Pro-Motion: Services for International Doctoral Students
Want to meet new people? Advance your academic skills? Network? The International Office’s “Pro-Motion” project offers a comprehensive range of counseling and support services to help international doctoral students before and during their doctoral degrees and promotes intercultural skills, networking and integration.
Services at a Glance
- Career entry workshops/ writing retreats
- Welcome meeting for new international doctoral students
- PhD Café
- Pro-Buddy Program
- Assistance with government authorities (upon request)
- German language courses
- Intercultural training
Qualification and Further Training
We offer the following workshops and programs to assist and support you as you prepare for your career.
Peer Monitoring Program
This 4- to 6-month peer monitoring program assists international doctoral students from the beginning to successful completion of their doctoral degree while also promoting collaboration with colleagues and exchanging advice in the peer group.
The group of at most 15 participants also meets regularly for coaching on a variety of topics, such as writer’s block, time management or supervision conflicts.
Workshops and writing retreats
Understanding German Academia
This workshop is designed for Chinese doctoral students and provides practical strategies for effective communication with the academic supervisor. It focuses on navigating supervision meetings, clarifying expectations and handling feedback.
Date: November 12, 2026
10 am- 1 pm
Location: International Club, Poppelsdorfer Allee 53
Registration required
Other Workshops
- Intercultural training
- The “Doctorate Plus” qualification program by the Bonn Graduate Center
- Certificate of intercultural competence
- Healthy Campus
- Mental Health offers
Networking and Integration
The following programs give you the opportunity to network and meet German and international doctoral students.
Welcome Meeting
The Bonn Graduate Center and International Office offer a welcome meeting for the winter semester where new international doctoral students can meet new people and network, and information on counseling and support services is presented.
Date: November 25, 2026 at 4:30 pm
Location: Festsaal, Main building
Contact and information:
Welcome Event for Doctoral Students — University of Bonn (uni-bonn.de)
PhD Café and other events
PhD Café
The PhD Café provides international doctoral students with an informal setting for networking and exchanging information.
Dates: 02.10., 30.10., 20.11., 18.12.2026 and 05.02.2027 at 7 pm
Location: Internationaler Club, Poppelsdorfer Allee 53
Hike in the Siebengebirge
The Pro-Motion team invites international doctoral students to a hike to the Löwenburg. No registration required.
Date: September 19, 2026, 10 am
Meeting Point (without registration): Info Point, Bonn Central Station
Guided tour Haus der Geschichte
Date: October 24, 2026, 12 Uhr
Registration: pro_motion@uni-bonn.de
Pro-Buddy Program
The Pro-Buddy program is for international and German doctoral students who want to make new contacts and improve their intercultural skills.
In this program, Bonn “Buddies” help new international doctoral students start their doctoral studies and get settled in Bonn.
International Doctoral Students at the University of Bonn
In this video, you will learn more about counselling and support services for international doctoral students and get an overview of important institutions and facilities at the University of Bonn.
International Doctoral Students at University of Bonn (© Tim Küntzler/Universität Bonn)
Bild © Universität Bonn / YouTube
Contact
Sandra Papel
Poppelsdorfer Allee 53
53115 Bonn (Germany)
Office Hours
- by appointment
Also see
Research in Germany
Information on research funding, career planning and tips for living in Germany.
Campus International
The Campus International program seeks to promote greater intercultural exchange at the University of Bonn.