Action 3 – Evaluate

Reflect on methods in doctoral and postdoctoral research

About

Members of the SMUS network are encouraged to produce doctoral and postdoctoral research to promote research excellence in university academic personnel and thus create a long-term sustainable basis for local partners to design and conduct their own research.

Our goals as a network are to:

reflect on methodologies
further develop methodological competencies across the multidisciplinary research spectrum of the SMUS network
build sustainable research connections

The production of academic research enables one to look into and evaluate various social challenges present throughout the world from an assorted array of disciplinary angles. To this end, respective methodological skills need to be turned into practice and frameworks for cross-cultural and socioeconomic viewpoints on developed and mapped out urban spaces.

Therefrom gradually arises a basis for:

Evolving comparative studies among countries, regions and cities across the Global South
Deriving common principles of urban space usage and management
Understanding contextual knowledge

Moreover, through doctoral and postdoctoral research, career development for qualified personnel is envisaged as a sound foundation for more equitable long-term cooperation between partners.

As a first stepping stone, forty-two junior researchers completed a six-month training program on preparing a doctoral research proposal; the program included online lectures series, workshops and excursions. Twelve of them are now doctoral students who have been awarded a scholarship to carry out their doctoral dissertations.

In addition to that, we will provide funding to postdocs from partner universities to conduct 12-month research stays either at TU Berlin or another SMUS partner university of their choice.

Applicants for these postdoctoral research scholarships will be required to write a research proposal as part of the process of becoming an independent scientist.