Chinese Top Graduates to be Offered Industrial PhD in Denmark

– China is a key player on the world map for knowledge and innovation, so we need to strengthen our knowledge network and increase recruitment from China. Earmarked Industrial PhD scholarships for top graduates with a Chinese educational background are a significant initiative to achieve that goal, says Helge Sander, Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation.

As an element in the Science Ministry's strategy for knowledge collaboration with China, DKK 13 million has been earmarked for 13 Industrial PhDs from China. In addition to recruiting highly qualified Chinese researchers to Denmark, the effort will increase access by Danish companies to knowledge and innovation environments in China.

The candidates that may be considered for the earmarked scholarships must have a master's degree with top marks from a Chinese university.

The Industrial PhDs will be employed in a company with branches in both Denmark and China, and they will spend at least half of their working time in the company in the Danish branch. In addition, the Industrial PhDs will be enrolled at a university from which they will obtain the PhD degree. In this way, the Industrial PhD projects contribute to establishing and strengthening knowledge networks between research institutions and companies in Denmark and China.

The Danish Innovation Centre in Shanghai assists in marketing this opportunity in China. The application deadline is 1 February 2010.

For further comments by Science Minister Helge Sander, please contact the Ministry's Information Manager Allan Boldt, tel.: +45 33 92 97 39, abo@vtu.dk.

For more information on the Industrial PhD programme, see www.industrialphd.dk, or contact the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation, Ditte Mesick, Head of Section, tel.: +45 35 44 62 13, dtme@fi.dk.