student fails the state doctoral examination, he or she may repeat it no more than once at the date set by the Dean on the proposal of the subject council so that it takes place no later than at the end of the following semester. 2.7 Interruption of the studies If you get into an unexpected life situation, you have the opportunity to interrupt your studies. It is possible to interrupt your studies if you have fulfilled the conditions for enrolment in the following semester, and no sooner than after the successful completion of the first semester. Typical reasons for the interruption of your studies are medical or personal reasons, such as parenthood (maternity or parental leave); it is also possible to interrupt the studies until the repetition of the state doctoral examination or the doctoral thesis defence. In order to interrupt your studies, it is necessary to submit an application for the interruption of your studies stating the reason for the interruption - the application is submitted in the IS MU trough the Document Office (Submit a New Application - Application for the Interruption of Studies - PhD Studies). The Dean of the Faculty decides whether the request will be approved and also sets the date of the beginning and end of the interruption of studies. The studies are interrupted for the period of whole semesters, while the total interruption time must not exceed the standard length of the studies. Once you want to return to your studies, you need to enrol again. The requirements for interruption and re-enrolment are regulated by the MU Study and Examination Regulations. 2.8 Completing the studies 2.8.1 Successful Completion of Studies Your studies are successfully completed by passing through the state doctoral examination and defending the doctoral thesis before the committee. The state doctoral examination can be held before the date of the doctoral thesis defence as well as at the same time and after a successful defence. However, the application for the state doctoral exam must be submitted no later than simultaneously with the application for the doctoral thesis defence. The conditions for submitting an application for the doctoral thesis defence are: the fulfilment of all requirements (faculty-wide as well as field-specific) and previous successful passing of the state doctoral examination or simultaneous submission of the application for the state doctoral examination. If the state doctoral examination has not taken place by the date of the doctoral thesis defence, the date of the state doctoral examination is also set. The doctoral thesis defence must take place no later than one 30 med.muni.cz/en year after the submission of the application for the defence. If the state examination and the doctoral thesis defence take place on the same day, one joint committee which meets the requirements for the committee members for state doctoral examination as well as for the committee for the doctoral thesis defence is appointed. 2.8.2 Unsuccessful Termination of Studies Possible reasons for unsuccessful termination of studies: — Failure to fulfil the requirements — Dropping out of the studies — Expulsion from the studies The first and most important step in case the situation regarding the completion of your studies gets complicated is timely communication with your supervisor, the staff of the Office for Quality, and possibly also the Chair of the Doctoral Board. Some of the issues that may seem unsolvable at first glance can be resolved in cooperation with the supervisor (or mentor) and the administrative support of the staff of the relevant departments. The reasons for termination of studies for failure to fulfil the requirements include the situation when the student does not enrol into the next semester or the supervisor does not approve the enrolment in the study records in the IS MU. An appeal may be made against the decision on the termination of studies or on the expulsion from the studies in accordance with the MU Study and Examination Regulations (Section 42 of MU Study and Examination Regulations). A timely appeal has a suspense effect. If you intend to drop out of the studies for any reason, please follow the instructions given here or consult the next steps with the Office for Quality. 2.9 Variants of PhD studies 2.9.1 Studies in Cooperation with the Czech Academy of Sciences PhD studies can be carried out in cooperation with the Czech Academy of Sciences. Masaryk University has signed a memorandum on cooperation in implementing doctoral study programmes with the Academy of Sciences. On the basis of partial agreements which the Faculty of Medicine has signed with the institutes of the Academy, it is possible to study in cooperation with a specific institute of the Academy and have this fact mentioned on your diploma. It is also possible to opt for individual supervision of a supervisor from the Academy of Sciences outside the official cooperation with the institute of the Academy (without mentioning the institute of the Academy on the diploma). The information on whether a specific doctoral thesis topic is announced in cooperation with the Academy of Sciences is made available at the same time as the topic itself. 2.9.2 Jointly Supervised Studies - Cotutelle PhD studies under the supervision of two supervisors, usually one from the Faculty of Medicine and the other from a foreign institution, are called Cotutelle. The foreign institution is selected by the student in cooperation with the supervisor, ideally on the basis of the focus of his or her doctoral thesis project. The personal contacts of the supervisor or his or her experience from the previous work at the institution are key to reaching an agreement. All studies of this kind are carried out on the basis of an individual agreement (contract) between the Masaryk University and the partner educational or research institution. The general conditions of this type of studies, the activities and roles of the individual supervisors, the requirements for doctoral thesis defence and taking the doctoral state examination are regulated by Section 35 of the Study and Examination Regulations: the details are the matter of an individual agreement between the two med.muni.cz/en 31 institutions. You can find more information on the website of the Centre for International Cooperation and in the methodological Instructions for Studies in Cooperation with Foreign Institutions. It is also possible to use a contract proposed by the foreign institution. If all requirements are fulfilled, a cotutelle can be completed by the European Doctorate (see Chapter 2.9.3). Important Contacts and Documents [2j MU Study and Examination Regulations [2j Methodological Instructions 2.9.3 European Doctorate If the requirements listed below are fulfilled, the PhD student has the opportunity to complete his or her studies with the European Doctorate. The documents on completion of his or her studies then mention that the studies were completed in a manner that meets the conditions of the European Doctorate. To get a European Doctorate, you must fulfil the following four conditions: — To fulfil part of the requirements for doctoral thesis preparation required by the PhD programme at a university in another European country for at least 3 months. — The doctoral thesis, or at least its introduction, summary and conclusions, is written in a foreign language, in English or in the official language of a specific European country approved by the Doctoral Board. — Reports of at least two opponents from another European country will be submitted to the doctoral thesis defence, while the supervisor and the opponents must not work at universities in the same country. — At least one member of the commission for doctoral thesis defence works at a university in another European country. If the student meets the conditions and is considering a European Doctorate, he or she must fill in the application for European Doctorate. The Dean will decide about this application on the proposal of the Doctoral Board. 2.10 Good practice of a PhD student A PhD student: — Fulfils his or her duties consistently and in a timely manner, adheres to the planned study schedule so that he or she can complete the studies in the standard time frame. — Actively communicates with the supervisor, informs him or her about the progress made, and overcomes any possible obstacles and problems together with him or her. — Is interested in his or her professional growth and wants to acquire new knowledge and skills. — Uses critical thinking, is able to hold a public discussion in general as well as concerning his or her research topic. — Is creative and original in his or her research work and can present its results appropriately. — Publishes only original results of his or her research, and only in the journals that cannot be considered predatory. At the same time, he or she respects the principles of good citation practice. — Is able to work independently as well as in a team including being a member of an international team, develops his or her skills towards leadership. — Knows the rules and good practice in research and its ethical aspects while honouring and respecting these rules. 32 med.muni.cz/en — Is morally consistent, loyal to the institution, and proud to be part of a scientific team as well as the entire institution. — Is open to receive feedback and has healthy self-confidence and is open to new ideas. — Carefully documents, saves, and backs up data in accordance with the applicable code of ethics. — Respects and complies with the safety and internal regulations of his or her workplace. 2.10.1 Research Ethics The Masaryk University is aware of its social responsibility and the need to preserve and develop ethical values. For this reason, a system of ethical rules and principles binding for all members of the academic community, specialists, and researchers as well as other university staff, has been created. The basic ethical requirements for the conduct of the Masaryk University employees with regard to their professional activities are summarized in MU Directive No. 6/2015 Code of Ethics for Academic and Research Staff at the MU. The requirement to comply with ethical principles is also contained in the MU Employment Code. The basic rules of ethics in research at MU are defined by the MU Directive No. 5/2015 Research Ethics at MU. Basic principles of research ethics are: — freedom of research and responsibility, — respect for diversity of opinions and tolerance, — respect for human dignity and autonomy of research, — transparency, — solidarity and cooperation in research, — benefit and harm - compensating each risk with a benefit. The researcher is responsible for the precision and obj ectivity of the research and shares the results of the research with other members of the research team. He or she also respects the principles of authorship and co-authorship of publications, does not plagiarise, and respects the principles of good citation practice. The Masaryk University has set up several specialized bodies to monitor compliance with these ethical principles. Among the most important of these bodies are: Ethics Board of the Masaryk University - a permanent advisory body of the Rector of the Masaryk University, which judges the cases of violation of general moral principles or rules of the Code of Ethics for Academic and Research Staff of the Masaryk University falling outside of the organizational structure of the MU or which have not been resolved at a lower level. Research Ethics Committee of the Masaryk University deals with the ethical aspects of research carried out at the MU focused mainly on human subjects. The observance and application of the principles of equal access is ensured by the Equal Opportunities Panel of the Masaryk University, which is a permanent advisory body of the Rector. The observance and application of relevant ethical standards in research carried out at the Faculty of Medicine of the Masaryk University and especially any research involving human subjects in any way (including work with biological material of human origin) is ensured by the Ethics Board of the Faculty of Medicine. The protection of animals against cruelty is ensured by The Animal-Welfare Body. med.muni.cz/en 33 The risk assessment of handling genetically modified organisms and genetic products is carried out by an expert advisor for GMO control, who also provides information and documentation necessary for the handling of GMOs in research carried out at the Masaryk University in accordance with relevant legal regulations. Legal support for research at the Masaryk University is provided by the Legal Department of the MU Rector's Office. The lawyer specialized in research is an employee of the Legal Department of the Rector's Office; is specialized in legal issues related to research. He provides the employees and students of the MU with consultations on legal and ethical issues concerning research and ensures the application of and compliance with applicable legal regulations as well as internal standards of the MU in research carried out at the MU. Important contacts and documents [2j Code of Ethics for Academic and Research Staff at the MU [2j Ethics Board of the Faculty of Medicine Ethics Board of the Masaryk University [2j Lawyer Specialized in Research Academic Affairs Office of the Rector's Office The affiliation of publication outputs in case of concurrent jobs at the Faculty of Medicine and a university hospital is governed by the Directive of the Faculty of Medicine No. 1/2019 on Doctoral Study Programmes. 2.11 Administration a legislation Important Contacts and Documents [2j Office for Quality - Welcome Office [2j Act No. 111/1998 Coll., On Higher Education Institutions and on Amendment of Other Acts (The Higher Education Act) [2j Government Regulation No. 274/2016 Coll., on Standards for Accreditation in Higher Education [2j Government Regulation No. 275/2016 Coll., on Educational Areas in Higher Education [2j MU Study and Examination Regulations Directive of the Dean No. 1/2019 on Doctoral Studies at the Faculty of Medicine MU 2.12 Available support Students of the Faculty of Medicine can use the services of all faculty and institute libraries. With a valid ISIC card, students also have access to a large study room and computer rooms, and have the opportunity to print from their own devices or use the copy and scanning services. IT Services for Students MS Office 365 All Masaryk University students and employees have automatic access to MS Office 365. What does Office 365 provide? — Storing personal and team documents, sharing them and editing them together. — Communication tools - e-mail, text messages, voice calls, video conferencing. — Organize your time - share calendars and schedule appointments. — Organization of tasks and projects - assigning and monitoring tasks, projects management. 34 med.muni.cz/en — Cooperation with colleagues at MU and also with external partners. — Corporate social network. Connection from Home (VPN) When using VPN (Virtual Private Network), university staff and students may connect to the university network from home, from abroad, or from another university. When connected to VPN, your computer will behave in the same way it does when connected to the university network. Advantages of VPN: — When connected, you can make use of all services which are available via the university network. Such services include access to MU's paid digital libraries or access to specialized devices and equipment or university licenses. — You can connect to VPN using Windows, macOS, Linux, and other operating systems. Concerning mobile platforms, devices with OS Android or iOS are supported. — Special VPN servers for use solely by staff and students of an individual faculty or workplace with access to sources which are not offered for the whole university, but solely for a specific faculty or another unit. — Connection is always encrypted, enabling safe connection from unknown networks as well. VPN servers have redundant supply from autonomous supply circuits and are reliable in case of dropout. Software The University offers various programmes for study and work use for its students and staff. Some of the programmes can be installed on your personal computer; others can work only on MU computers. In addition to the programmes themselves, discount pricing for other software is sometimes included in the license. You can find a list of the most common programmes available here. Data storage You can use a variety of solutions for data storage at the University. Different storages guarantee different level of data safety. Before you start storing your data on a USB drive, mobile phone, network, or cloud, check these recommendations which storage is suitable for which type of data. Special storages - to work with research and large-volume data, you can use the central network storage of MU or your faculty repository. Sharing and transfer of extensive data - data storages (depositaries) enable temporary storage of extensive data, which might be shared with other (also external) users or used for personal purposes. The service FileSender is at your disposal thanks to the CESNET association, and data storage is also provided by IS MU. Data backup and Archiving - in order to backup data from application servers and important working stations (such as laboratories), MU's infrastructure offers the backup service using the Bacula system. In case of backing up data of extensive volume or their long-term archiving, we recommend using the services of hierarchical data storages of CESNET infrastructure (in special cases also the storages of the MU). It is also possible to customize the solutions for the specific needs of the user. Language Centre Do you need to improve your language skills, help correct the translation of a scientific article or translation of a grant application into a foreign language? The Language Centre can help. Pedagogical Competence Development Centre (CERPEK) Are you unsure of your pedagogical competence and would like to improve it and develop it even further? Use the services of CERPEK MU med.muni.cz/en 35 Masaryk University Technology Transfer Centre (TTO) The TTO helps with the transfer of ideas, technologies, and research results into practice (patents, licenses, results of applied research). The centre also provides advice on intellectual property, the establishment of spin-off companies, and cooperation with the corporate sector, especially: — advice on intellectual property law, — ensuring the protection of intellectual property created by research, — administrative and legal support for inventors, — cooperation in the transfer of knowledge and technology into practice, — distribution of revenues from technology transfer. The management of intellectual property at the Masaryk University is regulated by the Rector's Directive No. 10/2013. The Support Centre for Students with Special Needs Teiresias The Support Centre for Students with Special Needs Teiresias provides services for students with special needs. MU Career Centre MU Career Centre is an official recruitment - consulting agency of the Masaryk University that connects students with employers; it allows students to start a successful career and, in turn, helps employers recruit qualified students or fresh graduates of the MU. It provides individual counselling to students, organizes lectures, workshops, and events which help students prepare for employment and overcome any issues and challenges concerning their career. TobCheckIN is a career network of the Masaryk University. It enables students to get a job, a trainee position, or an internship. It makes it easier for employers to find employees among the students and graduates of MU. JobCheckIN portal is connected to the IS MU, from which it automatically downloads data about the students' education and matches the requirements of companies with the users' profiles. Thanks to this it offers only the most suitable positions to the applicants and enables the companies to use targeted advertising Psychological Counselling Do you have a problem that negatively affects your studies? Don't despair and tell us about your problem. Psychological counselling services are available free of charge for the MU students in the scope of up to five personal or on-line consultations provided by professional psychologists. The psychological counselling services are here for students who find themselves in a difficult life situation, the consequences of which complicate their studies. Timely help can become the first step to resolve your situation. Contact the counselling centre if: — you have been feeling bad in the long term, — you lack meaning and a sense of fulfilment in your current studies, — you find yourself in a difficult life situation, in shock after losing someone or something, — you experience fear, anxiety or panic attacks in connection with your studies, — you feel lonely, — you don't believe in yourself, you are nervous and have difficulty communicating with people around you, — you have issues with decision making and clarifying your priorities. 