Space and Society

The doctoral programme "Space and Society" introduces itself

The doctoral programme "Space and Society" of the Bayreuth Graduate School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (BayNAT) is supported by the Department of Geography of the University of Bayreuth. In this doctoral programme in human geography, physical geography and didactics of geography, a wide variety of spatial processes are researched from social/cultural, natural scientific, and didactic perspectives, and at various levels of scale. An interdisciplinary perspective is given by broad-ranging and topic-related participation in research on relationships between society and the environment.

Objective

The aim of the doctoral programme "Space and Society" is to prepare students who are particularly qualified in their subjects to perform challenging tasks in research, knowledge transfer, science management and other practice-related occupational fields in order to better understand and shape local, national and global development and transformation processes in their spatial dimensions. The programme focuses on intensive research, the promotion of scientific excellence and has a distinctly international and interdisciplinary orientation.

The programme provides for the promotion of key qualifications which are necessary both in science and in non-academic professional life. A wide range of offerings in the area of research training and soft-skills, as well as counselling by a mentoring committee, ensure that each participant can tailor their doctoral programme differently according to their individual goals and abilities, and be led to a successful doctorate.

Focus areas and Excellence Strategy

The doctoral programme is firmly integrated into the various focus areas of the University of Bayreuth in the fields of interculturality and migration, transformation and development, spatial order and territoriality, teaching and teaching research as well as natural processes and social-environmental interaction. The established fields include ecology and environmental sciences as well as African studies. The Institute of Geography is also involved in the Cluster of Excellence 'Africa multiple', which has been funded for an initial period of seven years since the start of 2019 as part of of the Excellence Strategy of the Federal Government and States. Further focus areas in which Geography is involved are governance and responsibility, cultural encounters and transcultural processes as well as energy research.