EXACT provides an innovative two-track training approach that intends to bridge the gap between Ph.D. training within academia on the one hand and concrete practical demands from potential employers in consulting and advisory circles on the other. Therefore, the EXACT training network is based on an approach that combines academic training provided by three European universities with training on professional skills provided by six European think tanks ensuring a coherent dialogue directly responding to current research and training demands of the EXACT fellows pursuing professional and academic careers, leading to an integrated curriculum.
While the scientific track concentrates on academic training of EXACT fellows leading to a joint Ph.D. degree (“co-tutelle”) in the research area of EU External Action, the professional track focuses on teaching professional skills, establishing contacts in the European work environment (in particular the Brussels arena and national capitals) and deepening empirical knowledge of the research area.
The 36 month integrated curriculum for EXACT fellows includes various training elements which will be provided in three phases:
Phase I (October 2010 - February 2011) concentrates on academic training at the University of Cologne that aims at imparting basic knowledge about EU External Action and its institutional architecture in an interdisciplinary context. This phase will define the academic framework for the individual research projects and provide an introduction to the demands and offers for the ESR of the next two phases.
01.10.2010 - Start of Training Phase I
01.10.2010 - 28.02.2011 - PhD Coursework
21.-22.10.2010 - EXACT Initial Conference in Cologne
25.-29.10.2010 - Study Trip to Brussels
01.-03.12.2010 - TEPSA pre-presidency conference in Budapest
09.-10.12.2010 - Study Trip to the University of Edinburgh
17.-21.01.2011 - Study Trip to Berlin
2010/2011 Additional Activities
The Executive Summary of the Training Phase I contains all relevant information about the activities of the EXACT fellows.
Phase II (March 2011 - March 2012) allows the ESR to spend two stages at partner think tanks. This phase concentrates on professional skills and serves as an opportunity for the ESR to gain work experience and, thus, deeper insights into the respective fields of research related to their individual research project while getting in contact with practitioners and potential employers in a trans-national environment. One of the two professional stages will be spent at a think tank in Brussels to intensify the ESR’s knowledge and familiarity with the “Brussels arena”.
03/2011 Fellows join Think Tank I
03/2011 Study Trip to Prague and MERCURY plenary
06/2011 TEPSA pre-presidency conference in Warswaw
09/2011 Workshop in Helsinki
09/2011 MERCURY joint Conference with EU4SEAS and EU-GRASP
10/2011 Network Seminar on Professional Skills
11/2011 Think Tank II
12/2011 TEPSA pre-presidency conference in Copenhagen
Phase III (April 2012 - September 2013) focuses on local Ph.D. training at one University involved and shall provide the framework for finalising the individual research projects, leading to a joint Ph.D. degree from two of the three Universities involved (Prague-Cologne, Edinburgh-Cologne).
04/2012 Start of Training Phase III
06/2012 TEPSA pre-presidency conference in Nikosia
06/2012 Combined expertise: EXACT meets INCOOP in Brussels
09/2012 Network Seminar on Academic Skills
11/2012 PhD Progress Workshop in Dublin
11/2012 TEPSA pre-presidency conference in Dublin
04/2013 PhD Intervision Workshop in Edinburgh
06/2013 PhD Intervision Workshop at the University of Cagliari
06/2013 TEPSA pre-presidency conference in Vilnius
07/2013 EXACT Final Conference