36 med.muni.cz/en Discrimination and specific needs The aim of MU is to provide access to studies in the available study programmes to all people, regardless of their health or social limitations. The Support Centre for Students with Special Needs (The Teiresias Centre) ensures the availability of the necessary aids and information to students with sensory and other disabilities, for example, trough compensatory software for people with disabilities, publishing literature in tactile imagery or recording video documents in the Czech sign language. In order to achieve general accessibility of education in its study programmes, the MU also provides counselling activities aimed at specific target groups at risk of social exclusion (people serving a custodial sentence, ethnic minority, etc.) Supervision over the observance and application of the principles of equal access is performed by the Equal Opportunity Panel of the Masaryk University, which is a permanent advisory body of the Rector. Centre for International Cooperation (CZS) Centre for International Cooperation of the Masaryk University provides methodological support and coordination of the activities of the Masaryk University regarding international cooperation. The CZS MU administers international exchanges of students, teachers, researchers and other staff, and maintains bilateral relations with foreign universities. The activities of CZS: — promotion, establishment, and support of mutual relations with foreign universities, — international mobility (of students, teachers and non-academic staff), — preparation and management of foreign language programmes (short-term and semester-long programmes - e.g. TESOL, CESP, summer schools), — expert advice concerning the preparation of international projects in Erasmus+ Lifelong Learning Programme and other international programmes (Ceepus, Aktion, etc.), — presentation of the MU at university conferences and trade fairs abroad, — activities in the international networks of universities (Utrecht Network, Compostela Group of Universities, ISEP). 2.13 Competitions and awards PhD students of the Faculty of Medicine regularly participate in various regional, national, and international competitions; many of them reach top positions in these competitions. The offer of competitions for PnD students is very wide and diverse and is regularly updated here. What will you gain by participating? You will gain new experience, establish connections in the scientific community of your field and make yourself visible; you will also learn to present the results of your work. The most important regional competition for PhD students is the Brno PhD Talent intended for full-time students in the first or second semester of their studies, where you can win financial support of 100,000 CZK per year for your project paid for the period of three years. Applicants must meet the following criteria: — Study a technical or natural science field at a university in Brno — Be in the first year of PhD studies — Maximum age of 32 In addition to your CV, the application for the competition must also include the description of the scientific project and its background in English. The conditions of the competition are announced in June, the registration and evaluation take place in autumn. One of the projects of the "Česká hlava" competition, where is it possible to get financial support for internships abroad, is also aimed at PhD students. med.muni.cz/en 37 2.14 Problem solving What I can expect from the supervisor: — Mutual respect, two-way communication, feedback — Scientific and methodological guidance during the preparation and writing of the doctoral thesis — Support in the development of skills and knowledge that lead to the achievement of my study goals — Feedback and methodological assistance in publishing activities and while participating in an international conference — Support and feedback in the development of pedagogical competencies What the supervisor can expect from me: — Diligent and timely fulfilment of duties and adherence to the study schedule — Active communication, information about progress and possible obstacles and issues — Interest in the research topic, desire to acquire new knowledge and skills — Critical thinking, creativity, and originality — Respecting good practice in research, publication, and citation — The ability to work independently as well as in a team — Being open to receiving feedback — Respecting and complying with safety and internal regulations If you encounter any problems during your studies (e.g. you are unable to fulfil the semester content, milestones or requirements of the individual study plan, you do not manage to complete the doctoral thesis, or it is obvious that the research results are not satisfactory and it will be difficult to publish them), the first step should be to consult your supervisor. Together, you will probably find a solution to these issues. If communication with the supervisor is difficult, first contact your mentor who might become an independent mediator in resolving any conflicts between you and your supervisor. It is also possible to contact the Doctoral Board and the Office for Quality and try to reach a mutual agreement. 38 med.muni.cz/en 3.1 am supervisor The supervisor is a key figure in the postgraduate education system. He or she cooperates with the student on the assignment and completion of the doctoral thesis project, and supports the student in acquiring the necessary skills and knowledge. He or she involves the student in the scientific team and acquaints him or her with the principles of scientific work, presentation of results and publishing activities. 3.1 How to become a supervisor The supervisor is an academic staff member who guarantees the proper guidance of PhD students through his or her expertise and moral integrity. Usually, a supervisor should be at least a habilitated academic staff member (or a researcher with corresponding qualifications) who is active in a scientific field matching the field of the specific PhD studies. In exceptional cases, it is possible for a non-habilitated academic staff member to be a supervisor - on the proposal of the Doctoral Board which is further discussed by the Scientific Board of the Faculty (the supervisor for a specific student and doctoral thesis topic is always considered). Completed PhD studies, frequent scientific activity as well as publication and project activity are expected; this guarantees successful guidance of a beginning researcher, that is, a PhD student. The conditions for holding the position of a supervisor are regulated by the Government Regulation No. 274/2016 Coll., on Standards for Accreditation in Higher Education (Title II, point H (II)). In exceptional cases, the supervisor may be a person who does not have the status of an MU academic staff member. A special contract is concluded with a person outside of the MU academic community, and this person is appointed as a supervisor by the Dean pursuant, which obliges the supervisor to perform the duties for the duration of the PhD studies of the particular student. In case this contract is not concluded or is terminated, the Doctoral Board proposes a new supervisor immediately. The applicant usually chooses his or her supervisor already when applying for the studies (together with the chosen topic of the doctoral thesis / proj ect, which was approved by the Chair of the Doctoral Board), but only the Doctoral Board decides about his or her appointment, and then proposes his or her appointment (or dismissal and change of supervisor) to the Dean. In addition to the supervisor, a specialist advisor (another expert on the topic of the doctoral thesis project) may also take part in guiding the student. Following the practice of the Board of Internal Evaluation of the Masaryk University and the recommendation of the International Scientific Advisory Board of the Masaryk University, it is recommended for a habilitated supervisor to supervise a maximum of 5 PhD students at the same time, and 1 PhD student for a non-habilitated supervisor. In case of doubt, the fulfilment of this condition can be verified at the Office for Qualifying Development. Resignation from Supervision The supervisor may resign from the position of a student's supervisor if a situation preventing him or her from supervising the particular student properly occurs. The supervisor notifies the Dean, the Chair of the Doctoral Board and the student about the resignation in writing. In the event of any change of supervisors, the Doctoral Board immediately chooses a new supervisor and informs all the students of the particular supervisor affected by this change about this fact. The Doctoral Board decides so that the adverse impact of the change in supervisors on the students is minimal. Until a new supervisor is appointed, the students will remain under the supervision of the original supervisor. 3.2 Principles of supervision Due to the individual nature of PhD studies, the relationship between the supervisor and the student is crucial; the role of the supervisor is key and irreplaceable in PhD studies. The supervisor, together with the student he or she supervises, is responsible for the quality of the doctoral project. Being a supervisor of PhD students should be a matter of prestige. The student chooses an announced topic and by that he or she also chooses a supervisor as a "mentor". Supervision is a great responsibility which requires a lot of time and personal energy. In return, the supervisor gets the opportunity to create his or her own "school of thought", collaborators for working on his or her scientific projects and the med.muni.cz/en 39 opportunity of further scientific development. Above all, the supervisor: — submits the student's proposal for the planned research focus of the doctoral thesis to the Doctoral Board on the basis of an agreement with the student, — compiles the student's individual plan together with him or her, — mediates the student's acquaintance with the scientific community and the research space, helps him or her establish professional contacts at home and abroad and his or her integration into the scientific community, — conducts specialized training of the student and provides methodological supervision of his or her work on the doctoral thesis, — acquaints the student with good practice in science and research, with the ethics of research and the principles of good publishing practice, — recommends scientific literature to the student, teaches him or her to present the results of scientific work to the public, — acquaints the student with the principles of obtaining resources for financing his or her projects, — each semester evaluates in the IS MU the course of the student's studies and the fulfilment of the individual study plan, — in cooperation with the Doctoral Board, prepares the proposal for withdrawal of the scholarship, — in cooperation with the Doctoral Board, prepares a proposal for the termination of studies. 3.3 Relationship between the supervisor and the Doctoral Board / Doctoral Committee / Mentor Supervisor - Doctoral Board / Doctoral Committee The supervisor may or may not be a member of the Doctoral Board or the Doctoral Committee of the relevant study programme. The supervisor, in mutual interaction with the Doctoral Board and Doctoral Committee, is responsible for the course of the student's studies. The duties of the supervisor towards the Doctoral Board are defined in the Study and Examination Regulations. The supervisor together with the Doctoral Board and the student form a "holy trinity" of PhD studies. Supervisor - Mentor The mentor is a consultant independent from the supervisor. He or she is acquainted with the topic of the student's doctoral thesis project. He or she regularly consults the course of the studies with the student, its direction and other options. He or she is a possible mediator of conflicts between the student and the supervisor. Supervisor - Advisor The consultant is an expert on the topic of the doctoral thesis project who has an advisory function without any duties associated with the position of the supervisor or with the membership in the Doctoral Board or Doctoral Committee (if he or she is not a member of these bodies). He or she is acquainted with the topic of the student's doctoral thesis project, is available to the student for consultations on specialized or very specific issues. Jointly Supervised PhD Studies A typical example of PhD studies under joint supervision is „cotutelle", a situation when the student completes part of his or her studies at a foreign institution with which a cotutelle agreement is concluded for these purposes. The other supervisor usually has the same rights and obligations, unless the agreement stipulates otherwise. 40 med.muni.cz/en Announcing the topic of the doctoral thesis The admission procedure for PhD studies takes place in the form of open selection procedure (publication of doctoral thesis topics); that is, the announced doctoral thesis topics are the subject of the admission procedure, the admission committee selects the most suitable candidate for a specific topic and supervisor. The applicant navigates the topics on the basis of previously published field-specific requirements. To gain a full picture of the future supervisor, the workplace, and study programme, it is recommended to add professional profiles of potential supervisors, including their scientific topics, focus, publications, and grants, to the announced topics. Specific topics for the admission procedure are announced by the Doctoral Board on the basis of proposals from individual supervisors. The announced topic must contain information about the form of the studies, workplace, possible involvement in the grant and project financing as well as about the supervisor, and a brief description of the requirements by the Doctoral Board that the student must fulfil. The topic of the doctoral thesis should be based primarily on original research to provide the potential for achieving quality results in both national and international context. Important Dates The Office for Quality will notify you by e-mail (usually in August and November of the particular year) that the collection of doctoral thesis topics has started. 3.4 Resources for the doctoral thesis project and funding the student Financing of a PhD Student In an effort to support gifted and motivated foreign students, the Faculty of Medicine has set up a special scholarship fund which allows scholarships to be paid to students studying in English. On the proposal of the selection committee, the student gets a scholarship of 12,000 CZK until the 8th semester of his or her studies. You can find more information here. Among other financial resources for the student are a project scholarship, either within the projects of Specific Research or within the projects of external grant agencies. Working at the Faculty of Medicine or at a university hospital may become another source of income. Working at a training workplace enables the student to study for a PhD full-time. Financing the Doctoral thesis Project In addition to the student's personal costs, it is necessary to have funding for his or her doctoral thesis project, that is, the costs that are necessary for its implementation, whether it is laboratory material, available infrastructure, other services, etc. In addition to the resources of the student's workplace, it is possible to use the projects of Specific Research and other project resources. Information on available funding for PhD studies must be provided when announcing the doctoral thesis topic. Various competitions for PhD students can become a resource for funding the doctoral thesis project as well. The most important regional competition is the Brno PhD Talent intended for full-time students in the first and second semester of their studies, where the students can win the financial support of 100,000 CZK per year for the implementation of their project paid in the period of three years. Financing an International Internship When obtaining funds for the compulsory international internship, the administrative apparatus of the Office for Quality is available to students and supervisors. Ideally, the student chooses a suitable foreign institution for the internship with the help of the supervisor (or the mentor or consultant), the Office for Quality can help the student choose a suitable grant or scholarship scheme and manage the necessary administration. The Faculty of Medicine has the administrative tools that help the supervisor and the student obtain funds to finance the compulsory international internship. med.muni.cz/en 41 The current offer of internships and scholarship programmes is regularly published here. Grant Support Various grants can become a source of funding for the doctoral thesis project and related activities of the PhD student. The student may (alone, in cooperation with the supervisor or the team of which he or she is a member) apply for internal (Faculty and University), national (sectoral or foundation), or international grant schemes. The offer of grant schemes is regularly published on the website of the Faculty of Medicine in the section dedicated to grant support. Advice, complete administrative support in understanding the project documentation, completing the project application, the implementation of grants, reporting, and possible audit activities for individual grant schemes are provided by the Faculty Project Support Office. At the Rector's Office, the Research and Development Office cooperates closely with the offices for project support of the individual faculties and provides methodological and administrative support. 