About us: TGS organisation & contact

Opening hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 - 16:00 h.

I. Keupink - van der Schoor (Ilona) Hora Finita reserach phase support for PhD

+31 53 489 4900

 horafinita@utwente.nl

Building: Ravelijn 5155

Personal page

M.B.Z. Maathuis (Mariam) Hora Finita reserach phase support for PhD

+31 53 489 4900

 horafinita@utwente.nl

Personal page

Opening hours: Tuesday - Thursday 9:30 - 18:00 h.

bc. B.B. Kroeze (Brenda) Hora Finita research phase support for EngD

+31534893520

 engd@utwente.nl

Building: Ravelijn 5256

Personal page

If you face any (personal) problems or issues during your PhD or EngD track regarding e.g. motivation, productivity, cultural differences (for instance in your group), combining personal life with the heavy workload, self-confidence, etc., you can contact PhD / EngD Counsellor. 

In case you experience a matter dealing with scientific integrity (ref. The Netherlands Code of Conduct for Academic Practice) you can consult the webpage on scientific integrity and read the  University of Twente Scientific Integrity Complaints Procedure. The first point of contact is the university's confidential advisor for scientific integrity. Possible violations of scientific integrity as well as any follow-up steps can be discussed with him in all confidence.

You can talk to a confidential advisor for advice and support whenever you have to deal with unacceptable behaviour, such as intimidation, (sexual) harassment, aggression, violence or discrimination, or when faced with a conflict in your work situation connected to such behaviour (ref. the Codes of conduct on (sexual) harassment, intimidation, aggression, violence and discrimination).

Confidential advisors can also be the first point of contact when you are not quite sure where to go when faced with a problematic situation. 

Both students and employees of the UT can be referred to the Ombuds Officer for advice on issues/problem situations related to studying or working at the UT. The ombudsperson initially has a listening ear, can offer advice and/or guidance and/or can refer you further if necessary.  The Ombuds Officer is independent and does not report to any authority in this position. You can contact the Ombuds Officer by email to make an appointment. The contact details are on the Integrity page.

For the global organizational structure of the University of Twente have a look at our corporate organization website.

Mission and vision

Mission: why do we exist?

The University of Twente (UT) aims to empower doctoral candidates to become recognized leaders in academia or society at large. The design and evaluation of the doctoral education programme of the Twente Graduate School (TGS), its candidate support and clear and consistent policies and quality assurance procedures contribute to high standards of quality of the doctoral trajectories.

Challenging goal: where are we going?

TGS supports doctoral candidates in offering a choice of generic skills courses enabling them to creatively adapt to and become academic leaders in a continuing changing and challenging world. Rooted in the academic community, TGS prepares doctoral candidates for careers in the 21th century by cultivating a culture of life-long learning and team-based science.

Core values: what does TGS stand for?

1. Excellence: We believe all doctoral candidates need to be enabled to make the most of their talents.
2. Inclusive: We are committed to creating an inclusive academic environment for doctoral candidates that thrives on diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
3. Integrity: We are committed to promoting an academic environment where doctoral candidates can live up to the highest standards of integrity. 

Core qualities: what does TGS excel in?

1. Conscientious
2. Respectful
3. Service oriented

STRATEGIC GOALS 2030 

Innovation of education

1. TGS provides hybrid online and offline generic education tailored to the needs of individual doctoral candidates, also those abroad. All doctoral courses offered at UT can be found in one place and are centrally facilitated (course finder).
2. TGS module on Academic Integrity has raised awareness of the topics in the Dutch Code of Conduct, and this reflects in the doctoral research; the research plan is subject to ethical committee approval if applicable.
3. UT doctoral candidates can follow generic and disciplinary courses at all 4TU institutes.
4. TGS’s generic courses empower doctoral candidates for their research/design project as well as for their career afterwards. 

Individuals and teams

1. Assessment of doctoral research and design at UT is done using the criteria of “recognition and rewards” of academics: quality first.
2. UT's scientific themes and their crosslinks with the underlying research groups are highlighted by TGS, and specific crosscutting methodological courses are provided for doctoral candidates in order to equip them to excel in interdisciplinary teams.
3. TGS facilitates and encourages supervisors of doctoral candidates to follow training in graduate supervision, research integrity and intercultural competencies.
4. TGS promotes the well-being of doctoral candidates.
5. Graduation ceremonies at UT are open for everyone. 

Digitalisation

1. At UT, doctoral graduations can be organised 5 days a week, with committee members being elsewhere (partly digital) or with the candidate being elsewhere (fully digital).
2. All processes related to the doctoral trajectories, from admission, progress monitoring, submission doctoral defence, preparation for the public defence and archiving the thesis are managed by one online registration and monitoring system.
3. The online registration and monitoring system for doctoral candidates at UT is user-friendly and accepted and used by our staff members.
4. All management information on doctoral candidates at UT is derived from one online registration and monitoring system, including regular reporting to Executive Board, Doctorate Board, faculties and departments.
5. All doctoral candidates at UT conform to the data management and ethical assessment policies of their faculty, including a data management plan, and they submit the research data underlying their thesis in a trusted data repository.
6. All information that is relevant for prospective and current doctoral candidates can be easily found on the TGS website.
7. The website of TGS has a modern look, is easy to use and logically connected to (other) information for students and staff. 

Environmental sustainability

1. Doctoral defences at UT can be organized on campus, digital or partly digital so as to contribute to a sustainable world (less air travel).
2. All doctoral courses organised by TGS can be followed either online or offline.
3. Printing hardcopies of the doctoral thesis is optional at UT. 

Inclusiveness

1. TGS supports a healthy research climate that provides the conditions necessary for all doctoral candidates and their supervisors to feel welcomed, supported, included, and valued through a Code of Conduct for PhD supervision.
2. All TGS staff members have the necessary competencies to contribute to an inclusive research community and work environment.
3. TGS is accessible in a central location as a first point of contact and safe haven for doctoral candidates with problems. TGS can support these candidates or refer them to relevant bodies (like the international office, the HR contact person in their faculties, the ombudsperson, PhD counsellor, confidential advisor for undesirable behaviour or - for scientific integrity). 

Policies

1. The doctoral regulations at UT are fit for modern science.
2. The doctoral regulations at UT set the highest international scientific and moral standards.
3. The doctoral regulations at UT allow for international collaboration without compromising our standards, our academic freedom or our integrity.
4. The UT has a transparent Quality Assurance Plan that describes procedures for quality control of the doctoral level training of doctoral candidates, and specifies the responsibilities of organizations and individuals involved in the training of doctoral candidates.