More than one hundred young researchers were welcomed to the first edition of the National PhD Welcome Day, the result of cooperation between all the public research stakeholders in Luxembourg.
This Wednesday 7 December, 2016 the very first edition of the National PhD Welcome Day took place in Luxembourg-city. On the initiative of the Luxembourgish public research stakeholders - the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), the Luxembourg Institute of Socio Economic Research (LISER), the University of Luxembourg as well as Euraxess Luxembourg, the national service centre for researchers set up in the country, LuxDoc, the association for young researchers in Luxembourg and the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR), the young scientists who have chosen a public institution to begin their scientific careers, were welcomed with honours.
The PhD students present were able to discuss their respective fields of research and to learn more about the Luxembourg research landscape thanks to the presentations given by influential people in the field and by visiting the stands of several institutions present at the event. The keynote speaker, Professor David Bogle, from the University College London and representative of the "League of European Research Universities" presented the main aspects of innovation in doctoral training in Europe.
Coming from all over the world, these young researchers represent an undeniable force for the future of Luxembourg research, whose presence is reinforced on the international scene. Only in 2016, more than 100 doctoral students joined and have put their expertise, knowledge and even their network at the service, of national public institutions. The vast majority of them have made their mark with the research teams of the University of Luxembourg, but also at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, the Luxembourg Institute of Socio Economic Research and the Luxembourg Institute of Health. In 2015, Luxembourg welcomed a total of approximately 700 doctoral students, approximately 80% of them at the University of Luxembourg and 20% at LIST, LIH, LISER and Max Planck Institute for International, European and Regulatory Procedural Law. The number of researchers is expected to grow steadily in the coming years, and many job opportunities are regularly coming from different research institutions. In order to guarantee a quality doctoral training, the Luxembourg institutions have all signed the "National Quality Framework for Doctoral Training".
This joint initiative also allowed to introduce the second edition of the "Foreign Researcher's Guide to Luxembourg". The updated version of this guide, published by Euraxess Luxembourg for the foreign researchers in Luxembourg and initially launched in May 2012, brings together a lot of information, to help foreign researchers to pursue their careers in one of the research institutions in Luxembourg, and to help them and their families to settle in the country. Practical information, everyday life, legislation of the country, are examples of subjects found on this guide.