3.5 Admission procedure Collection of applications 1 December -28 February Entrance examination Spring months ^ w Start of the studies Autumn semester ^ w Collection of applications 1 September -31 October , Entrance examination December Start of the studies Spring semestr ^ w Applicants may submit applications only on the topics announced for the specific study programme and its possible specialization. The admission procedure is announced twice a year: — Starting in the autumn semester - the collection of applications takes place from 1 December to 28 (29) February, the entrance examination takes place in the spring of the particular year — Starting in the spring semester - the collection of applications: from 1 September to 31 October (the entrance examination will take place in November) Entrance Examination The entrance examination takes place before the admissions committee in the form of a discussion of the doctoral thesis topic the applicant has chosen. The admissions committee evaluates the scientific interest, motivation, knowledge of the field, and the overall readiness of the applicant for PhD studies. Part of the admission interview is also the verification of the applicant's level of English, which is evaluated by the admissions committee according to the standards of the PhD studies. When evaluating the candidate, the 42 med.muni.cz/en committee also assesses the materials provided as attachments to the application such as the curriculum vitae, additional information, and the statement of the potential supervisor. He or she is not part of the committee but is present during the interview. Upon prior agreement a personal interview may be replaced by an interview via a teleconference or a videoconference call. When evaluating the candidate, the committee also assesses the materials provided as attachments to the application such as the curriculum vitae, additional information and the statement of the potential supervisor. Part of the admission interview is also the verification of the applicant's level of English. It is recommended to consult the best way to prepare for the interview in advance with the applicant, especially since each field has its own specifics. 3.6 Course of the studies, individual study plan The student begins the studies by enrolment in the studies. First, the supervisor approves the student's individual study plan, and then he or she submits it to the Doctoral Board / Committee for approval. The plan takes into account the faculty-wide study conditions, the requirements of the Doctoral Board, and the assignment of the doctoral thesis project. In case of a fundamental change in the ISP (for example a change in research focus), it is necessary for the student to complete a new plan for the entire studies and have approved. The studies take place in the form of individual semesters; at the beginning of each semester, the supervisor approves the semester content and the plan of fulfilling the milestones of the studies. With regard to the focus of the student's doctoral thesis project and research, the supervisor can recommend specific courses to him or her or define which courses should be part of the individual study plan. At the same time, the supervisor should assist the student when selecting the best scientific literature, support him or her in publishing activities (for example when choosing a journal for publishing his or her scientific work) or when choosing the most suitable institution for the student's international stay - internship. At the end of each semester, the supervisor evaluates the fulfilment or possible non-fulfilment of the obligations arising from the approved semester content, and then he or she expresses either consent or disagreement with the student's progress into the following semester. If the student has problems with fulfilling the semester content or the individual study plan, the supervisor should be the first person the student contacts with a request for help or support in resolving the situation. The relationship between the student and the supervisor, as well as feedback, is vital to the success of the entire studies. med.muni.cz/en 43 Sample semester content Faculty of Medicine: Autumn 2019 Doctoral thesis preparation: Getting acquainted with the topic that is the subject of my doctoral thesis, namely the topic of sleep and orthodontic anomalies in children, the relationship between these issues, their etiopathogenesis and treatment. Literary research based on the instructions of the supervisor. Getting acquainted with the design of the study, its methodology, and the clinical part of the research. Publications/articles: Preparation of a first-author publication - literary research. Science Forums/Conferences/Lectures: Active and passive participation in domestic as well as foreign conferences, e.g. the XX. Congress of the Czech Orthodontic Society, the IV. Czech-Slovak Orthodontic Congress, the 50th Sido International Congress in Italy, the lecture by Dr. G. Sampermans in Brno, the Dental Summit 2019 in Prague, the lecture by B. Wilms in Prague. The presentation of pilot data. Student's feedback: During this semester, I got acquainted with the topic of my doctoral thesis. I successfully completed the first year at the Department of Orthodontic, including many training lessons in the field of orthodontics, as well as an intensive course on sleep medicine. I worked on literary research on the topic and submitted an article. The supervisor agrees with the student's progress into the next semester: Yes Supervisor's evaluation: The student wrote an overview article in Czech and English on the topic of sleep apnoea and orthodontic anomalies, which was accepted for publication in a Czech peer-reviewed journal. The article will be a part of the introduction to her doctoral thesis. The student goes above and beyond in fulfilling her duties, actively participates in specialized seminars and conferences. As part of her research work, she prepared material for the ethical committee in cooperation with other researchers; an original survey which is going to be tested was also designed. Once a year, the fulfilment of the study plan is evaluated by the Doctoral Board or the Doctoral Committee. Failure to meet the study plan, as well as failure to enrol in the next semester, may result in sanctions or may be a reason to terminate the studies. The requirements of the Doctoral Board may include specific milestones of the studies; that is, the obligatory fulfilment of a certain requirement by a specific deadline. Again, failure to fulfil this requirement may be a reason to terminate the studies. The course of the studies and the work on the doctoral thesis project are evaluated in the form of a conference organized by the relevant Doctoral Board or individually at a meeting of the Doctoral Board. The supervisor plays a crucial role inmonitoring the state of the doctoral thesis project. Mutual interaction, methodological guidance of the student, and meetings at the workplace or within the research group or 44 med.muni.cz/en project team should be a matter of course. It is also crucial to ensure adequate financial support for the PhD student's research (for example trough research grants, part-time jobs, etc.). In addition to completing the individual specialized courses, passing the final (doctoral) state examination in the student's field is also part of the studies. After fulfilling all the requirements included in the ISP or determined by the Doctoral Board and the faculty-wide requirements for PhD studies, and after completing the doctoral thesis project, the studies are completed by the doctoral thesis defence. The doctoral thesis is based on original published results of the doctoral thesis project. Individual study plan The individual study plan (ISP) is the basic document on which the entire PhD studies are based. You can imagine it as a timetable which contains the curriculum of the studies, and the assignment of the doctoral thesis project, the schedule for meeting the individual requirements and key milestones of the studies. In other words, the individual study plan is a list and summary of requirements, the scientific and research work planned, creative work, a foreign internship, teaching activates and intended presentations of the results of the PhD student's work at conferences. This individual study plan is created by the student during the first year of the studies, approved by their supervisor and subsequently by the Doctoral Board / Committee. In case of a fundamental change of the plan (for example a change of research focus), it is necessary to fill in a new plan for the entire studies and have it approved by the Doctoral Board or Doctoral Committee. The student includes in the ISP especially: — the plan of his or her studies / research / doctoral thesis project for the entire period of the studies, — the focus of his or her research and its intended course, — the plan of publishing activity (for example in which journals, peer-reviewed, with an impact factor, etc., in cooperation with whom you plan to publish), — the plan of participation in scientific conferences and internships at foreign institutions. Important documents Information on ISP for supervisors ISP manual for supervisors IS MU > Personal Administration > Supervisor > PhD Students > Approval and Evaluation of Individual Study Plans Ph.D. med.muni.cz/en 45 Sample individual study plan Uco: 123 Jana Nováková, MD Individual study plan: Entire studies plan Student proposal for the entire studies: Schedule 1st semester Autumn — Pilot Experimental Models .... — Literary Research I - preparation of a review text — Beginning of Quantitative Analysis ... Courses — Doctoral thesis Preparation I. — Professional Training I. — Acquisition of Scientific Information (2nd common area) - 5 credits 2nd semester Spring — Literary Research II - finishing a review text - preparation of publication I, — Completion of Quantitative Analysis ... Courses — Doctoral thesis Preparation II. — Professional Training II. — Academic Writing in English (1st common area) - 5 credits — .... (field-specific courses) - 5 credits 3rd semester Autumn — Experimental Models... — Processing the Measurement Results, Preparation of the Publication Manuscript Courses: — Doctoral thesis Preparation III. — Professional Training III. — Data Analysis (5th common area) - 5 credits — .... (field-specific courses) - 5 credits 4th semester Spring — Experimental Models... — International Internship — Analysis of Results — Preparation of Publication Manuscript Courses: — Doctoral thesis Preparation IV. — Professional Training IV. — Computer Network User (7th common area) - 5 credits — .... (field-specific courses) - 5 credits 46 med.muni.cz/en 5th semester Autumn — Verification of the Results Gathered by Experiment Repetition — Processing Measurement Results — Preparation of the Doctoral thesis Manuscript Courses: — Doctoral thesis Preparation V. — Professional Training V. — .... (field-specific courses) - 5 credits 6th semester Spring — Verification of the Results Gathered by Experiment Repetition, — Processing Measurement Results — Preparation of Publication and Doctoral thesis Manuscript Courses: — Doctoral thesis Preparation VI. — Professional Training VI. — The Art of Research and Scientific Writing (6th common area) - 5 credits — English Language Exam (1st common field) - 5 credits 7th semester Autumn — Finalization of the Processing of Results — Preparation of the Publication and Doctoral thesis Manuscript Courses: — Doctoral thesis Preparation VII. — Professional Training VII. 8th semester Spring — Finalization of the Doctoral thesis and its Defence Courses: — Doctoral thesis Preparation VIII. — Professional Training VIII. Approved by supervisor: Yes Changed: 12 November 201108:20, prof. MUDr. Jan Novák, CSc, učo 111 (LF MU) 3.7 Doctoral thesis The role of the supervisor is crucial for the completion of the doctoral thesis project and its successful defence. Monitoring the state of the doctoral thesis project is also essential. Interaction between the student and the supervisor, methodological guidance of the student by the supervisor and regular meetings should be a matter of course. med.muni.cz/en 47 During the preparation of the doctoral thesis, the supervisor should recommend specialized literature to the student and teach him or her to present the results of his or her work to the public, as well as help him or her prepare for participation at an international or national conference, when preparing to publish research results, etc. The supervisor evaluates the fulfilment of the plan of doctoral thesis preparation at the end of each semester, and once a year he or she proposes the evaluation of the plan fulfilment to the Doctoral Board. Doctoral thesis Defence The supervisor or the chair of the Doctoral Board / Doctoral Committee may recommend a preliminary opponent's report of the doctoral thesis at the PhD student's workplace (the so-called internal opponent's report). At the proposal of the Doctoral Board, at least two opponents are appointed, at least one of whom is not employed at the MU. The supervisor also discusses the submission of the application for the doctoral thesis defence with the student and submits his or her opinion on the doctoral thesis to the committee. The student has a right to become acquainted with this opinion at least 7 working days before the defence. The application for doctoral thesis defence must include the supervisor's statement on the course of the studies and the fulfilment of the individual study plan, as well as the confirmation of the Chair of the Doctoral Board that the student has met all faculty-wide conditions and field-specific requirements. All the requirements for submitting an application for doctoral thesis defence can be found here. The defence of the doctoral thesis takes place before the committee for the doctoral thesis defence. The members of the committee are appointed and removed by the Dean at the proposal of the Doctoral Board; the members of the committee are then approved by the Scientific Board of the Faculty. The members of the committee are usually professors and associate professors, or other experts nominated by the Doctoral Board and approved by the Scientific Board of the Faculty. The committee for doctoral thesis defence must have at least 5 and at most 9 members, while at least 2 of its members are not employed by the University. The supervisor of the PhD student is also a member of the committee, but he or she may not be the chair. If the opponents of the doctoral thesis are not among the members of the committee for doctoral thesis defence, they participate in the meeting of the committee, including its non-public part, but only have an advisory vote. Upon prior agreement and if external circumstances require, the opponent may participate in the defence of the doctoral thesis via videoconference. One of the members of the committee is appointed the chair of the committee by the Rector at the proposal of the Doctoral Board. The chair of the committee manages its proceedings and is responsible for its activities. The chair of the committee is dismissed by the Rector as well, either at the chair's own request or at the proposal of the Doctoral Board. Permanent members may be appointed for individual PhD study programmes, usually for the period for which the authorization to carry out the PhD programme is granted (the accreditation period). The Course of the Defence The committees have a quorum if at least an absolute majority of the appointed members, including its chair, is present, while at least one of the members present must not be employed at the MU. The defence of the doctoral thesis can only take place if the committee has a quorum. If one of the members of the committee works at a foreign institution, it is possible in justified cases and after the approval of the Doctoral Board to invite this member to join the state examination and doctoral thesis defence by videoconference and evaluate the results by electronic voting in the IS MU. The course of the doctoral thesis defence is discussed by the committee in a non-public session. First, the committee decides in a secret ballot on whether the student passed the examination or defence and therefore will not receive the evaluation "failed". A majority of the members present must vote for the proposal, afterward, the committee agrees on the specific evaluation. If the proposal is not accepted in the secret ballot, the student receives the evaluation "failed". The committee prepares a written record of the doctoral thesis defence. 48 med.muni.cz/en 3.8 State doctoral examination The state doctoral examination takes place before the committee for state doctoral examinations. It usually consists of professors and associate professors or other experts nominated by the Doctoral Board and approved by the Scientific Board of the Faculty. One of the already appointed members of the committee for the state doctoral examination is appointed the chair of the committee by the Rector at the proposal of the Doctoral Board. The chair of the committee manages the proceedings of the committee and is responsible for its activities. The chair of the committee is dismissed by the Rector as well, either at the chair's own request or at the proposal of the Doctoral Board. Permanent members may be appointed for individual PhD study programmes, usually for the period for which the authorization to carry out the PhD programme is granted (the accreditation period). The committee for the state doctoral examination must have at least 5 and at most 9 members, while at least 2 of its members are not employed by the University. The supervisor of the PhD student is also a member of the committee, but he or she may not be the chair. The state doctoral examination and the doctoral thesis defence may only take place if the relevant committee has a quorum. The committees have a quorum if at least an absolute majority of the appointed members, including its chair, is present, while at least one of the members present must not be employed at the MU. If one of the members of the committee works at a foreign institution, it is possible in justified cases and after the approval of the Doctoral Board to invite this member to join the state examination and doctoral thesis defence by videoconference. The course of the doctoral thesis defence is discussed by the committee in a non-public session. First, the committee decides in a secret ballot on whether the student passed the examination or defence and therefore will not receive the evaluation "failed". A majority of the members present must vote for the proposal, afterward, the committee agrees on the specific evaluation. If the proposal is not accepted in the secret ballot, the student receives the evaluation "failed". The committee prepares a written record of the state doctoral examination. 