Saarbrücken Graduate School of Computer Science enables successful doctoral studies

From novel methods for data analysis, to artificial intelligence, to IT security – on the Saarland Informatics Campus of Saarland University, junior scientists work on a large number of research projects. They are supported by the Saarbrücken Graduate School of Computer Science. This offers a structured program for the smoothest possible path to a doctorate. In addition to scholarships, it enables particularly talented students to work towards graduation starting from the bachelor’s degree. Further details are given by the Saarbrücken Graduate School of Computer Science during the Cebit computer fair at booth G75 in hall 27.

At the Cebit computer fair Franziska Müller is demonstrating the software she developed together with Professor Christian Theobalt and other researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Computer Science in Saarbrücken, the US University of Stanford and the Spanish King Juan Carlos University. With the help of the software, a simple web camera is enough to capture a moving hand as a 3D model in real time. The project is part of her doctoral thesis. Müller is already no stranger to research. Last year, the software concern Google awarded her a Google PhD Fellowship. This award honors young scientists that Google expects to become part of the global elite. At the same time as the Google PhD Fellowship, Franziska Müller won one of five Women’s MINT Award prizes. In this competition, which was advertised by Deutsche Telekom, her master’s thesis was rated Germany’s best in the growing field of Industry 4.0.

The Saarbrücken Graduate School of Computer Science provides the framework for Müller’s successful path to doctoral studies.

Numerous young researchers from all over the world apply for one of the 30 new openings offered each year. The Graduate School program is divided into two phases: During the preparatory phase, the students attend lectures on a wide range of computer science topics, while gaining deeper knowledge and insight into their field of research. All doctoral students are assigned an academic mentor, and receive a monthly grant of at least 800 euros from the Graduate School, so that they can concentrate entirely on their academic work. “Depending on their prior knowledge, this phase can be customized to meet the needs and interests of the individual students,” says Professor Andreas Zeller, responsible for admissions at the Saarbrücken Graduate School. “Our doctoral students are free to familiarize themselves with various areas of research.” Students can do their research either at Saarland University, or at one of the renowned research institutes that have settled nearby on the Saarland Informatics Campus.

Apart from the two Max Planck Institutes for Computer Science and for Software Systems, these include the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), the Cluster of Excellence “Multimodal Computing and Interaction,” the Center for Bioinformatics, and the CISPA–Helmholtz Center i.G. This means that students can choose among 75 different working groups, covering fields such as algorithms and data structures, computational biology and embedded systems, cybersecurity and machine learning. The Graduate School continues to support the doctoral candidates during the subsequent dissertation phase. An additional advantage: In Saarbrücken, it is not only the supervising professor who is responsible for a dissertation project, but the entire Computer Science department. Some 75 professors and researchers are there to support grad students with their research. “With our offer, we are in fact competing with elite universities like Stanford and Cambridge,” says Zeller. Saarbrücken Graduate School alumni have made it into in a whole range of research institutions worldwide after graduating. “Some of our former PhD students have stayed in research, at universities worldwide, while others work for technology companies like Google or Facebook. Others have realized their own ideas and started a business. Here, our local IT Incubator provides additional advice and support as a technology transfer center for entrepreneurs,” Zeller reports.

Further information: www.graduateschool-computerscience.de/

Press photos: www.uni-saarland.de/pressefotos

Further inquiries:
Dr. Michelle Carnell
Managing Director
Saarbrücken Graduate School of Computer Science
Saarland Informatics Campus E1.3
Phone: +49 681 302-5523
E-mail: carnell@cs.uni-saarland.de

Prof. Dr. Andreas Zeller
Saarland Informatics Campus E9.1
Saarland University
Phone: +49 681 302-70971
E-mail: zeller@cs.uni-sb.de

Editor:
Gordon Bolduan
Science Communication
Competence Center Computer Science Saarland
Saarland Informatics Campus E1.7
Phone: +49 681 302-70741
E-mail: bolduan@mmci.uni-saarland.de