Core Event: Career Day for Doctoral Researchers

The next Career Day is planned for the first half of 2027.

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Career Day - General Information 

Organizers

A group of doctoral researchers co-organizes the Career Day under the professional supervision of Humboldt Graduate School. The Career Day was established by Humboldt Graduate School in 2014, and since 2020 has been a part of Graduate Studies Support Program at Berlin University Alliance.

Objective: Get to Know Professional Career Paths!

The Career Day is an annual event organized by the Berlin University Alliance. It is designed for doctoral candidates in Berlin who are looking to expand their horizons and learn about the various career options available to them. It is an excellent opportunity for doctoral candidates in Berlin to explore future perspectives and meet exciting guests.

Whether you’re looking to pursue a career in academia or outside the academic world, the Career Day offers a chance to connect with individuals who have chosen these paths and can provide valuable insights into the different paths available to you.

Participants

We welcome doctoral students from all research fields. It is organized by the Graduate Studies Support Program of Berlin University Alliance.

Free of Charge

The Career Day is free of charge for all doctoral researchers. Every registered participant is welcome to join lectures and panel discussions and to register for career counselings.

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Retrospective: Career Day 2026

On January 29, 2026, the Career Day for doctoral candidates took place—for the 13th time at the Humboldt Graduate School and for the seventh time as an event of the Berlin University Alliance with all its partners. Around 30 speakers and over 150 participants attended in person and via livestream. 

Program 2026 

• Career counseling: Individual sessions throughout the day. Slots were allocated before the event. (Career Counseling Members of the “Netzwerk Karriereberatung Berlin”)
• Welcome notes: Organizing team | "On Academic and Non-Academic Careers" (Sabine Hunke)
• Talks: “The view for Internationals – careers paths inside and outside academia” (Philippa Cook) | "Pitch perfect: Writing application documents with your audience in mind" (Birte Seffert)
• Panel discussions with professionals from different fields, most of them holders of a doctorate: "Artificial Intelligence" | "Academia" | "Industry & Startups" | "Research Management" | "Teaching" | "Communication" | "Policy Advising & Freelance Speaking"
• Info corner: M.Sc. Wissenschaftsmanagement, TU Berlin | Young Entrepreneurs in Science | Transfer & Startup Support in the Universities, including Humboldt Innovation, Science and Startups

Organizing Team 2026

The Career Day 2026 was organized with a group of doctoral researchers from all BUA partners: Ariadna Arriaza (HU Berlin), Kevser Arslan (FU Berlin), Yanru Lu (HU Berlin), Duru Özbay (Charité), Rishab Bhattacharyya (TU Berlin), and Laura van Zantwijk (HU Berlin).