3.9 Completing the studies Successful completion of the studies During the entire studies, the supervisor comments on the fulfilment of the faculty-wide and field-specific requirements and the fulfilment of the requirements of the individual study plan. These statements are decisive for the student's progress to the following semesters and phases of the studies. The supervisor's role is crucial for the student's successful graduation; he or she should be willing to provide the student with methodological and moral support. The supervisor is also present during the state doctoral examination and the doctoral thesis defence. Unsuccessful completion of the studies If the supervisor finds shortcomings in the fulfilment of the individual study plan and other requirements, he or she informs the Doctoral Board about this in the form of a proposal to terminate the studies for non-fulfilment of the requirements. The proposal to terminate the studies for non-fulfilment of the requirements is discussed by the Doctoral Board of the study programme. Both the student and his or her supervisor should be present during this meeting. 3.10 Administration and legislation The administration of PhD studies, its monitoring, and the records of its course are kept in the IS MU. Keeping the records and monitoring is the responsibility of the PhD student, his or her supervisor, and the Chair of the Doctoral Board - to the extent of their respective roles in PhD studies. med.muni.cz/en 49 The administrative support for the activities of supervisors is provided by the Office for Qualifying Development in cooperation with the Office for Quality. These two offices are mainly involved in managing the current administrative agenda of the Programme (the admission procedure, the course of the studies as well as the graduation or termination of studies, communication with students and members of the individual Doctoral Boards), the necessary support, quality assurance of the study programmes and accreditation of study programmes. The Office for Qualifying Development manages mainly the following agenda: — reviews proposals for the appointment of a supervisor (following the recommendation of the Board of Internal Evaluation on the limits for habilitated and non-habilitated supervisors), — reviews and publishes approved doctoral thesis topics, — reviews and confirms applications for studies, — prepares the documentation for the admission interviews, instructs the Chairs of the Doctoral Boards and Committees before the interview, — collects protocols about the admission procedure and issues the decisions about admission / non-admission, — prepares a complete agenda for enrolment in Czech, — collects and publishes records of the meetings of Doctoral Boards and Committees and publishes them, — checks whether the Doctoral Board has evaluated the ISP fulfilment — checks the enrolment in the next semester of studies, as well as the fulfilment of the ISP at the end of the semester, — reviews the creation and correctness of scholarship applications, administers the payment of scholarships, — reviews electronic and written applications then submits them to the Vice-Dean for Doctoral Studies for approval and makes decisions accordingly, — ensures the appointment of doctoral state examination boards and doctoral thesisdoctoral thesis defence board, announces the dates of state doctoral examinations and doctoral thesis defences, — administers all record-keeping and decision-making actions in the IS MU Office. The Office for Quality manages mainly the following agenda: — reviews proposals for the appointment of supervisors in English study programmes (following the recommendation of the Board of Internal Evaluation on the limits for habilitated and non-habilitated supervisors), — reviews and confirms applications for studies of foreign applicants for PhD studies in English study programmes, — prepares the documentation for the admission interviews of applicants for English study programmes, instructs the Chairs of the Doctoral Boards and Committees before the interview, — collects protocols about the admission procedure and issues the decisions about admission / non-admission of PhD students of English study programmes, — prepares a complete agenda for enrolment in English, — collects and publishes records of the meetings of Doctoral Boards and Committees of study programmes in English and publishes, — checks whether the Doctoral Board has evaluated the ISP fulfilment, — checks the enrolment of PhD students in English study programmes in the next semester of studies, as well as the fulfilment of the ISP at the end of the semester, 50 med.muni.cz/en — administers the evidence of foreign internships of all PhD students in the IS MU, — provides support for all PhD students in securing the administrative agenda and finances for their international internships, — check the creation and correctness of scholarship applications, administers the payment of scholarships for PhD students in English study programmes, checks electronic and written applications of PhD students in English study programmes and submits them to the Vice-Dean for Doctoral Studies for approval and makes decisions accordingly, — ensures the appointment of doctoral state examination boards and doctoral thesis defence boards for English study programmes, announces the dates of state doctoral examinations and doctoral thesis defences, manages the administrative agenda of state doctoral examinations and doctoral thesis defences, — administers all record-keeping and decision-making actions in the IS MU Office for English study programmes. Important contacts and Documents [2j MU Study and Examination Regulations [2j The Deans Directive No. 1/2019 on Doctoral Studies at the Faculty of Medicine 3.11 Available support IT Services for Students MS Office 365 All Masaryk University students and employees have automatic access to MS Office 365. What does Office 365 provide? — storing personal and team documents, sharing them and editing them together, — communication tools - e-mail, text messages, voice calls, video conferencing, — organize your time - share calendars and schedule appointments, — organization of tasks and projects - assigning and monitoring tasks, projects management, — cooperation with colleagues at MU and also with external partners, — corporate social network. Connection from Home (VPN) When using VPN (Virtual Private Network), university staff and students may connect to the university network from home, from abroad, or from another university. When connected to VPN, your computer will behave in the same way it does when connected to the university network. Advantages of VPN: — When connected, you can make use of all services which are available via the university network. Such services include access to MU's paid digital libraries or access to specialized devices and equipment or university licenses. — You can connect to VPN using Windows, macOS, Linux, and other operating systems. Concerning mobile platforms, devices with OS Android or iOS are supported. — Special VPN servers for use solely by staff and students of an individual faculty or workplace with access to sources which are not offered for the whole university, but solely for a specific faculty or another unit. — Connection is always encrypted, enabling safe connection from unknown networks as well. VPN servers have redundant supply from autonomous supply circuits and are reliable in case of dropout. med.muni.cz/en 51 Software The University offers various programmes for study and work use for its students and staff. Some of the programmes can be installed on your personal computer; others can work only on MU computers. In addition to the programmes themselves, discount pricing for other software is sometimes included in the license. You can find a list of the most common programmes available here. Data Storage You can use a variety of solutions for data storage at the University. Different storages guarantee different level of data safety. Before you start storing your data on a USB drive, mobile phone, network, or cloud, check these recommendations which storage is suitable for which type of data. Special storages - to work with research and large-volume data, you can use the central network storage of MU or your faculty repository Sharing and transfer of extensive data - data storages (depositaries) enable temporary storage of extensive data, which might be shared with other (also external) users or used for personal purposes. The service FileSender is at your disposal thanks to the CESNET association, and data storage is also provided by IS MU. Data backup and Archiving - in order to backup data from application servers and important working stations (such as laboratories), MU's infrastructure offers the backup service using the Bacula system. In case of backing up data of extensive volume or their long-term archiving, we recommend using the services of hierarchical data storages of CESNET infrastructure (in special cases also the storages of the MU). It is also possible to customize the solutions for the specific needs of the user. Language Centre Do you need to improve your language skills, help correct the translation of a scientific article or translation of a grant application into a foreign language? The Language Centre can help. Pedagogical Competence Development Centre (CERPEK) Are you unsure of your pedagogical competence and would like to improve it and develop it even further? Use the services of CERPEK MU Masaryk University Technology Transfer Centre (TTO) The TTO helps with the transfer of ideas, technologies, and research results into practice (patents, licenses, results of applied research). The centre also provides advice on intellectual property, the establishment of spin-off companies, and cooperation with the corporate sector, especially: — advice on intellectual property law, — ensuring the protection of intellectual property created by research, — administrative and legal support for inventors, — cooperation in the transfer of knowledge and technology into practice, — distribution of revenues from technology transfer. The management of intellectual property at the Masaryk University is regulated by the Rector's Directive No. 10/2013. The Support Centre for Students with Special Needs Teiresias The Support Centre for Students with Special Needs Teiresias provides services for students with special needs. 52 med.muni.cz/en MU Career Centre MU Career Centre is an official recruitment - consulting agency of the Masaryk University that connects students with employers; it allows students to start a successful career and, in turn, helps employers recruit qualified students or fresh graduates of the MU. It provides individual counselling to students, organizes lectures, workshops, and events which help students prepare for employment and overcome any issues and challenges concerning their career. JobCheckIN is a career network of the Masaryk University. It enables students to get a job, a trainee position, or an internship. It makes it easier for employers to find employees among the students and graduates of MU. JobCheckIN portal is connected to the IS MU, from which it automatically downloads data about the students' education and matches the requirements of companies with the users' profiles. Thanks to this it offers only the most suitable positions to the applicants and enables the companies to use targeted advertising. Discrimination and specific needs The aim of MU is to provide access to studies in the available study programmes to all people, regardless of their health or social limitations. The Support Centre for Students with Special Needs (The Teiresias Centre) ensures the availability of the necessary aids and information to students with sensory and other disabilities, for example, trough compensatory software for people with disabilities, publishing literature in tactile imagery or recording video documents in the Czech sign language. In order to achieve general accessibility of education in its study programmes, the MU also provides counselling activities aimed at specific target groups at risk of social exclusion (people serving a custodial sentence, ethnic minority, etc.) Supervision over the observance and application of the principles of equal access is performed by the Equal Opportunity Panel of the Masaryk University, which is a permanent advisory body of the Rector. Centre for International Cooperation (CZS MU) Centre for International Cooperation of the Masaryk University provides methodological support and coordination of the activates of the Masaryk University regarding international cooperation. The CZS MU administers international exchanges of students, teachers, researchers and other staff, and maintains bilateral relations with foreign universities. The activities of CZS MU: — Promotion, establishment, and support of mutual relations with foreign universities — International mobility (of students, teachers and non-academic staff) — Preparation and management of foreign language programmes (short-term and semester-long programmes - e.g. TESOL, CESP, summer schools) — Expert advice concerning the preparation of international projects in Erasmus+ Lifelong Learning Programme and other international programmes (Ceepus, Aktion, etc.) — Presentation of the MU at university conferences and trade fairs abroad — Activities in the international networks of universities (Utrecht Network, Compostela Group of Universities, ISEP) Grant Support and Support of Science and Research Various grants can become a source of funding the doctoral thesis project and related activities of the PhD student. The student may (alone, in cooperation with the supervisor or the team of which he or she is a member) apply for internal (Faculty and University), national (sectoral or foundation) or international grant schemes. The offer of grant schemes is regularly published on the website of the Faculty of Medicine in the section dedicated to grant support. Advice, complete administrative support in understanding the project documentation, completing the project application, the implementation of grants, reporting and possible med.muni.cz/en 53 audit activities for individual grant schemes are provided by the Faculty Project Support Office. The Office for Research, Development and Project Support also has a publication fund to support excellent publication at its disposal and provides methodological and administrative support in the field of science and research. The Office for Quality reports the results of scientific and research activities, documents excellent publication in the IS and provides documentation for the evaluation of science. 3.12 Problem solving At the end of each semester, the supervisor evaluates the fulfilment or possible non-fulfilment of the requirements of the approved semester content, and expresses consent or disagreement with the student's progress into the following semester. If the student has problems with fulfilling the semester content or individual study plan, the supervisor should be the first person the student contacts with a request for help or support in resolving the situation. The relationship between the student and the supervisor, as well as feedback, is vital for the success of the entire studies. If communication between the student and the supervisor is difficult, it is possible to use the mentor as a mediator of any problems (in case this position has been created by the Doctoral Board). Afterward, the Doctoral Board or the Doctoral Committee should be contacted. It is also possible to contact the Office for Quality and try to reach a mutual agreement. The supervisor can resign from the role of the student's supervisor at his or her own request if there are factors preventing him or her from properly supervising the particular student. The supervisor notifies the Dean, the Chair of the Doctoral Committee, and the student about the resignation in writing. In extreme cases, the Doctoral Board may propose the dismissal of the supervisor to the Dean, and then immediately appoint a new one. The Doctoral Board should decide in such a way that the adverse impact on the student is minimal. Until a new supervisor is appointed, the student will remain under the guidance of the original supervisor. 54 med.muni.cz/en 4.1 am the chair of the the Doctoral Board / Doctoral Committe_ A Doctoral Board is established for each doctoral programme to monitor and evaluate the studies and guarantee its consistently high quality. It is headed by a Chair. The Chair of the Doctoral Board is also the guarantor of the PhD study programme. The guarantor of the study programme is responsible for the quality of the curriculum of the study programme, evaluates it and further develops it. On the proposal of the Doctoral Board, a Doctoral Committee can be established by the Dean for individual study plans with a specialization. It is headed by a Chair who must also be a member of the Doctoral Board of the same study programme. Meetings of the Doctoral Board are always summoned by its Chair. Meetings of the Doctoral Board and Doctoral Committee dealing with study matters are held as needed, at least once a year. 4.1 Appointment of the Chair of the Doctoral Board Only an academic staff member with appropriate scientific and organizational qualifications to perform this role and meets the requirements of the Higher Education Act and The Government Regulation No. 274/2016 Coll. can be appointed a Chair of the Doctoral Board (who also acts as a guarantor of the PhD study programme) - that is, an academic staff member with at least the title of associate professor and a full-time employment at the Faculty of Medicine can be a guarantor of a PhD programme (it is also possible to add the employment at a contracted medical facility). The appointment (or dismissal) of the Chair of the Doctoral Board is proposed by the Dean to the Scientific Board of the Faculty which approves it. The proposal of appointment or dismissal must contain a justification explaining the scientific and organizational qualifications for the performance of the role of the Chair and guarantor, as well as information on all circumstances relevant for evaluating compliance with legal requirements and the Regulation on Accreditation Standards. These are usually information about education, professional activity, and type of employment at the Faculty of Medicine, the field of habilitation and appointment procedures, publishing activities documented in the form of a CV or exporting the personal information from the IS MU, which is provided by the quality coordinator from the Office for Quality. In the event of a removal or resignation of the Chair of the Doctoral Board or Doctoral Committee, it is possible to delegate a deputy with performing the role for the necessary time period (till a suitable candidate is found and appointed). The new Chair of the Doctoral Board is approved by the Scientific Board of the Faculty and appointed by the Dean. It is necessary to inform the Dean or the Office for Qualifying Development about the intention to resign from the position of the Chair as soon as possible. 