Successful September BDI Community and Professional Meeting
On September 18, the Doctoral School of Safety Sciences (BDI) hosted a professionally rich community meeting in an excellent atmosphere. The event was attended by 20 participants, and we were particularly pleased to welcome a significant number of newly enrolled, first-year PhD students.
Beyond reviewing academic milestones, the event aimed to foster student talent development, facilitate knowledge sharing, and strengthen community building.
1. Academic Milestones and Regulatory Matters
Following the opening remarks and a discussion on the community and professional dimensions of doctoral studies, Dr. Dániel Tokody and Dr. Yue Wu delivered a highly practical presentation titled “The Hidden Risk of Your PhD Diploma: Administrative Timeline.” The session highlighted the administrative milestones and critical risk factors of the PhD process, with special attention to tasks relevant to international students.
Afterward, we reviewed key sections of the Doctoral Regulations together with interested students, focusing specifically on:
- The criteria and performance requirements for scholarships,
- The steps required to obtain the absolutorium and initiate the degree conferral procedure,
- Classification rules for publications and academic conferences.
2. Talent Management and Mentorship
Nurturing the next generation of researchers was a central topic of the event. Döníz Borsos and Márk Baross delivered an inspiring presentation on successful TDK (Scientific Student Conference) and mentoring practices.
Key takeaways from the session included:
- Talent must be built: Successful TDK candidates are not merely found—they are built step by step. The best candidates are not necessarily those with the highest GPA, but those driven by a deep commitment to specific technical or research problems.
- The Mentoring Funnel: Every stage of talent cultivation carries independent value in a student’s professional development, regardless of whether they ultimately pursue a doctoral degree.
- Practical Advice for PhD Mentors:
- Look for curious students: TDK is just a milestone; genuine professional curiosity is the real driving force.
- Assign small, well-defined tasks: Start with a concrete subtask (e.g., conducting a specific measurement or writing a software module).
- Ensure step-by-step progress: Always provide a clear next achievable step.
- Create synergy with your own research: Align the mentee’s topic with the mentor’s PhD research area, ensuring the collaboration remains productive and valuable for both parties.
3. Forum, Philosophy of Science, and Informal Networking
Following the discussions on regulations and TDK mentorship, an informal exchange of ideas took place on professional and scientific philosophy topics. Together with attending international doctoral students, we explored current issues in artificial intelligence, clarifying operational differences and potential error sources between traditional AI models and Large Language Models (LLMs).
The discussion then expanded into theoretical dimensions, touching upon the relationship between mind and machine, human identity, and the boundaries of scientific falsifiability within metaphysics.
Following the formal program, participants gathered for an informal evening social, continuing their conversations and networking.
