PhD support

Life as a PhD candidate at VU Amsterdam will be rewarding and

PhD

messages PhD candidate advisors

During your PhD you will potentially experience an issue or challenge where you will require support or advice from an independent body. Therefore, every faculty at VU Amsterdam has appointed a PhD candidate advisor for you to exchange ideas with, discuss the progress of your PhD project, your working environment and all kinds of issues you may encounter.

The PhD candidate advisor is independent, knows the faculty well and understands what it means to embark on a PhD trajectory. They can also refer you to other people or support at VU Amsterdam or the faculty.

You will meet the PhD candidate advisor at various times, starting with a welcome interview. Information about the PhD candidate advisor and contact details are available at your Graduate School. Find more information by scanning the QR code.

user-friends PhD gatherings

Making time to socialise and pursue other interests should be an important part of your PhD. Whether your interests are board games, a trip to the opera, boating or culinary adventures, we have got you covered! Our goal is to design and develop activities for PhD candidates to help you connect with each other across departments and faculties. The PhD Gatherings are a great way to increase your network, explore Amsterdam and have some well-deserved fun.

PhD Gatherings are organised by the International Office. For more information, please contact us at Phd@vu.nl.

screen-users Forum for Young Scientists

The Forum for Young Scientists (FYS) was founded in 2016 and is a self-support system for PhD candidates and postdocs at VU Amsterdam. We organise workshops to train soft skills, discuss problems and challenges related to working in academia, and discuss non-scientific themes in a safe and non-hierarchical environment.

Examples of workshops that we organised are: masterclass of presentation skills, writing a good grant proposal, how to become a professor, leadership, from academia to industry, time management.

To find out more information about FYS and look at upcoming events please visit: www.forumyoungscientists.nl

head-side-heart But how are you really doing?

PhD life can be challenging. It can be quite a struggle balancing your research, social life, work, exercise, and more. That is why it is important to be aware of how you are doing and to take good care of yourself.

VU Amsterdam partners with Caring Universities to offer free online services to improve your mental well-being.

Caring Universities is an international initiative that offers free online services aimed at improving students' mental health. More information can be found at caring-universities.com

handshake-angle Help with practical matters

While moving to Amsterdam is a great decision, it is important to note that certain arrangements need to be made to ensure the process will go smoothly. Where will you live, and do you need a visa, or a residence permit for your stay here? Our Services Team at VU Amsterdam International Office is ready to help you with all these practicalities.

Accommodation and visa are two of the most important matters that need to be taken care of. Although we offer accommodation to international students, the number of available rooms is limited. This means there are no guarantees – though we do our best to find suitable accommodation for everyone. Additionally, there are things to keep in mind when it comes to potential immigration to the Netherlands. If you are a non-EU/EEA citizen, you need to complete the immigration procedure prior to starting your studies at VU Amsterdam.

Our Services team is ready to help ease the process and aid you in various matters, for example by applying for the immigration procedure on your behalf.

More information about our services can be found via www.vu.nl/visa or www.vu.nl/accommodation. It is also possible to make an application appointment with us via our online tool.