4.2 Activities of the Chair of the Doctoral Board The Chair of the Doctoral Board is responsible for the activities of the Doctoral Board and the implementation of the entire study programme. He or she is responsible to the Dean. He or she receives methodological guidance from the Vice-Dean for Doctoral Studies and the Dean of the Faculty. The Chair coordinates his or her activities with the Dean, the Vice-Dean for Doctoral Studies, the heads of the workplaces involved, and the members of the Doctoral Board (or Doctoral Committees as well). The Chair of the Doctoral Board summons a meeting of the Doctoral Board at least once a year - see below. med.muni.cz/en 55 The Chair of the Doctoral Board participates in the organization of the doctoral programme, in particular: — Issues statements on suggestions, requests, and questions related to the study programmes. — Proposes the appointment and removal of members of the Doctoral Board; this proposal is subsequently approved by the Scientific Board of the Faculty. A proposal for a change in the members of an already established Doctoral Board is submitted by the Chair of the Doctoral Board to the Dean after it is approved by the Doctoral Board, which decides on the proposal by an absolute majority of all members. The proposal for change is then discussed by the Scientific Board again. — Is responsible for the study agenda, in particular: - Assesses whether the individual study plans of the students are in accordance with the description of the doctoral programme, and at least once a year discusses and evaluates the course of the studies of each student with his or her supervisor and records this meeting; this record is a mandatory part of the documentation in the IS MU. Detailed information about the evaluation of the student is submitted by the supervisor (if a Doctoral Committee has been established in a study programme with a specialization, it is possible to delegate this to the Chair of the Doctoral Committee). - Announces the topics of the doctoral thesis and appoints the student's supervisor while respecting the student's right to choose the supervisor and the topic of the doctoral thesis in accordance with Section 62 (l) c) and f) of the Higher Education Act (if a Doctoral Committee has been established in a study programme with a specialization, it is possible to delegate this to the Chair of the Doctoral Committee). - Proposes the appointment and removal of supervisors to the Dean (if a Doctoral Committee has been established in a study programme with a specialization, it is possible to delegate this to the Chair of the Doctoral Committee). - Initiates, discusses, and coordinates the curriculum of lecture-based courses, seminars, and other study requirements (if a Doctoral Committee has been established in a study programme with a specialization, it is possible to delegate this to the Chair of the Doctoral Committee). - Proposes the members and chairs of the committees for entrance examinations and specifies the requirements for the entrance examination to the Dean (if a Doctoral Committee has been established in a study programme with a specialization, it is possible to delegate this to the Chair of the Doctoral Committee). - Confirms the fulfilment of all requirements for the submission of an application for the doctoral thesis defence set by the Doctoral Board (in writing). - Proposed the Chair and members of the committee for the state doctoral examination, as well as the Chair, members and opponents for the doctoral thesis defence to the Dean (if a Doctoral Committee has been established in a study programme with a specialization, it is possible to delegate this to the Chair of the Doctoral Committee). - Proposes the dates of the state doctoral examination and the doctoral thesis defence to the Dean (if a Doctoral Committee has been established in a study programme with a specialization, it is possible to delegate this to the Chair of the Doctoral Committee). — Keeps up with current developments in his or her field and in the field of education and uses the latest knowledge to improve the curriculum and teaching methods. — Provides the Doctoral Board with the information necessary for its activities. — Ensures the strategic development of the study programme on the basis of regular evaluation. — Resolves complaints and conflicts. 56 med.muni.cz/en — The Chair of the Doctoral Board also participates in ensuring and evaluating the quality of the doctoral programme, in particular: — Is responsible for the agenda of quality assurance of the study programme (you can find detailed information about this agenda on the website of MU Internal Evaluation Board, methodological and administrative support is provided by the quality coordinator from the Office for Quality), in particular: - Collects documentation for granting accreditation to a new study programme, or for extending or expanding the accreditation of an existing study programme. - Once a year prepares a draft of the development plan of the study programme. - Is responsible for the preparation of the documents for the regular internal evaluation of the study programme quality (once a year internal evaluation, once in 5 years the evaluation with the participation of the Board of Internal Evaluation) and for fulfilling the goals arising from the study programme development plan, is responsible for preparing the self-evaluation report of the study programme. - Guarantees the fulfilment of the requirements arising from the Quality Assurance guidelines of the MU study programmes and the internal Quality Approval, Management and Evaluation Regulations (especially ensuring basic principles of quality of the study programme, formal requirements, and introducing and complying with the organizational and procedural rules of the study programme). - Initiates and coordinates the changes in the implementation of the study programme, records the changes made in the study programme, submits changes of substantial nature (for example the change of a graduate's profile, of the programme's direction or of the name of the programme) to the Internal Evaluation Board for approval. — Participates in meetings of relevant MU bodies and their parts concerning study programmes. This includes, in particular, the meetings of the Internal Evaluation Board when applying for accreditation of a new study programme, the extension or expansion of an existing study programme, or a meeting of guarantors intended for guarantors of doctoral study programmes. Important Contacts and Documents [2j MU Degree Programme Quality Approval, Management and Evaluation Regulations [2j Study and Examination Regulations Instructions about the Doctoral thesis Defence IS MU > Personal Administration > Supervisor > View as Doctoral Board > Approval and Evaluation of Individual Study Plans Ph.D. 4.3 Appointment of the Chair of the Doctoral Committee If Doctoral Committees are established in the study programme for individual study plans with specializations, the Dean, on the proposal of the Doctoral Committee, entrust the Doctoral Committee headed by the Chair with the performance of some of the activities specified below. Mutual cooperation and coexistence of the Doctoral Board and the Doctoral Committee is regulated by Article 27 of the Study and Examination Regulations. The Chair of the Doctoral Committee is appointed by the Dean on the basis of a proposal of the Doctoral Board. The Chair of the Doctoral Committee of a study plan with a specialization must also be a member of the Doctoral Board of the entire study programme. The Chair of the Doctoral Committee is responsible for the activities of the Doctoral Committee and the implementation of the relevant study plan with a specialization; he or she is responsible to the Chair of the Doctoral Board. He or she receives methodological guidance from the Vice-Dean for Doctoral Studies and the Dean of the Faculty. The Chair coordinates his or her activities with the Dean, the Vice-Dean for Doctoral Studies, the heads of the workplaces involved, and the members of the Doctoral Board and the Doctoral Committee. med.muni.cz/en 57 The Chair of the Doctoral Committee summons meetings of the Doctoral Committee at least once a year — see below. Activities of the Chair of the Doctoral Committee The Chair of the Doctoral Committee participates in the organization of the doctoral programme, in particular: — Is responsible for the study agenda of the relevant study plan with a specialization, in particular: - Assesses whether the individual study plans of the students are in accordance with the description of the doctoral programme, and at least once a year discusses and evaluates the course of the studies of each student with his or her supervisor, and records this meeting; this record is a mandatory part of the documentation in the IS MU. Detailed information about the evaluation of the student will be provided by the supervisor. - Appoints the student's supervisor while respecting the student's right to choose the supervisor and the topic of the doctoral thesis in accordance with Section 62 (l) c) and f) of the Higher Education Act. - Initiates, discusses, and coordinates the curriculum of lecture-based courses, seminars, and other study requirements. - Proposed the Chair and members of the committee for the entrance examination to the Dean and specified the requirements for the entrance examination. - Confirms the fulfilment of all requirements for the submission of an application for the doctoral thesis defence set by the Doctoral Board (in writing). - Proposes the Chair and members of the committee for the state doctoral examination, as well as the Chair, members, and opponents for the doctoral thesis defence to the Dean. — Proposes the dates of the state doctoral examination and the doctoral thesis defence to the Dean, keeps up with current developments in his or her field and in the field of education, and uses the latest knowledge to improve the curriculum and teaching methods. — Provides the Doctoral Board with the information necessary for its activities. — Ensures the strategic development of the study programme on the basis of regular evaluation. — Resolves complaints and conflicts. The Chair of the Doctoral Committee also participates in ensuring and evaluating the quality of the doctoral programme, in particular: — Collects documentation for granting accreditation to a new study programme or for extending or expanding the accreditation of an existing study programme for the guarantor of the study programme on behalf of the plan with a specialization, the Doctoral Committee of which he or she is heading (for more information see Chapter 4.1.3 Activities of the Chair of the Doctoral Board). — Is responsible for the preparation of the documents for the regular internal evaluation on behalf of the study plan with a specialization, the Doctoral Committee of which he or she is heading (once a year internal evaluation, once in 5 years the evaluation with the participation of the Board of Internal Evaluation) and for fulfilling the goals arising from the study programme development plan (for more information see Chapter 4.1.3 Activities of the Chair of the Doctoral Board). — Guarantees the fulfilment of the requirements arising from the Quality Assurance Guidelines of MU study programmes (for more information see Chapter 4.1.3 Activities of the Chair of the Doctoral Board). — Initiates and, if needed, coordinates the changes in the study plan with a specialization, the Doctoral Committee of which he or she is heading. — Keeps up with current developments in his or her field and in the field of education and uses the latest knowledge to improve the curriculum and teaching methods. 58 med.muni.cz/en — Provides the Doctoral Committee of the study plan with a specialization with the information necessary for its activities. — Ensures the development of the study plan with a specialization on the basis of regular evaluation. — Participates in the meetings of the relevant MU bodies and their parts concerning the study programmes (for more information see Chapter 4.1.3 Activities of the Chair of the Doctoral Board). — Issues statements on suggestions, requests and questions related to the study plan with a specialization. Important Contacts and Documents [2j MU Degree Programme Quality Approval, Management and Evaluation Regulations [2j Study and Examination Regulations Instructions for the Doctoral thesis Defence 4.4 Meetings of the Doctoral Board / Doctoral Committee The Chair of the Doctoral Board and Doctoral Committee summons its meetings as needed, but at least once a year. The Board and the Committee have a quorum if the absolute majority of members are present. A record of the results of the meeting of the Board or the Committee is made; it is publicly available on the website of the Faculty here. The record of the meeting does not have any recommended unified form but should contain information on the time and place of the meeting, the members of the Board of the Committee present, and the agenda being discussed and approved. The agenda discussed: — Is diverse, usually depends on current needs. — The chair of the Doctoral Board and Doctoral Committee inform the members for example about the publishing activity of the students and their involvement in grant activities, a discussion can be held for example about improving the h-index, about the future direction of the study programme, and the scientific field, about new findings, successes and failures, the need for improvement or change, etc. — The conditions of the admission procedure in the following periods are also discussed. — The offer of lecture-based courses, seminars, and possible adjustment of field-specific study obligation is reviewed. — The quality of the study programme is evaluated (on the basis of documents about managerial data prepared by the coordinator for quality from the Office for Quality), for example, student success, reasons for student failure, workload, and activities of the supervisors, etc. Agenda for approval: the agenda below must be formally approved (in urgent cases and if it is not possible or efficient to summon a meeting, the Chair of the Doctoral Board can announce voting by letter) — Consent with the student's progress to the next year (in case of fulfilling the requirements of the ISP), — Change of the doctoral thesis topic, — Change of the supervisor of a particular student. For more information see Section 5.1 Duties of the Doctoral Board. 4.5 The Vice-Dean and the Doctoral Borad / Doctoral Committee The Vice-Dean for PhD Studies represents the Dean in the actions necessary for the proper implementation of doctoral programmes at the Faculty of Medicine, especially in the areas of: — deciding on the rights and obligations of students as the first instance, med.muni.cz/en 59 — deciding on the termination and interruption of the studies, — deciding on the awarding of withdrawal of a scholarship, — deciding on requests for reviewing previous decisions, — recognition of studies from previous education including foreign universities, — taking care of students with special needs and of students with parental responsibilities, — responsibility for handling student submissions in organizational matters (processing applications), — approval of exceptions on the proposal of Doctoral Boards. The Vice-Dean is entitled to handle any submissions concerning the admission procedure. He cooperates with the Doctoral Board and its Chair on the management and evaluation of the quality of the PhD programme. In cooperation with the Office for Qualification Development and the Office for Quality, he evaluates the activities of Doctoral Boards and the individual supervisors on the basis of documents about managerial data in the IS MU at regular annual intervals. In particular, the following criteria are evaluated: — success of the study programme as a whole (or its specializations) as well as of individual supervisors compared to the number of failures (drop out), — graduation of a PhD student in the standard period of studies, — excellent publications of the PhD students (IT, 1Q, 2Q), — foreign internships of the students, — student involvement in national and international grant schemes, — continuous monitoring of the quality of work of Doctoral Boards and Committees, — monitoring of the future employment of PhD graduates. The data from these "audits" are used, among other things, for regular evaluations of the quality of the current study programmes - once a year the Doctoral Board (or in cooperation with Doctoral Committees) conducts internal evaluations of the study programme and introduces the visions and intentions for further development, once every five years the so-called "big" evaluation of quality of the current study programmes takes place in cooperation with the MU Board for Internal Evaluation. The Vice-Dean for PhD Studies plays an important role in both evaluation processes. Support processes for the members of Doctoral Boards and Committees: — Regular information for new supervisors about the system and requirements of PhD studies at the Faculty of Medicine — Workshops / forums for new supervisors, methodological support of the Vice-Dean for PhD Studies, the Office for Qualification Development and the Office for Quality - sharing of experiences and good practices 4.6 Legislation / Internal and external regulations Important Contacts and Documents [2j Study and Examination Regulations [2j The Deans Directive No. 1/2019 on Doctoral Studies at the Faculty of Medicine 60 med.muni.cz/en 4.7 Available support The administrative support for the activities of the Chairs of Doctoral Boards as well as of the Doctoral Boards and Doctoral Committees themselves is provided by the Office for Qualifying Development in cooperation with the Office for Quality. These two offices are mainly involved in managing the current administrative agenda of the Programme (the admission procedure, the course of the studies as well as the graduation or termination of studies, communication with students and members of the individual Doctoral Boards), the necessary support, quality assurance of the study programmes and accreditation of study programmes. The Office for Qualifying Development manages mainly the following agenda: — reviews proposals for the appointment of a supervisor (following the recommendation of the Board of Internal Evaluation on the limits for habilitated and non-habilitated supervisors), — reviews and publishes approved doctoral thesis topics, — reviews and confirms applications for studies, — prepares the documentation for the admission interviews, instructs the Chairs of the Doctoral Boards and Committees before the interview, — collects protocols about the admission procedure and issues the decisions about admission / non-admission, — prepares a complete agenda for enrolment in Czech, — collects and publishes records of the meetings of Doctoral Boards and Committees and publishes them, — checks whether the Doctoral Board has evaluated the ISP fulfilment, — checks the enrolment in the next semester of studies, as well as the fulfilment of the ISP at the end of the semester, — reviews the creation and correctness of scholarship applications, administers the payment of scholarships, — reviews electronic and written applications then submits them to the Vice-Dean for Doctoral Studies for approval and makes decisions accordingly, — ensures the appointment of doctoral state examination boards and doctoral thesis defence boarddoctoral thesisdefence, announces the dates of state doctoral examinations and doctoral thesis defences, — administers all record-keeping and decision-making actions in the IS MU Office. The Office for Quality manages mainly the following agenda: — reviews proposals for the appointment of supervisors in English study programmes (following the recommendation of the Board of Internal Evaluation on the limits for habilitated and non-habilitated supervisors), — reviews and confirms applications for studies of foreign applicants for PhD studies in English study programmes, — prepares the documentation for the admission interviews of applicants for English study programmes, instructs the Chairs of the Doctoral Boards and