Civic Education Project-Citibank’s PhD Studies Support Program aims to provide material support and facilitate professional development for 15 PhD Students from the Czech and Slovak Republics. The project is designed to provide participants with intensive training through a series of workshops, and by establishing partnerships between them and the CEP Fellows in the country, and in the Central European region. The main goal of the project is to contribute to changes in the methods of teaching and research higher education. As such, the program will provide participants with introductions to methodologies, such as interactive teaching methods, syllabi development, student evaluation, academic writing, class management, conduct of research, focussing research questions and hypothesi, etc. By encouraging junior faculty to use modern teaching and research methods, their students will hopefully move away from mere absorption and reproduction of knowledge, and willlearn to use analytical skills - a necessary underpinning of a democratic society. Additionally, the program provides a framework for sharing ideas related to teaching and research, given the reality in the Czech and Slovak universities that offers little opportunity for academics to interact with each other and no real forum for presenting ideas about teaching, research and curriculum development.

Who should apply?

Nationals of the Czech and Slovak Republics are encouraged to apply if they:

• Are enrolled in the first year of internal PhD program in: American studies, Economics, Education, European studies, History, International relations, Law, Political science, Public administration, Public policy, Psychology, Sociology or social work;
• Are involved in the teaching process at university in the above mentioned disciplines
• Are actively involved in academic or non-academic outreach activities (organizing student conferences and workshops, applying innovative methods of teaching etc.)
• Have no regular sources of income outside academia
• Have a serious commitment to teach and conduct research as a permanent university-based scholar in their home country following their association with CEP; and,
• Are able to speak and write fluently in English.

CEP Support for PhD Students

PhD Students receive the following benefits from CEP:

• Inclusion in CEP’s regional and international network of scholars (approximately 300 Visiting and Local Fellows, plus alumni) across the region.
• Participation in CEP sponsored in-country teaching and research methodology workshops. Access to CEP’s other academic programs, for themselves and for their students (student conferences, workshops, roundtables, etc.)
• Discretionary academic program funds to create and carry out projects designed to strengthen the PhD student’s department or create collaborative projects with other CEP colleagues.
• A modest budget for purchasing teaching materials.
• Monthly stipend of 3000 Kc or 3000 Sk for the ten months of the academic year.

CEP provides a number of on-line services, to Fellows and PhD Supported students, which facilitate outreach projects and communication with colleagues in the networks.

All PhD Students have a one-year contract which is renewable (subject to a standard performance review) for a second year. Ideally then, the PhD Studies Support Program will run in a PhD student’s second and third year of his/her internal PhD studies.

PhD Studies Support Program Application Form