On October 21, 2025, everything at Technische Universität Ilmenau revolved around young scientists. Under the motto "Build the Future," the Graduate Center, together with the Doctoral Candidates’ Representation, MNI e.V., and other university partners, hosted this year’s PhD Day. The event aimed to connect current and prospective doctoral candidates, offer them practical insights for their careers, and create space for exchange on values, responsibility, and future perspectives in science.
Make science and your doctoral project your passion! Be prepared for challenging phases and setbacks. Enjoy the satisfaction that comes with success, and recognize and appreciate even small progress-especially when it doesn’t feel like you’re moving forward. And pursue your PhD journey as part of a team - it makes the process easier and more rewarding."
With these messages, Vice President for Research and Young Scientists Prof. Stefan Sinzinger opened TU Ilmenau’s PhD Day 2025. He drew parallels between the challenges of a doctorate and his personal experiences on long bike rides, which the passionate cyclist and his team at the Technical Optics Group use every year to make their way to the annual conference of the German Society for Applied Optics (DGaO).
In the subsequent panel discussion, representatives from academia, higher education, and industry - including several TU Ilmenau alumni - explored the opportunities, challenges, and responsibilities that come with pursuing a PhD. Among the panelists were Prof. Reinhold Pabst, Senior Researcher at the Fraunhofer Institute IOF and Professor for Human Resource Management at Ernst-Abbe University of Applied Sciences Jena; Dr. Jialan Cao-Riemer, Group Leader for Microfluid Biotechnique at TU Ilmenau; Dr. Mario Bähr, Research Associate at the CiS Research Institute for Microsensors; M.Sc. Felix Aßmann, Director of Bosch Sensortec GmbH; Prof. Uta Breuer, Dean of Studies at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences; and Dr. Steffen Leopold, Technical Director at X-FAB.
They shared personal experiences from their paths toward a doctorate or into research and industry, emphasizing that a PhD is far more than a research project - it is a personal journey of growth that demands passion, perseverance, and curiosity. Above all, team spirit and mutual support were highlighted as key factors in mastering the challenges of doctoral life with joy and confidence.
Strategies for starting your career
In the afternoon, four thematically diverse workshops deepened the impulses of the morning. Under the direction of Prof. Reinhold Pabst, the participants in the "Future & Transferable Skills" workshop dealt with key future skills such as team leadership, project management and expert knowledge, which should also be part of a successful doctoral phase. At the same time, David Schneider from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena invited participants to two practice-oriented formats: "Personal Branding" focused on developing one’s own values, building a personal brand and authentic communication of values, while the workshop "From Dissertation to Dream Job" looked at paths from the academic degree into different career fields and provided concrete strategies for starting a career. A fourth workshop, led by Prof. Uta Breuer from Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences, was dedicated to the topic of "Technical Ethics & Technology Assessment" and offered space for discussions on sustainability, social responsibility and the ethical handling of the effects of one’s own research.At the information and job fair in the foyer, supported by veonis Technologies GmbH, Endress+Hauser, CiS Forschungsinstitut für Mikrosensorik, X-FAB and Rittweger + Team as well as PATON ÖLandespatentzentrum Thüringen , the International Office and the Research Data Management of TU Ilmenau, and at the final get-together, many doctoral students took the opportunity to exchange ideas and make new contacts.
The event was moderated by Carsten Gatermann, member of the Doctoral Candidates’ Representation, and Rebecca Petrich, Deputy Chair of MNI e.V.. Alexandra Dalek, co-organizer of the PhD Day and advisor to the Graduate Center, which supports doctoral students at TU Ilmenau with further training opportunities, networking meetings and impulses to promote a lively research culture, sums up:
The open atmosphere, the enjoyment of discussions and the great interest in personal conversations made it clear how important exchanges across disciplinary boundaries are for motivation, orientation and cohesion in everyday research.