Committees before the interview, — collects protocols about the admission procedure and issues the decisions about admission / non-admission of PhD students of English study programmes, — prepares a complete agenda for enrolment in English, — collects and publishes records of the meetings of Doctoral Boards and Committees of study programmes in English and publishes, med.muni.cz/en 61 — checks whether the Doctoral Board has evaluated the ISP fulfilment, — checks the enrolment of PhD students in English study programmes in the next semester of studies, as well as the fulfilment of the ISP at the end of the semester, — administers the evidence of foreign internships of all PhD students in the IS MU, — provides support for all PhD students in securing the administrative agenda and finances for their international internships, — check the creation and correctness of scholarship applications, administers the payment of scholarships for PhD students in English study programmes, checks electronic and written applications of PhD students in English study programmes and submits them to the Vice-Dean for Doctoral Studies for approval and makes decisions accordingly, — ensures the appointment of doctoral state examination boards and doctoral thesis defence boards for English study programmes, announces the dates of state doctoral examinations and doctoral thesis defences, manages the administrative agenda of state doctoral examinations and doctoral thesis defences, — administers all record-keeping and decision-making actions in the IS MU Office for English study programmes. IT Services for Students MS Office 365 All Masaryk University students and employees have automatic access to MS Office 365. What does Office 365 provide? — storing personal and team documents, sharing them and editing them together, — communication tools - e-mail, text messages, voice calls, video conferencing, — organize your time - share calendars and schedule appointments, — organization of tasks and projects - assigning and monitoring tasks, projects management, — cooperation with colleagues at MU and also with external partners, — corporate social network. Connection from Home (VPN) When using VPN (Virtual Private Network), university staff and students may connect to the university network from home, from abroad, or from another university. When connected to VPN, your computer will behave in the same way it does when connected to the university network. Advantages of VPN: — When connected, you can make use of all services which are available via the university network. Such services include access to MU's paid digital libraries or access to specialized devices and equipment or university licenses. — You can connect to VPN using Windows, macOS, Linux, and other operating systems. Concerning mobile platforms, devices with OS Android or iOS are supported. — Special VPN servers for use solely by staff and students of an individual faculty or workplace with access to sources which are not offered for the whole university, but solely for a specific faculty or another unit. — Connection is always encrypted, enabling safe connection from unknown networks as well. VPN servers have redundant supply from autonomous supply circuits and are reliable in case of dropout. Software The University offers various programmes for study and work use for its students and staff. 62 med.muni.cz/en Some of the programmes can be installed on your personal computer; others can work only on MU computers. In addition to the programmes themselves, discount pricing for other software is sometimes included in the license. You can find a list of the most common programmes available here. Data Storage You can use a variety of solutions for data storage at the University. Different storages guarantee different level of data safety. Before you start storing your data on a USB drive, mobile phone, network, or cloud, check these recommendations which storage is suitable for which type of data. Special storages - to work with research and large-volume data, you can use the central network storage of MU or your faculty repository. Sharing and transfer of extensive data - data storages (depositaries) enable temporary storage of extensive data, which might be shared with other (also external) users or used for personal purposes. The service FileSender is at your disposal thanks to the CESNET association, and data storage is also provided by IS MU. Data backup and Archiving - in order to backup data from application servers and important working stations (such as laboratories), MU's infrastructure offers the backup service using the Bacula system. In case of backing up data of extensive volume or their long-term archiving, we recommend using the services of hierarchical data storages of CESNET infrastructure (in special cases also the storages of the MU). It is also possible to customize the solutions for the specific needs of the user. Language Centre Do you need to improve your language skills, help correct the translation of a scientific article or translation of a grant application into a foreign language? The Language Centre can help. Pedagogical Competence Development Centre (CERPEK) Are you unsure of your pedagogical competence and would like to improve it and develop it even further? Use the services of CERPEK MU Masaryk University Technology Transfer Centre (TTO) The TTO helps with the transfer of ideas, technologies, and research results into practice (patents, licenses, results of applied research). The centre also provides advice on intellectual property, the establishment of spin-off companies, and cooperation with the corporate sector, especially: — advice on intellectual property law, — ensuring the protection of intellectual property created by research, — administrative and legal support for inventors, — cooperation in the transfer of knowledge and technology into practice, — distribution of revenues from technology transfer. The management of intellectual property at the Masaryk University is regulated by the Rector's Directive No. 10/2013. The Support Centre for Students with Special Needs Teiresias The Support Centre for Students with Special Needs Teiresias provides services for students with special needs. MU Career Centre MU Career Centre is an official recruitment - consulting agency of the Masaryk University that connects students with employers; it allows students to start a successful career and, in turn, helps employers med.muni.cz/en 63 recruit qualified students or fresh graduates of the MU. It provides individual counselling to students, organizes lectures, workshops, and events which help students prepare for employment and overcome any issues and challenges concerning their career. TobCheckIN is a career network of the Masaryk University. It enables students to get a job, a trainee position, or an internship. It makes it easier for employers to find employees among the students and graduates of MU. JobCheckIN portal is connected to the IS MU, from which it automatically downloads data about the students' education and matches the requirements of companies with the users' profiles. Thanks to this it offers only the most suitable positions to the applicants and enables the companies to use targeted advertising. Discrimination The aim of MU is to provide access to studies in the available study programmes to all people, regardless of their health or social limitations. The Support Centre for Students with Special Needs (The Teiresias Centre) ensures the availability of the necessary aids and information to students with sensory and other disabilities, for example, trough compensatory software for people with disabilities, publishing literature in tactile imagery or recording video documents in the Czech sign language. In order to achieve general accessibility of education in its study programmes, the MU also provides counselling activities aimed at specific target groups at risk of social exclusion (people serving a custodial sentence, ethnic minority, etc.) Supervision over the observance and application of the principles of equal access is performed by the Equal Opportunity Panel of the Masaryk University, which is a permanent advisory body of the Rector. Centre for International Cooperation (CZS) Centre for International Cooperation of the Masaryk University provides methodological support and coordination of the activates of the Masaryk University regarding international cooperation. The CZS MU administers international exchanges of students, teachers, researchers and other staff, and maintains bilateral relations with foreign universities. The activities of CZS: — Promotion, establishment, and support of mutual relations with foreign universities — International mobility (of students, teachers and non-academic staff) — Preparation and management of foreign language programmes (short-term and semester-long programmes - e.g. TESOL, CESP, summer schools) — Expert advice concerning the preparation of international projects in Erasmus+ Lifelong Learning Programme and other international programmes (Ceepus, Aktion, etc.) — Presentation of the MU at university conferences and trade fairs abroad — Activities in the international networks of universities (Utrecht Network, Compostela Group of Universities, ISEP) Grant Support and Support of Science and Research Various grants can become a source of funding the doctoral thesis project and related activities of the PhD student. The student may (alone, in cooperation with the supervisor or the team of which he or she is a member) apply for internal (Faculty and University), national (sectoral or foundation) or international grant schemes. The offer of grant schemes is regularly published on the website of the Faculty of Medicine in the section dedicated to grant support. Advice, complete administrative support in understanding the project documentation, completing the project application, the implementation of grants, reporting and possible audit activities for individual grant schemes are provided by the Faculty Project Support Office. The Office for Research, Development and Project Support also has a publication fund to support excellent publication at its disposal and provides methodological and administrative support in the field of science 64 med.muni.cz/en and research. The Office for Quality reports the results of scientific and research activities, documents excellent publication in the IS and provides documentation for the evaluation of science. 4.8 Problem solving If communication between the student and the supervisor is difficult and mutual disagreements cannot be resolved, in extreme cases can the doctoral board propose the dismissal of the supervisor to the dean, and shall immediately determine a new supervisor. The Doctoral Board should decide so that the adverse impact of the supervisor change on the student is minimal. Until a new supervisor is appointed, the student will remain under the guidance of the original supervisor. If circumstances arise that prevent the supervisor from properly leading a particular student, he or she may resign from the position of student supervisor at his / her own request. The supervisor notifies the dean, the Doctoral Board and the student in writing of the resignation. med.muni.cz/en 65 5.1 am a member of the Doctoral Board / Doctoral Committee 5.1 Doctoral Board For each PhD programme (in accordance with Section 47 (6) of the Higher Education Act and the internal MU Degree Programme Quality, Approval, Management, and Evaluation Regulations), a Doctoral Board is established to monitor and evaluate the studies and guarantee its consistent high quality. It plays an irreplaceable role in PhD studies. Members of the Doctoral Board The Doctoral Board should have at least seven members, and consist of: — at least three academic staff members of the MU who work at the MU as employees, including the guarantor of the study programme = internal Doctoral Board members — at least two experts in the particular research field who do not work at the MU on the basis of employment = external Doctoral Board members The members of the Doctoral Board are appointed and removed by the Dean at the proposal of the Chair of the Doctoral Board (see Chapter 4 Chair of the Doctoral Board), the proposal is then approved by the Scientific Board of the Faculty. A proposal for a change in the members of the already established Doctoral Board is submitted to the Dean by the Chair of the Doctoral Board, after the approval of the Doctoral Board, which decides by absolute majority of the votes of all members. The Dean may submit a proposal for a change in the members of the already established Programme Council to the Doctoral Board after prior discussion with the Chair of the Board. Meetings of the Doctoral Board Meetings of the Doctoral Board are summoned by the Chair as needed, but at least once a year. The Doctoral Board has a quorum if at least half of its members are present. If the Doctoral Board is not voting about a proposal to change the members of an already established Doctoral Board, it decides by a two-thirds majority of in a public vote by acclamation. Records of the meetings of the Doctoral Board and its activities are made once a year; they are publicly available and can be found at the Faculty website here. The record of the meeting does not have a recommended unified form but should contain information on the time and place of the meeting, the members of the Board or Committee present, and the agenda discussed and approved. The records are collected and published by the Office for Qualifying Development (for Czech study programmes) and the Office for Quality (for English study programmes). If it is not possible or desirable to summon a meeting of the Doctoral Board, the Chair of the Doctoral Board may announce a vote by letter (or using other technologies). In such a case, the Doctoral Board decides by a two-thirds majority of its members. Activities of the Doctoral Board The Doctoral Board engages in particular in the following activities: — determines detailed requirements for full-time and combined form of studies in the specific PhD programme, — approves the research focus of the doctoral thesis; that is, the doctoral thesis topics for the current admission procedur, — evaluates whether the individual study plans of students are in accordance with the description of the PhD programme - monitoring of the course of studies, 66 med.muni.cz/en — proposes the members sand chairs of the Admission Boards to the Dean and specifies the requirements for the entrance examination, — proposes the appointment and dismissal of supervisors to the Dean, — appoints the student's supervisor while respecting the student's right to choose the supervisor and the topic of the doctoral thesis in accordance with Section 62 (l) c) and f) of the Higher Education Act, — continuously monitors the quality of the supervisor's work (feedback from students, monitoring), — initiates, discusses, and coordinates the curriculum of lecture-based courses, seminars, and other study requirements, — at least once a year discusses and evaluates the course of the studies of each student together with his or her supervisor, and makes a record of the results of this meeting, which is a mandatory part of the documentation kept in the IS MU (detailed information the evaluation of the student is provided by the supervisor), — may propose a withdrawal of scholarship or termination of studies to the Dean, — proposes the chair and members of the committee for the state doctoral examination, as well as the chair, committee members and opponents for the doctoral thesis defence committee to the Dean, — proposes the dates of the state doctoral examination and the doctoral thesis defence to the Dean, — proposes the establishment and staffing of Doctoral Committees, — monitors the course of the studies, evaluates the scientific level and the teaching of the study programme, — comments on the plans to change or expand the existing study programme, or on the plan to cancel the study programme, also comments on the self-assessment report which is part of the internal quality assessment of the study programme. The Doctoral Board may organize public lectures / conferences of PhD students, continuously supervises the course and quality of the studies and the work of the supervisor (for example in the form of student conferences or mentor interviews). The Doctoral Board should also provide the student with feedback on the work of the supervisor, comment on his or her role, and on the course of the specific studies. If the Doctoral Board finds facts that prevent the current supervisor from proper supervision, it may decide to change the supervisor. It can do so at the proposal of the student as well. In the event of any change in supervisor, the Doctoral Board appoints a new supervisor immediately and informs all the students of the particular supervisor affected by the change. The Doctoral Board decides so that the adverse impact of the change of supervisor on the student is minimal. Until a new supervisor is appointed, the student remains under the guidance of the original one. Important Contacts and Documents [2j MU Degree Programme Quality Approval, Management and Evaluation Regulations [2j Study and Examination Regulations 5.2 Doctoral Committe At the proposal of the Doctoral Board, the Dean may establish Doctoral Committees for study plans with specializations. The members and chairs of the Doctoral Committees are appointed by the Dean on the basis of the proposal of the Doctoral Board. The Chair of the Doctoral Committee must always be a member of the Doctoral Board of the specific PhD programme. med.muni.cz/en 67 Member of the Doctoral Committee The Program Committee has at least five members and consists of: — at least three employees of the Masaryk University — at least two members who are not employees of the Masaryk University Meetings of the Doctoral Committee The Doctoral Committee has a quorum if an absolute majority of its members is present. The Doctoral Committee decides by at least a two-thirds majority of the members present. The voting can also take place by letter or in an electronic form. In this case, the Doctoral Committee decides by a majority of votes of all its members. The term of office of the Doctoral Committee is identical to the rules for the term of office of the Doctoral Board. Activities of the Doctoral Committee If Doctoral Committees are established in the study programme, the Dean will entrust them with the performance of some or all of the following activities on the proposal of the Doctoral Board in accordance with Article 21 of the Study and Examination Regulations. The Committee: — assesses whether the individual study plans of the students are in accordance with the description of the doctoral programme, — proposes the members and chairs of the committees for entrance examinations and specifies the requirements for the entrance examination to the Dean, — proposes the appointment and removal of supervisors to the Dean, — appoints the student's supervisor while respecting the student's right to choose the supervisor and the topic of the doctoral thesis in accordance with Section 62 (l) c) and f) of the Higher Education Act, — initiates, discusses, and coordinates the curriculum of lecture-based courses, seminars, and other study requirements, — at least once a year discusses and evaluates the course of the studies of