Project Management Fundamentals for Researchers - Manage Your PhD Like a Pro (313)

28 and 29 October 2025

Dr Thomas Teichler

Dive into the world of project management tailored specifically for PhD candidates! In the whirlwind adventure of academia, you are often juggling many different tasks. Imagine being a project management wizard, turning chaos into order with a flick of your wand-or, more realistically, a well-organized plan.
 
This is not just any project management course-this is your toolkit to tame the beast that is your PhD. We will cover the essential theories and principles of project management, but with a twist: everything you learn will be directly applicable to your research. You will discover how to set crystal-clear goals, break down your objectives into bite-sized milestones, and keep track of your progress without losing your sanity.

 
Plus, you'll get hands-on with activities that help you create a project plan for your current work, all while receiving invaluable feedback from other participants.

 
Learning Outcomes

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Understand what constitutes a project – spoiler: it is more than just a collection of tasks.
• Frame your PhD as a project - it truly helps.
• Apply project management magic in your research environment.
• Formulate powerful project goals that boost your chances of success.
• Plan your tasks, set milestones, and create deadlines - that you can actually meet - spot interdependencies and risks and learn how to sidestep them.

 
Additionally, you will meet other like-minded PhDs, making it easy to network and support each other long after the course ends.

 
Throughout the workshop, you will be in a trustful and engaging environment where sharing your experiences is not only encouraged but celebrated. You will be challenged to stretch your limits and, by the end of the course, take specific actions to supercharge your project management skills. Not only will you learn new techniques, but you will also build the confidence to tackle your PhD with gusto.

 
Join us for a knowledge-packed and slightly humorous journey to mastering project management. After all, why shouldn't managing your PhD be fun-at least a bit?

University of Lausanne

Date: Tuesday 28th and Wednesday 29th October 2025

Schedule: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Location: University of Lausanne

Trainer:

Dr Thomas Teichler is a certified Co-active coach, trainer and consultant on leadership, team development, and change management. After a few years with Roland Berger Strategy Consultants he set up his own market research and coaching business, before writing a PhD about science cooperation in the high-tech and security sector at the European University Institute in Florence. As a policy consultant Thomas worked for the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research at Manchester Business School in the UK and for Technopolis Group in Germany. He advised the European Commission, national governments and international organizations on research and innovation policy. He trains doctoral students and post-docs at universities in Switzerland and Germany, as well as the Max Planck Society.

Participants are eligible for reimbursement of incurred travel expenses by train between the city of their university and the location of the workshop (half-fare card, 2nd class).

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