Twelve doctoral students of the Department of Sport and Health Sciences were invited in March by the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) to attend a summer school in South Africa. Together with doctors of the CPUT, they discussed their PhD projects from March 13 to 18.
"The summer school is targeted for doctoral students who are already further advanced in their projects. In the course of the summer school participants have performed a kind of review process for their own papers and then evaluated each other and provided feedback," explains Prof. Dr. Joachim Hermsdörfer, the Chairman of the Promotion Committee of the Department of Sport and Health Sciences. "Overall the summer school fits very well with the motto for our doctoral candidates: demand and promote," says Dr. Felix Ehrlenspiel, the Managing Director of the Graduate Center of the Department of Sport and Health Sciences (FGZ-SG).
Paper submission, presentation and review process
Already before the summer school, the participants submitted papers on their own studies. Each was then assigned a fellow doctor as a reviewer. In South Africa, the doctoral candidates presented their study in a 15-minute lecture and then received a 15-minute feedback from their respective reviewer. Finally, the group discussed the project for another 45 minutes.
"I think it's a great format for our doctoral students since they could receive intensive feedback on their own projects and at the same time experience the review process once from a different perspective," explains Prof. Dr. Jörg Königstorfer, Full Professor of the Department of Sports and Health Management and Dean of Studies of the Department of Sport and Health Sciences.
Visiting professor from the United States
Along with Prof. Königstorfer, another professor of the Department of Sport and Health Sciences took part in the summer school, Prof. Dr. Martin Lames. As a guest, Prof. Dr. Jason Bocarro of the North Carolina State University (NC State) in the United States also participated. With Dr. Ferdinand Tusker, the doctoral candidates were accompanied by a non-professional member of the teaching staff and engaged in discussions and were provided with help for their doctoral projects.
For the summer school, the group was accommodated in lodgings from the "Grootbos Foundation" in the vicinity of Cape Town. In a part of its commitment this nonprofit organization has purchased of a piece of land, which is developed by sustainable tourism. For this purpose, the area has been declared a nature reserve. The revenue from the tourism projects also flows into further activities. For example, projects for mediating knowledge were started in two townships. "These projects are initially made up of soccer offers. The children are first reached through playing soccer. Then, such topics as environmental and nature conservation or agricultural skills are taught, for example, growing vegetables. Overall the Foundation has an enormously positive influence on the townships," explains Königstorfer.
Leisure-time program: From township tours to diving with white sharks
In addition to the scientific exchange, the hostess, Prof. Dr. Kamilla Swart (CPUT), organized an attractive leisure-time program. Offered were a walk, a boat tour, a visit to the mountain bike stage race "Cape Epic", a township tour with a guide by employees of the "Grootbos" Foundation. Also, a dive could be taken where white sharks can be observed from a cage.
The summer school was made possible through the contact between Königstorfer and Swart. The professor of the Department of Sports and Health Management performs research in the EU project "CARNIVAL" on the impact caused by major sporting events such as the Olympic Games or soccer world cups. For this purpose, the economist cooperates with NC State, Coventry University, the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro and the CPUT. Already last year, doctoral candidates from the African university visited the winter academy of the Faculty of the TUM in Hirschegg. This was now followed by the invitation to South Africa. The tour was financially subsidized by funds from the EU project, as well as by the Faculty Graduate Center.
Prof. Hermsdörfer: "Promotional offers for doctoral candidates are better than ever"
"In March, 16 of our doctoral students participated in our winter academy and 12 visited the summer school in South Africa. This means that nearly two-thirds of our graduates have participated in an academy this month. Our promotional services work better than ever," summarizes Prof. Hermsdörfer. "In this or a similar form, such a summer school certainly makes sense as a supplement to the winter academy. We hope to be able to offer the event next year with one of our partner universities and want to continue to financially support this format," says Dr. Ehrlenspiel.
To the homepage of the Graduate Center of the Department of Sport and Health Sciences (FGZ-SG)
A report on the winter academy
Contact
Dr. Felix Ehrlenspiel
Managing Director of the Graduate Center of the Department of Sport and Health Sciences (FGZ-SG)
Uptown Munich, Campus D
Georg-Brauchle Ring 60/62
80992 Munich
Telephone: 089 289 24545
Email: Felix.Ehrlenspiel(at)tum.de
Text: Fabian Kautz
Photos: Königstorfer/Tusker/Pfitzner