each student together with his or her supervisor, and makes a record of the results of this meeting, which is a mandatory part of the documentation kept in the IS MU (detailed information the evaluation of the student is provided by the supervisor), — proposed the chair and members of the committee for the state doctoral examination, as well as the chair, committee members and opponents for the doctoral thesis defence to the Dean — proposes the dates of the state doctoral examination and the doctoral thesis defence to the Dean. 5.3 Legislation / internal and external regulations Important Contacts and Documents \2 Office for Quality [2j MU Study and Examination Regulations [2j The Dean's Directive No. 1/2019 on Doctoral Studies at the Faculty of Medicine 5.4 Available support The administrative support for the activities of the Chairs of Doctoral Boards as well as of the Doctoral Boards and Doctoral Committees themselves is provided by the Office for Qualifying Development in cooperation with the Office for Quality. These two offices are mainly involved in managing the current administrative agenda of the Programme (the admission procedure, the course of the studies as well as 68 med.muni.cz/en the graduation or termination of studies, communication with students and members of the individual Doctoral Boards), the necessary support, quality assurance of the study programmes and accreditation of study programmes. The Office for Qualifying Development manages mainly the following agenda: — reviews proposals for the appointment of a supervisor (following the recommendation of the Board of Internal Evaluation on the limits for habilitated and non-habilitated supervisors), — reviews and publishes approved doctoral thesis topics, — reviews and confirms applications for studies, — prepares the documentation for the admission interviews, instructs the Chairs of the Doctoral Boards and Committees before the interview, — collects protocols about the admission procedure and issues the decisions about admission / non-admission, — prepares a complete agenda for enrolment in Czech, — collects and publishes records of the meetings of Doctoral Boards and Committees and publishes them, — checks whether the Doctoral Board has evaluated the ISP fulfilment, — checks the enrolment in the next semester of studies, as well as the fulfilment of the ISP at the end of the semester, — reviews the creation and correctness of scholarship applications, administers the payment of scholarships, — reviews electronic and written applications then submits them to the Vice-Dean for Doctoral Studies for approval and makes decisions accordingly, — ensures the appointment of doctoral state examination boards and doctoral thesis defence boards, announces the dates of state doctoral examinations and doctoral thesis defences, — administers all record-keeping and decision-making actions in the IS MU Office. The Office for Quality manages mainly the following agenda: — reviews proposals for the appointment of supervisors in English study programmes (following the recommendation of the Board of Internal Evaluation on the limits for habilitated and non-habilitated supervisors), — reviews and confirms applications for studies of foreign applicants for PhD studies in English study programmes, — prepares the documentation for the admission interviews of applicants for English study programmes, instructs the Chairs of the Doctoral Boards and Committees before the interview, — collects protocols about the admission procedure and issues the decisions about admission / non-admission of PhD students of English study programmes, — prepares a complete agenda for enrolment in English, — collects and publishes records of the meetings of Doctoral Boards and Committees of study programmes in English and publishes, — checks whether the Doctoral Board has evaluated the ISP fulfilment, — checks the enrolment of PhD students in English study programmes in the next semester of studies, as well as the fulfilment of he ISP at the end of the semester, — administers the evidence of foreign internships of all PhD students in the IS MU, med.muni.cz/en 69 — provides support for all PhD students in securing the administrative agenda and finances for their international internships, — check the creation and correctness of scholarship applications, administers the payment of scholarships for PhD students in English study programmes, checks electronic and written applications of PhD students in English study programmes and submits them to the Vice-Dean for Doctoral Studies for approval and makes decisions accordingly, — ensures the appointment of doctoral state examination boards and doctoral thesis defence boards for English study programmes, announces the dates of state doctoral examinations and doctoral thesis defences, manages the administrative agenda of state doctoral examinations and doctoral thesis defences, — edministers all record-keeping and decision-making actions in the IS MU Office for English study programmes. IT Services for Students MS Office 365 All Masaryk University students and employees have automatic access to MS Office 365. What does Office 365 provide? — storing personal and team documents, sharing them and editing them together, — communication tools - e-mail, text messages, voice calls, video conferencing, — organize your time - share calendars and schedule appointments, — organization of tasks and projects - assigning and monitoring tasks, projects management, — cooperation with colleagues at MU and also with external partners, — corporate social network. Connection from Home (VPN) When using VPN (Virtual Private Network), university staff and students may connect to the university network from home, from abroad, or from another university. When connected to VPN, your computer will behave in the same way it does when connected to the university network. Advantages of VPN: — When connected, you can make use of all services which are available via the university network. Such services include access to MU's paid digital libraries or access to specialized devices and equipment or university licenses. — You can connect to VPN using Windows, macOS, Linux, and other operating systems. Concerning mobile platforms, devices with OS Android or iOS are supported. — Special VPN servers for use solely by staff and students of an individual faculty or workplace with access to sources which are not offered for the whole university, but solely for a specific faculty or another unit. — Connection is always encrypted, enabling safe connection from unknown networks as well. VPN servers have redundant supply from autonomous supply circuits and are reliable in case of dropout. Software The University offers various programmes for study and work use for its students and staff. Some of the programmes can be installed on your personal computer; others can work only on MU computers. In addition to the programmes themselves, discount pricing for other software is sometimes included in the license. You can find a list of the most common programmes available here. Data Storage You can use a variety of solutions for data storage at the University. Different storages guarantee different 70 med.muni.cz/en level of data safety. Before you start storing your data on a USB drive, mobile phone, network, or cloud, check these recommendations which storage is suitable for which type of data. Special storages - to work with research and large-volume data, you can use the central network storage of MU or your faculty repository Sharing and transfer of extensive data - data storages (depositaries) enable temporary storage of extensive data, which might be shared with other (also external) users or used for personal purposes. The service FileSender is at your disposal thanks to the CESNET association, and data storage is also provided by IS MU. Data backup and Archiving - in order to backup data from application servers and important working stations (such as laboratories), MU's infrastructure offers the backup service using the Bacula system. In case of backing up data of extensive volume or their long-term archiving, we recommend using the services of hierarchical data storages of CESNET infrastructure (in special cases also the storages of the MU). It is also possible to customize the solutions for the specific needs of the user. Language Centre Do you need to improve your language skills, help correct the translation of a scientific article or translation of a grant application into a foreign language? The Language Centre can help. Pedagogical Competence Development Centre (CERPEK) Are you unsure of your pedagogical competence and would like to improve it and develop it even further? Use the services of CERPEK MU Masaryk University Technology Transfer Centre (TTO) The TTO helps with the transfer of ideas, technologies, and research results into practice (patents, licenses, results of applied research). The centre also provides advice on intellectual property, the establishment of spin-off companies, and cooperation with the corporate sector, especially: — advice on intellectual property law, — ensuring the protection of intellectual property created by research, — administrative and legal support for inventors, — cooperation in the transfer of knowledge and technology into practice, — distribution of revenues from technology transfer. The management of intellectual property at the Masaryk University is regulated by the Rector's Directive No. 10/2013. The Support Centre for Students with Special Needs Teiresias The Support Centre for Students with Special Needs Teiresias provides services for students with special needs. MU Career Centre MU Career Centre is an official recruitment - consulting agency of the Masaryk University that connects students with employers; it allows students to start a successful career and, in turn, helps employers recruit qualified students or fresh graduates of the MU. It provides individual counselling to students, organizes lectures, workshops, and events which help students prepare for employment and overcome any issues and challenges concerning their career. TobCheckIN is a career network of the Masaryk University. It enables students to get a job, a trainee position, or an internship. It makes it easier for employers to find employees among the students and graduates of MU. JobCheckIN portal is connected to the IS MU, from which it automatically downloads med.muni.cz/en 71 data about the students' education and matches the requirements of companies with the users' profiles. Thanks to this it offers only the most suitable positions to the applicants and enables the companies to use targeted advertising. Discrimination and special needs The aim of MU is to provide access to studies in the available study programmes to all people, regardless of their health or social limitations. The Support Centre for Students with Special Needs (The Teiresias Centre) ensures the availability of the necessary aids and information to students with sensory and other disabilities, for example, trough compensatory software for people with disabilities, publishing literature in tactile imagery or recording video documents in the Czech sign language. In order to achieve general accessibility of education in its study programmes, the MU also provides counselling activities aimed at specific target groups at risk of social exclusion (people serving a custodial sentence, ethnic minority, etc.) Supervision over the observance and application of the principles of equal access is performed by the Equal Opportunity Panel of the Masaryk University, which is a permanent advisory body of the Rector. Centre for International Cooperation (CZS) Centre for International Cooperation of the Masaryk University provides methodological support and coordination of the activates of the Masaryk University regarding international cooperation. The CZS MU administers international exchanges of students, teachers, researchers and other staff, and maintains bilateral relations with foreign universities. The activities of CZS: — Promotion, establishment, and support of mutual relations with foreign universities — International mobility (of students, teachers and non-academic staff) — Preparation and management of foreign language programmes (short-term and semester-long programmes - e.g. TESOL, CESP, summer schools) — Expert advice concerning the preparation of international projects in Erasmus+ Lifelong Learning Programme and other international programmes (Ceepus, Aktion, etc.) — Presentation of the MU at university conferences and trade fairs abroad — Activities in the international networks of universities (Utrecht Network, Compostela Group of Universities, ISEP) Grant Support and Support of Science and Research Various grants can become a source of funding the doctoral thesis project and related activities of the PhD student. The student may (alone, in cooperation with the supervisor or the team of which he or she is a member) apply for internal (Faculty and University), national (sectoral or foundation) or international grant schemes. The offer of grant schemes is regularly published on the website of the Faculty of Medicine in the section dedicated to grant support. Advice, complete administrative support in understanding the project documentation, completing the project application, the implementation of grants, reporting and possible audit activities for individual grant schemes are provided by the Faculty Project Support Office The Office for Research, Development and Project Support also has a publication fund to support excellent publication at its disposal and provides methodological and administrative support in the field of science and research. The Office for Quality reports the results of scientific and research activities, documents excellent publication in the IS and provides documentation for the evaluation of science. 72 med.muni.cz/en 6.1 am a member of the Admission Board / Doctoral Thesis Defence Board / State Doctoral Examination Board Admission Board Choosing the members of the admission board is in the competence of the Chair of the Doctoral Board or the Doctoral Committee, who proposes the appointment of its members to the Dean and at the same time, specifies the requirements for the entrance examination. There are no rules for setting up an Admission Board, however, it is expected that the chair of the Admission Board will be the Chair of the Doctoral Board / committee. The supervisor should not be a member of the entrance committee, but his or her presence is expected. The members of the committee should be chosen from the members of the Doctoral Board / Committee. Committees can be set up for each admission procedure, but a long-term admissions committee can also be set up. The entrance examination takes place before in the form of a discussion of the doctoral thesis topic the applicant has chosen. The admissions committee evaluates the scientific interest, motivation, knowledge of the field, and the overall readiness of the applicant for PhD studies. Part of the admission interview is also the verification of the applicant's level of English, which is evaluated by the admissions committee according to the standards of the PhD studies. When evaluating the candidate, the committee also assesses the materials provided as attachments to the application such as the curriculum vitae, additional information, and the statement of the potential supervisor. He or she is not part of the committee but is present during the interview. Upon prior agreement, a personal interview may be replaced by an interview via a teleconference or a videoconference call. An entry in the unified structured protocol is made from the entrance interview, which the Office for Qualification Development prepares for the entrance committees. The protocol contains the data included in the application, the applicant's CV, or other additional data. The applicant's evaluation (either evaluation by points or the usual A-F evaluation) is also part of the protocol. The protocol is usually filled in by the chair of the entrance committee and signed by all of its members. Committee for Doctoral Thesis Defence The defence of the doctoral thesis takes place before the committee for the doctoral thesis defence. The members of the committee are appointed and removed by the Dean at the proposal of the Doctoral Board; the members of the committee are then approved by the Scientific Board of the Faculty. The members of the committee are usually professors and associate professors, or other experts nominated by the Doctoral Board and approved by the Scientific Board of the Faculty. The committee for doctoral thesis defence must have at least 5 and at most 9 members, while at least 2 of its members are not employed by the University. The supervisor of the PhD student is also a member of the committee, but he or she may not be the chair. If the opponents of the doctoral thesis are not among the members of the committee for doctoral thesis defence, they participate in the meeting of the committee, including its non-public part, but only have an advisory vote. Upon prior agreement and if external circumstances require, the opponent may participate in the defence of the doctoral thesis via videoconference. One of the members of the committee is appointed the chair of the committee by the Rector at the proposal of the Doctoral Board. The chair of the committee manages its proceedings and is responsible med.muni.cz/en 73 for its activities. The chair of the committee is dismissed by the Rector as well, either at the chair's own request or at the proposal of the Doctoral Board. Permanent members may be appointed for individual PhD study programmes, usually for the period for which the authorization to carry out the PhD programme is granted (the accreditation period). The Course of the Defence KThe committees have a quorum if at least an absolute majority of the appointed members, including its chair, is present, while at least one of the members present must not be employed at the MU. The defence of the doctoral thesis can only take place if the committee has a quorum. If one of the members of the committee works at a foreign institution, it is possible in justified cases and after the approval of the Doctoral Board to invite this member to join the state examination and doctoral thesis defence by videoconference and evaluate the results by electronic voting in the IS MU. The course of the doctoral thesis defence is discussed by the committee in a non-public session. First, the committee decides in a secret ballot on whether the student passed the examination or defence and therefore will not receive the evaluation "failed". A majority of the members present must vote for the proposal, afterward, the committee agrees on the specific evaluation. If the proposal is not accepted in the secret ballot, the student receives the evaluation "failed". The committee prepares a written record of the doctoral thesis defence. Committee for State Doctoral Examination The state doctoral examination takes place before the committee for state doctoral examinations. It usually consists of professors and associate professors or other experts nominated by the Doctoral Board and approved by the Scientific Board of the Faculty. One of the already appointed members of the committee for the state doctoral examination is appointed the chair of the committee by the Rector at the