European Ph D Is there a need for

‘European Ph. D. Is there a need for ECTS credits? ' Prof. dr. Harry W. M. Steinbusch Maastricht University The Netherlands www. euronschool. net

Director: Prof. dr. Harry W. M. Steinbusch web sites: www. euronschool. net www. euron. unimaas. nl

Ten Universities collaborating in the area of Neuroscience: Universiteit Maastricht, The Netherlands Université de Bruxelles, Belgium Universiteit van Hasselt, Belgium Université de Liège, Belgium Universiteit van Leuven, Belgium Université de Louvain, Belgium RWTH Universität Aachen, Germany Universität Bonn, Germany Universität Homburg/ Saarland, Germany Universität Köln, Germany

EURON has been formulated with the aim to provide an optimal educational program for Master and Ph. D. - students on the domain of experimental and clinical neuroscience. EURON is currently expanding and building an even stronger international network both in Europe as well as with three separate links to North America, Japan, China and India.

The major focus is on Neurodegenerative Diseases: - Parkinson’s Disease - Alzheimer’s Disease - Cerebrovascular Disturbances (Stroke) - Schizophrenia - Depression - Spinal cord lesions

135 Ph. D. students and 70 Marie Curie Fellows Euron has become a Marie Curie Training Site under the FP 5 and FP 6. It received Euro 985 k€, which equals 388 Ph. D. months and 2. 8 m€ which equals 580 Ph. D. months and 7. 3 m€ as additional EU-support. All fellowships have been spread over the network.

- Courses provided using Problem Oriented Teaching - Once a year a two/ three EURON Ph. D. -days in which all Ph. D. -students will give a presentation of 15 minutes. - Masterclasses of 3 days with various themes: Psychopharmacology Stem Cells Stereology Cognition and Neurogenesis Depression Deep Brain Stimulation

All courses are attended by about 40 – 60 students, of which 30 from EURON and the other from outside. They are organised according to the Problem Oriented Teaching principle as strictly formulated by Maastricht University.

Criteria for an EURON-certificate: - 4 -5 first author publications with an average impact factor of the top 25 % of the research area. - An international research elective of minimal 3 months within or outside EURON - 60 creditpoints (1 creditpoint equals 8 hours) 10 points for attending the obligatory general course: Introduction to Brain and Behavior in their first year 8 points for attending Ph. D. -days 12 points for attending courses 9 points for attending general courses 15 points for attending meetings 6 points for public awarness

New projects: - Integration of the accreditated national Master in Psychobiology and Experimental Psychology within de faculties of Medicine, Psychology and Health Sciences at Maastricht University. - International European Master in Neuroscience between the Universities of Maastricht, The Netherlands, Liège, Belgium and Cologne, Germany.

International exchange programmes - Indian Society for Neuroscience - Canada: 3 provinces with 3 european nations (BC, Qc, NS and NL, BE and D) - Japan: Friends of the Kansai Region (sponsored by Philips and Panasonic)

Funding opportunities - Within FP-6 programme as MC-EST, IP, NE - Joint venture with industries as educational partner - DSM, Numico, Medtronic, Netherlands - Bayer, Germany - Aventis, France - Johnson & Johnson, Belgium

- FENS: Federation of European Neuroscience Societies - NENS is the educational part of FENS - It comprises 86 european graduate schools in the field of Neuroscience. www. euronschool. net

NENS is the ideal environment for Master and Ph. D. -students to work abroad according to the Bologna and Berlin principle. Currently NENS is collecting all information on specialized courses in the field of Neurosciences throughout the FENS-network.

Like the ECTS system for Master-programmes a similar system could be adopted for the European Ph. D-programmes.

European Certificate as an extra stimulating award to the local certificate or diploma. This European Certificate should enable mobility of Master and Ph. D. -students within Europe. www. euronschool. net

Director: Prof. dr. Harry W. M. Steinbusch web sites: www. euronschool. net www. euron. unimaas. nl

Ten Universities collaborating in the area of Neuroscience: Universiteit Maastricht, The Netherlands Université de Bruxelles, Belgium Universiteit van Hasselt, Belgium Université de Liège, Belgium Universiteit van Leuven, Belgium Université de Louvain, Belgium RWTH Universität Aachen, Germany Universität Bonn, Germany Universität Homburg/ Saarland, Germany Universität Köln, Germany