Specific measures including the course programme, measures guiding the design and implementation of fieldwork in East Asia and specific or supplementary career development measures, span the four-year cycle. Courses and other formats with obligatory attendance are combined with electives for the researchers to choose from, for their individual advancement. As attendance is obligatory for most of these measures, the participating researchers, doctoral and postdoctoral researchers gain exposure to experts and research beyond their own discipline/country focus, thus acquiring a broader, interdisciplinary qualification.
Timeline of the Qualification Programme (Cohort I)
| Year | Milestones and Events | Didactic Programme | Thesis Writing and Supervision |
| 1
2023-24 | October: Start of Programme for Cohort I | Obligatory: Seminar “Theories and Research Methods on Future Conceptions”, taught by all participating researchers Obligatory: Research Colloquium | First Formal Supervisory Meeting with both supervisors, submission of Draft Proposal |
| Electives: Key skills and complementary courses, see Table 4.2. Obligatory: | Literature Review and Research Question due 15 January | ||
| Research design and methods due 15 May. Presentation practice one week before Proposal Workshop | |||
| June Proposal Workshop | Obligatory: Peer teaching on Fieldwork OR Archival and Library research (RUB, UDE) | ||
| Milestone 1: Completion of Full Proposal | Elective: Summer School (Europe, UK) on specific topic/ method of each doctoral researcher. | Second Formal Supervisory Meeting with both supervisors | |
| 2 2024-25 | September: Fieldwork / Archival and Library Research in East Asia (6–12 months) including Two Virtual Field Retreats (Zoom video conference) of all doctoral researchers and the post-doctoral researcher with supervisors and hosts at the partner institutions in September and February | Elective: Seminar OR Workshop OR Workgroup attendance at guest University | Regular contact to be maintained with supervisors and/or scientific coordinator: Monthly Zoom Meetings |
| Obligatory: Language training in target region | Third Formal Supervisory Meeting after return from fieldwork | ||
| Obligatory: Research Colloquium | |||
| 3
2025-26 | Milestone 2: October: Fieldwork Results Workshop [Cohort II starts the programme] | Obligatory: Research Colloquium for all participants of the RTG after return from fieldwork Electives: Advanced Key Skills, Workshops in Europe/ UK on specific topic / method of each graduate researcher (To be selected in consultation with the supervisor) | |
| February (2026): Joint Event (film series, exhibition): Cohort I and II | |||
| Milestone 3: June Preliminary Results Workshop | Voluntary / recommended: Conference attendance Obligatory: Participation in project-specific workshops on the four subthemes organized by postdoc, associated postdocs and doctoral researchers | Fourth Formal Supervisory Meeting | |
| 4
2026-27 | June: Final Presentation Workshop | Electives: Research Career Day, Mentoring Academic Research (RAR) | Writing up of dissertation, regular and frequent supervision meetings |
| Milestone 4: Thesis Submission | |||
Course overview
| Courses Specific to the RTG | ||||||
| Type | Duration / Frequency | Contents | Target Group | Location | Prospective Instructor/s | Participation |
| Seminar | 2 h / weekly (year 1) | Theories on Future conceptions and research methods | doctoral researcher | RUB/UDE | all participating researchers | Obligatory |
| Workshop | 2 h / 4 times (year 1) | Fieldwork/ archival and library training | doctoral researcher | RUB/UDE | RUB/OAW and UDE/IN-EAST Postdocs | Obligatory |
| Complementary Courses | ||||||
| Type | Duration/Frequency | Contents | Target Group | Location | Prospective Instructor | Participation |
| Summer Schools | approx. 3 weeks in July/August (year 1 and/or 2) | individual/ specific topic/method of each doctoral researcher | doctoral researchers | Europe, UK | Elective | |
| Seminars | 2 h / weekly (year 1 and/or 3) | Methods in humanities (history, philosophy, linguistics, religious studies) and social sciences (sociology, political sciences, economics) | doctoral researchers | RUB and UDE | Faculty (professors and teachers) | Elective |
| Language Course | 4 h / weekly (year 1 and/or 3) | English for colloquial and academic communication | doctoral researchers (for non-native speakers) | RUB and UDE | Language teachers | As required |
| Language Course | 4 h / weekly (year 1 and/or 2) | Specific language training for academic communication and for fieldwork (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) | doctoral researchers (non-native speakers) | target region of fieldwork | Language teachers | Obligatory |
| Key Skills Training Courses | ||||||
| Type | Duration/Frequency | Contents | Target Group | Location | Prospective Instructor | Participation |
| Workshop | 4 h / 3 days (year 1) | Reading and writing skills | doctoral researchers | RUB | RUB RS | Elective |
| Workshop | 6 h / 3 days (year 1 and/or 3) | Academic writing skills | doctoral researchers | UDE | UDE GC Plus | Obligatory |
| Workshop | 8 h / 2 days (year 3) | Advanced and effective communication | doctoral researchers | RUB | RUB RS | Elective |
| Workshop | 6 h / 3 days (year 3) | Scientific presentations | doctoral researchers | RUB | RUB RS | Elective |
| Workshop | 8 h / 2 days (year 3) | Networking strategies | doctoral researchers | UDE | UDE GC Plus | Elective |
| Workshop | 8 h / 2 days (year 3) | Academic posters | doctoral researchers | UDE | UDE GC Plus | Elective |
| Workshop | 6 h / 1 day (year 3) | Academic Careers | doctoral researchers / postdoc | RUB | RAR/RUB RS | Elective |
| Mentoring programme | 2 years (year 3 and 4) | Academic careers for female researchers | female doctoral researchers / postdoc | RUB / TUD / UDE | RAR | Elective |
| Workshop | 4 h / 1 day (year 1 and/or 3) | Training course on the collec-tion, storage, editing and sustainable provision of research data | doctoral researchers / postdoc | RUB | RUB Workgroup Research Data Management | Obligatory |
| Training on Good Scientific Practice | ||||||
| Type | Duration/Frequency | Contents | Target Group | Location | Prospective Instructor | Participation |
| Workshop | 2 full days / once (year 1) | Good scientific practice | doctoral researchers | UDE | UDE GC Plus | Obligatory |