proposal of the Doctoral Board. The chair of the committee manages the proceedings of the committee and is responsible for its activities. The chair of the committee is dismissed by the Rector as well, either at the chair's own request or at the proposal of the Doctoral Board. Permanent members may be appointed for individual PhD study programmes, usually for the period for which the authorization to carry out the PhD programme is granted (the accreditation period). The committee for the state doctoral examination must have at least 5 and at most 9 members, while at least 2 of its members are not employed by the University. The supervisor of the PhD student is also a member of the committee, but he or she may not be the chair. The state doctoral examination and the doctoral thesis defence may only take place if the relevant committee has a quorum. The committees have a quorum if at least an absolute majority of the appointed members, including its chair, is present, while at least one of the members present must not be employed at the MU. If one of the members of the committee works at a foreign institution, it is possible in justified cases and after the approval of the Doctoral Board to invite this member to join the state examination and doctoral thesis defence by videoconference. The course of the doctoral thesis defence is discussed by the committee in a non-public session. First, the committee decides in a secret ballot on whether the student passed the examination or defence and therefore will not receive the evaluation "failed". A majority of the members present must vote for the proposal, afterward, the committee agrees on the specific evaluation. If the proposal is not accepted in the secret ballot, the student receives the evaluation "failed". The committee prepares a written record of the state doctoral examination. Important contacts and documents \2 Office for Quality [2j MU Degree Programme Quality Approval, Management and Evaluation Regulation [2j Study and Examination Regulations 74 med.muni.cz/en 7. Management and evaluation of the quality of PhD studies at the Faculty of Medicine The Vice-Dean for PhD Studies and the Office for Quality are responsible for managing and evaluating the quality of PhD studies at the Faculty of Medicine. The Office for Quality ensures in particular: — management and organization of accreditation of PhD study programmes, — methodological support to guarantors of study programmes, collection of documents for accreditation of new, re-accreditation, changes, and extensions of existing study programmes in accordance with the internal regulations of MU, — approval, management, and evaluation of the quality of the MU study programmes in accordance with applicable legislation, — methodological and administrative support of the Vice-Dean for PhD Studies in setting up the quality assurance processes for accredited study programmes (regular annual and five-year cycles of internal evaluations of study programmes, changes in accredited study programmes), — communication with the MU Board of Internal Evaluation and the National Accreditation Bureau for Higher Education. The central body of the MU which monitors and guarantees the quality of educational and creative activities is the Board of Internal Evaluation. When the Masaryk University obtained the so-called "institutional accreditation" from the National Accreditation Bureau for Higher Education in the spring of 2018, the Board of Internal Evaluation became an accreditation body which approves the proposals for new study programmes and transformation of existing ones. The Board also provides methodological assistance during the process of ensuring the quality of study programmes, and accepts suggestions related to their implementation. At the level of the Rector's Office, the agenda of quality management and evaluation is entrusted to the Quality Office which provides the individual faculties with methodological and administrative support concerning the agenda of evaluation of education, quality assurance and development system, accreditation, development of national and international legislation and education trends, as well as the support in implementing projects focused on innovations in teaching. At the level of the Rector's Office, the Research Office is responsible for the methodological management of the PhD studies agenda while also providing support in the area of research quality and the development of bibliometric services. What topics does the Doctoral Board address in quality assurance? During the academic year, the Doctoral Board discusses (as part of its regular meetings) proposals for substantial and insubstantial changes to the study programme as needed, and annually evaluates the study programme development plan in which it may focus for example on the following areas: — the results of entrance examinations, — the course and results of state doctoral examinations and doctoral thesis defences, — the results of course opinion polls for the last period, — the state of internationalization of the study programme, — the rate of unsuccessful studies, — promotion of the study programme towards potential applicants, etc. med.muni.cz/en 75 Evaluation of the Study Programme Quality Accredited study programmes throughout the University undergo regular internal and external evaluations as part of ensuring their quality. Evaluations take place in regular cycles; their schedule is determined by the Board of Internal Evaluation during the accreditation process. As a rule, once a year the relevant Doctoral Board carries out a so-called small evaluation (as part of a regular meeting, the Doctoral Board evaluates the quality of the current programme and the changes made, and outlines the possible development of the study programme including any future changes), a record is made of this meeting (in the outlined structure outline, note: will be attached). The records of regular small evaluations are part of the so-called big evaluation and possibly also of the accreditation file when applying for the extension of the accreditation of the study programme. The big evaluation takes place in cycles set by the Board of Internal Evaluation during the accreditation of the programme (usually once every 5 years). The big evaluation of the study programme usually includes the preparation of an evaluation (self-evaluation) report, the organization of an evaluation meeting with the Vice-Dean for PhD Studies, and external evaluators (usually representatives of students, employers, and academics working outside the MU). The output of this evaluation is the proposal for the development of the study programme until the next application for accreditation, evaluation of changes made, etc. The process of evaluation of the accredited study programmes may include internal audits of the activities of supervisors, Doctoral Boards, or Doctoral Committees, which are established in order to monitor the quality of the study programmes. The Vice-Dean for PhD Studies is the sponsor of these audits; the audit activity is performed by the Office for Qualification Development and the Office for Quality. Changes in Accredited Study Programmes During its meeting, the Doctoral Board discusses all changes made to the study programme in the period since the last accreditation, or since the last meeting. Depending on its nature, this is either a substantial change or an unsubstantial change. You can find a detailed description of changes in the Guide trough the Changes by the Board of Internal Evaluation. Substantial changes are any changes which have a significant impact on the profile of the graduate of a study programme, especially changes in study conditions or state doctoral examinations, as well as changes in programme description (such as the field of education, the profile of the graduate, the standard study time, forms of a doctoral thesis, alleviation of the requirements for graduation). Furthermore, a significant adjustment of the scope of compulsory practice is also considered a substantial change. If the change is substantial, the Doctoral Board discusses it and, if approved, a proposal for a change in the study programme is prepared, then the Dean submits it for approval to the Board of Internal Evaluation. The Board discusses it - with the participation of the Dean and the guarantor of the study programme, if needed. If the proposal is approved by the Board, the change takes effect and can be reflected in further implementation of the programme. Unsubstantial changes do not have an important effect on the profile of the graduate, and therefore do not need to be submitted to the Board for Internal Evaluation. These include, for example, changes within the individual courses - their name, content, goals, study outcomes, the guarantor etc. In the case of unsubstantial changes, the Doctoral Board is the decisive body and can discuss them retrospectively as well. If the change is approved, the Doctoral Board will take note of the change and include it in the record. In this case, the discussion can also take place outside of the meeting or retrospectively. It is necessary to record unsubstantial changes in order to be able to evaluate the overall change in the programme in the long term. The level of detail is up to the guarantor of the study programme. It is recommended to record at least changes in entire subjects and in credit evaluation, which affects the study plan and the recommended course of the studies. In addition to the full members of the Doctoral Board and Doctoral Committee, other guests may be invited to a part of the meeting (for example supervisors who are not members of the Doctoral Board, as their role in ensuring the quality of the study programme is crucial.) 76 med.muni.cz/en Important Contacts and Documents Internal Regulations MU Degree Programme Quality Approval, Management and Evaluation Regulations MU Educational, Creative and Associated Activities Quality Assurance and Internal Evaluation System Guidelines External Regulations [>J Act No. 111/1998 Coll., on Higher Education Institutions and on Amendment to Other Acts (The Higher Education Act) Qj Government Regulation No. 274/2016 Coll., on Standards of Accreditation in Higher Education Qj Government Regulation No. 275/2016 Coll., on Education Areas in Higher Education Contacts Qj Office for Quality of the Faculty of Medicine [2? MU Quality Office MU Research and Development Office [2j Board of Internal Evaluation med.muni.cz/en 77 8. Problem solving Supervisor Systematically and regularly cooperates with the student on the assignment of the doctoral thesis project and the creation of his or her study plan, reviews the proposed methodology, support the acquisition of necessary skills and knowledge of the student, involves him or her in the scientific team and cooperation, guides him or her in presenting. Participates in securing resources for the student and his or her project, monitors the course of the studies and communicates about it with the Doctoral Board or Committee. Mentor Advisor of the student, acquainted with the topic of the student's doctoral thesis project, who is in an independent position from the supervisor. He or she regularly consults the course of the studies with the student, his or her direction, possible personal obstacles and problems, and other possibilities of his or her development. He or she can become a mediator of conflicts between the student and the supervisor and provide motivation and support for example in the moments when the student is considering interrupting or leaving the studies. A member of the academic community of the MU, as well as an external expert, can be a mentor. The establishment of the role of a mentor is in the competence of the Doctoral Board, as well as the decision whether the choice of a mentor should be left to the student, or whether it is appropriate to choose from a predefined offer of mentors. Chair of the Doctoral Board He or she is also the guarantor of the study programme, prepares materials for accreditation, evaluates the study programme, evaluates the course of the studies of individual students, and issues statements on meeting the requirements of the Doctoral Board. He or she also decides about starting the admission procedure and about the topics announced, assigns supervisors, sets up the admission committee, the committee for the state doctoral examination, and the committee for doctoral thesis defence. Lastly, he or she evaluates the activities of individual supervisors. Vice-Dean for PhD Studies Coordinates the activities of the individual Doctoral Boards, is responsible for the quality of the individual study programmes and makes decisions about exceptions. Vice-Dean for PhD Studies Mentor Supervisor Chair of the Doctoral Board 78 med.muni.cz/en Disciplinary Committee The Disciplinary Committee is a self-governing academic body which deals with disciplinary offenses of students of the Faculty and submits a proposal for a decision to the Dean. The Disciplinary Committee has 6 members, 3 of whom are student representatives. The operation of the Disciplinary Committee is regulated by the Disciplinary Code for MU Faculty of Medicine Students The Disciplinary Code applies to all students enrolled to study at the Faculty of Medicine in its accredited Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD study programmes. This Disciplinary Code defines disciplinary offenses, sanctions, as well as the process of discussing them, deciding about them, and reviewing the decisions in these matters. Its purpose is to ensure compliance with internal standards and professional ethics, as well as to protect the dignity of members of the academic community and the credibility of the Faculty of Medicine. Actions such as the following ones can be considered a disciplinary offense: — any form of fraud (submission of forged documents, giving hints during testing, unauthorized manipulation with examination questions, copying or unauthorized cooperation in fulfilling the requirements), — presenting someone else's work as one's own, especially using part of someone else's work in one's own work without proper referencing, or literal transcription of someone else's work without a clear citation, — submission of the same of slightly modified work to fulfil different requirements without the prior consent of at least one of the lecturers of the course to which the work is submitted, — a particularly serious or repeated violation of the rules and instructions for the use of the MU computer network, — intentional destruction, damage, theft or misuse of the property of the Faculty, the University, the property of its employee or of a person acting in cooperation with the MU, — aggressive or other inappropriate behaviour which may be legitimately perceived as bullying, physical or psychological violence or behaviour degrading human dignity towards a member of the academic community, a participant in lifelong learning or an employee of the MU (for example racist behaviour or other manifestations of extreme intolerance towards other members of the academic community on the basis of their religion, national or ethnic origin), — entering the University premises or attending classes under the influence of alcohol or other addictive substances. Psychological Counselling Do you have a problem that negatively affects your studies? Don't despair and tell us about your problem. Psychological counselling services are available free of charge for MU students in the scope of up to five personal or on-line consultations provided by professional psychologists. The psychological counselling services are intended for students who find themselves in a difficult life situation the consequences of which complicate their studies. Timely help can become the first step to resolve your situation. Contact the counselling centre if: — You have been feeling bad in the long term, — You lack meaning and a sense of fulfilment in your current studies, — You find yourself in a difficult life situation, in shock after losing someone or something, — You experience fear, anxiety or panic attacks in connection with your studies, med.muni.cz/en 79 — You feel lonely, — You don't believe in yourself, you are nervous and have difficulty communicating with people around you, — You have issues with decision making and clarifying your priorities. Discrimination and specific needs The aim of MU is to provide access to studies in the available study programmes to all people, regardless of their health or social limitations. The Support Centre for Students with Special Needs (The Teiresias Centre) ensures the availability of the necessary aids and information to students with sensory and other disabilities, for example, trough compensatory software for people with disabilities, publishing tactile literature or recording video documents in the Czech sign language. In order to achieve general accessibility of education in its study programmes, MU also provides counselling activities aimed at specific target groups at risk of social exclusion (people serving a custodial sentence, ethnic minorities, etc J Supervision over the observance and application of the principles of equal access is performed by the Equal Opportunity Panel of the Masaryk University, which is a permanent advisory body of the Rector. Centre for International Cooperation (CZS) Centre for International Cooperation of the Masaryk University provides methodological support and coordination of the activates of the Masaryk University regarding international cooperation. The CZS MU administers international exchanges of students, teachers, researchers and other staff, and maintains bilateral relations with foreign universities. The activities of CZS: — Promotion, establishment, and support of mutual relations with foreign universities — International mobility (of students, teachers and non-academic staff) — Preparation and management of foreign language programmes (short-term and semester-long programmes - e.g. TESOL, CESP, summer schools) — Expert advice concerning the preparation of international projects in Erasmus+ Lifelong Learning Programme and other international programmes (Ceepus, Aktion, etc.) — Presentation of MU at university conferences and trade fairs abroad — Activities in the international networks of universities (Utrecht Network, Compostela Group of Universities, ISEP) 80 med.muni.cz/en 9. List of Czech Abbreviations Seznam použitých zkratek AVČR Czech Academy of Sciences CERPEK MU Pedagogical Competence Development Centre CJV MU Language Centre CTT MU Technology Transfer Centre CZS MU Centre for International Cooperation DSP Doctoral study programme ECTS European Credit Transfer System GMO Genetically modified organism ICRC The International Clinical Research Centre of St. Anne's University Hospital IS MU Information System of the Masaryk University ISIC International Student Identity Card ISP Individual study plan KUK University Campus Library LF Faculty of Medicine MU Masaryk university OK Doctoral Committee OKR Office for Qualification Development LF MU OPK Office for Quality LF MU OR Doctoral Board OV MU Research and Development Office OWPP Office for Science, Research and Project Management LF MU RMU MU Rector's Office RVH MU Board for Internal Evaluation SZŘ Study and Examination Regulations UČO Personal university number ÚVT Institute of Computer Science med.muni.cz/en 81 med.muni.cz/en med.muni.cz/en