The four universities of applied sciences (HAW) in Saxony-Anhalt have been establishing a joint international graduate academy in the InterGrad-EGD project since 2024. The focus of the doctoral students funded by the project is on the European Green Deal (EGD) with the cross-cutting topics of digitalization, sustainable processes and sustainable society.

The supervisors of the doctoral students are professors from the doctoral centres of the participating universities. At Harz University of Applied Sciences, doctoral theses are assigned to the two doctoral centres IWIT and SGW. Upon acceptance into the InterGrad-EGD, doctoral candidates are assigned a renowned second supervisor, usually from another European country.

The more than 20 InterGrad-EGD doctoral students are supported over a period of three years. Regular skills workshops, excursions and multi-day camps on topics relating to the European Green Deal form the newly developed education programme in the InterGrad-EGD.

The establishment of the International Graduate Academy pursues five key objectives:

•     Promotion of young academics at all participating universities
•     Strengthening scientific networking between the HAWs in Saxony-Anhalt
•     Stronger integration of HAW doctoral students into the European scientific community
•     Increasing the international publication output of the HAW and
•     Creation of long-term international research co-operation