Career Paths in Industry and Society

 

Those close and diverse contacts to industry are characteristic of RWTH Aachen as a technical university. These contacts reveal career paths in industry to doctoral candidates early during their studies. RWTH views itself as a "career-smith" with its targeted promotion of top junior researchers and training of management personnel for industry. For some individuals the additional support provided along the path to autonomy is of particular interest when transitioning into the postdoc phase.

 

Manager

This career path is targeted towards those in the early postdoc phase with management responsibilities for the first time, who are interested in management, business, and economics, and are pursuing a superior management position in industry or society. This requires not only professional qualifications but also management expertise. This management expertise can be acquired through a specific MBA with economic fundamentals offered in collaboration with RWTH Aachen International Academy.

 

Entrepreneur

During doctoral studies and in the initial postdoc phase, advising and support for the path to autonomy is available to individuals who have a research-based business idea or invention and are interested in starting a company. The responsible administrative departments and the Entrepreneurship Center are ready to answer questions about property rights and commercialization strategies as well as the EXIST entrepreneur scholarship.

 

Industrial Researcher

Approximately 80 to 90 percent of doctoral candidates leave university directly after their doctorate in order to take up a position in industry or a social organization. They possess not only professional qualifications but also initial management expertise. Furthermore, in addition to teaching professional skills, particular value is placed on doctoral supervisors teaching candidates competencies in the fields of responsible research and innovation, research data management, and scientific and academic integrity.