Career prospects

The main focus of SETS Joint Doctorate is to prepare the doctoral candidates for a fruitful top level research career either in the partners of the consortium or in other institutions involved in this challenging research area. Specially the SETS associate members provide an important support.

The SETS associate members are: EES-UETP and energy companies in the consortium countries. These members’ formal cooperation will consist in programme management through their membership on the Supervision Board.

The primary objective of all the associate members is collaboration in knowledge transfer and dissemination of results. One key activity will be to cooperate in the definition of lines of priority research in the SETS PhD. In addition, energy companies will provide technology watch services.

The associate members’ second aim is to monitor the SETS programme. This includes supervision of programme performance as feedback to the SETS Management Board to improve programme quality and its results.

Associate members, particularly private energy companies, are also expected to contribute to programme funding in the form of fellowships and events. Finally, associate members will also afford future employment opportunities. As noted in earlier sections, students, as members of research groups, will participate in research projects, normally funded by energy companies.

Joint career management service

Comillas University, as the coordinating institution, will provide SETS students integrated career management services during and after their doctoral studies, including:

professional profile analysis and monitoring
professional coaching and counselling for students and alumni
active life-long career monitoring and feedback from and to students
placement programme and life-long job employment service
industry and institutional networking
collaboration and integration with alumni associations, in particular with the Erasmus Mundus Alumni Association

This service, launched in 2009 for all COMILLAS postgraduate students, will be enlarged to include an international facility for SETS alumni (http://www.upcomillas.es/Estudios/estu_gest_carr.aspx)

In addition to this joint effort, each HEI will be actively involved in each student’s research and professional career, particularly for students intending to continue as researchers or seeking employment with SETS associate partners or industries.