The conferment of doctoral rights marks the beginning of a new era in academic education at Hochschule Landshut. The university, in collaboration with partner institutions, establishes two doctoral centers, providing a direct path to doctoral degrees. This initiative completes the academic qualification process from undergraduate studies through in-depth master's programs to doctoral degrees.
The establishment of doctoral centers with independent doctoral rights at universities of applied sciences became possible with the passage of the Higher Education Innovation Act in Bavaria. As one of the first institutions in the Free State, Hochschule Landshut played a role in shaping these doctoral centers' concepts and received approval from the Bavarian Ministry of Science at the start of the winter semester 2023/24 (see reporting).
Two Doctoral Centers for Hochschule Landshut
Collaborating with the Deggendorf Institute of Technology and the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, Hochschule Landshut launches the "Digital Technologies and Their Application" doctoral center. Professors from Landshut's research fields, including Data and Process Science, Electronics and System Integration, Energy, and Production and Logistics Systems, participate in this initiative.
The "Digital Innovations for a Changing Society" center is another doctoral center established in collaboration with Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences and the Amberg-Weiden University of Applied Sciences in Eastern Bavaria. Professors from the Institute for Social Change and Cohesion Research, as well as the Institute for Data and Process Science, participate in this center.
"Providing research-oriented students the opportunity to remain at their own university"
The requirements for granting doctoral rights were stringent. Participating professors had to demonstrate their personal research strength through an evaluation process and develop a coherent research profile for the centers. Hochschule President Prof. Dr. Fritz Pörnbacher adds, "We are proud of the research achievements of our professors and consider the establishment of doctoral centers, now approved, as the logical step toward independently awarding doctoral degrees at universities of applied sciences."
Currently, Hochschule Landshut has over 50 academic staff members with intentions to pursue doctoral degrees. While these individuals have previously collaborated with universities for their doctoral studies, prospective doctoral candidates can now obtain their doctoral degrees directly through the new doctoral centers in the aforementioned research areas. Prof. Dr. Holger Timinger, Vice President for Research and Transfer, sees the emerging doctoral centers as "an opportunity to further expand our research efforts and provide research-oriented students with the chance to remain at their own university and work on future-oriented topics."
Photo: Hochschule Landshut
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