Types of international events

AcademicTransfer facilitates two kinds of international events: PhD workshops and career fairs. What is the difference?

The most important characteristics of a PhD workshop are:

• A PhD workshop is focused on master’s students considering a PhD in the Netherlands.
• These PhD candidates bring their own funding from their home country.
• Only knowledge institutions are represented during a PhD workshop.
• There is an intensive collaboration with the Nuffic Neso offices in the countries concerned.

The aim of a PhD workshop is to let pre-selected master’s students have 20-minutes’ interviews with university recruiters and professors. Prior to the workshop you can screen the interested candidates and their research proposals and invite them for an interview through a digital matchmaking system. This way you can interview around 20 candidates very effectively and efficiently during the PhD workshop.

AcademicTransfer selects the countries based on several criteria. One of these criteria is that there should be a local scholarship programme available for the candidates. In collaboration with local institutes like the Dutch embassy and Nuffic Neso offices we define the programme of the PhD workshop. What we facilitate exactly differs per country/workshop, but you can think of a digital matchmaking system, a welcoming dinner, an introduction programme and a networking reception. During most events we also organise a ‘Netherlands House’, in which we inform candidates about the Netherlands. This way the interviews can be focused on the research proposal only.

The European Career Fair in Boston is an example of a career fair. Such a fair differs from a PhD workshop on the following points:

• Focused on a broader audience: academics, researchers, scientists (from research masters to assistant professors).
• These candidates don’t bring funding from their home country.
• Academia and industry are both represented on a career fair.
• There is no support from a Nuffic Neso office in the countries concerned.

You will find all information about organising a PhD workshop in our Fair Guide. A must-read if you participate in one of the international recruitment events. This way you know exactly what to expect and prepare. You will also get practical tips for conducting 1-on-1 interviews.

Have a look at all international recruitment events.