Outstanding Doctoral Supervision – Award Ceremony 2025
Congratulations!
On July 2, 2025, the recipients of the 2025 Outstanding Doctoral Supervision Award were honored at a ceremony in the "Campus Space".
The prize in the natural sciences and engineering was awarded to Prof. Dr. Gesine Mollenhauer, Professor for Organic Sedimentology in the Department of Geosciences.
In the humanities and social sciences, the winner was Prof. Dr. Klaus Schlichte, Professor for International Relations and World Society at the Department of Social Sciences.
Passionate Engagement
?In all faculties of our university, there are many supervisors engaged in the development of their doctoral candidates with enthusiam and passion. In today's award ceremony, we show our appreciation for their engagement and make it more visible to the academic public." declared Director of Finance and Administraion Frauke Meyer in the welcome address of the University Executive Board at the award ceremony.
The nomination process and the award ceremony was organised by the BYRD team
Dr. Marie Saade led through the ceremony and acknowledged the numerous nominees in this year's nomination process. She also cited examples from several nominations as insights into good doctoral supervision practice.
Valuing Doctoral Supervision
Lively participation from the university and beyond both appreciated and reaffirmed the great importance of good doctoral supervision.
Perspectives of former doctoral candidates
In his laudatory speech for the award winner in the natural and engineering sciences, Prof. Dr. Gesine Mollenhauer, former doctoral student Dr. Manuel Rubens said, “One of the qualities that makes Gesine Mollenhauer truly outstanding is her ability to adapt her supervisory style to the individual needs of her doctoral candidates. Instead of expecting us to follow a uniform approach, she tailors her support to each individual – always with our well-being in mind."
Perspectives of former doctoral candidates
In his laudatory speech, read by Dr. Roy Karadag, Prof. Dr. Klaus Schlichte's former doctoral candidate Dr. Ahmed Elsayed said, “Exceptional supervision cannot be measured in numbers. You can feel it in the growth of self-confidence,in the clarity gained, and in the personalities that are shaped as a result. Those who guide others with understanding and care, leave their mark on people, not just on manuscipts.”
Donator of the prize money: Alumni of the University of Bremen e.V.
Dr. Reinhard Ahlers of the University of Bremen Alumni Network association emphasized in his speech the importance of the support of the supervisors in the development of the individual academic career. The prize money of 2,000 Euros per person is earmarked exclusively for projects to support doctoral students.
Festive atmosphere
The saxophonist Birdy Jessel accompanied the ceremony at the Campus Space of the Sparkasse Bremen AG with her tunes.
18 supervisors received two or more nominations and were thus eligible. The jury choose two award winners, one for the natural sciences and engineering and one for the humanities and social sciences.
Award Ceremony for Outstanding Doctoral Supervision 2025
The Award for Outstanding Doctoral Supervision was given to this year's winners on July 2, 2025 in the Campus Space of Sparkasse Bremen AG. On behalf of the university management, Director of Finance and Administration Frauke Meyer honored Prof. Dr. Gesine Mollenhauer, Professor of Organic Sedimentology at the Faculty of Geosciences and Prof. Dr. Klaus Schlichte, Professor of International Relations and World Society at the Faculty of Social Sciences. Frauke Meyer praised the excellent supervision of doctoral candidates at the University of Bremen, which is reflected in this award.
Board member Pranjal Kothari spoke on behalf of the Sparkasse and welcomed the more than 70 guests, who showed their interest in outstanding doctoral supervision despite the hot weather, with warm words in the fortunately cool rooms in the Campus Space. On behalf of the Alumni of the University of Bremen e.V., which donated the prize money, board member Dr.-Ing. Reinhard Ahlers, expressed his appreciation for the support in researchers’ qualification phase. The prize is special because it is not awarded for scientific achievement per se, but for enabling and creating structures for this very achievement. Dr. Marie Saade hosted the evening on behalf of BYRD and also announced all the multiple nominees. “The fact that former doctoral candidates have nominated you and made it clear how well they felt they were mentored is, in itself, a great compliment to all 18 of the nominees!”
The very personal laudatory speeches for the two winners gave an insight into the outstanding doctoral supervision in the respective working groups and once again highlighted the appreciation shown. Dr. Manuel Rubens spoke about Gesine Mollenhauer's individual and empathetic supervision. Dr. Ahmed Elsayed's speech (read out by Dr. Roy Karadag) emphasized how Klaus Schlichte managed to encourage even in times of isolation, which doctoral studies sometimes entail, especially for internationals, so that it always felt like “moving forward”. The evening ended with a lively get-together, musically accompanied by saxophonist Birdy Jessel.
All information on the completed nomination and selection process for the Outstanding Doctoral Supervision Award 2025 can be found here.
Contact:
Dr. Marie Saade
BYRD
Bremen Early Career Researcher Development
Phone: 0421-218-60327
Email: marie.saade@vw.uni-bremen.de
Building: SFG Room 0265
Training Offers for Supervisors in the Winter Term 2025-26
Impulses for Doctoral Supervision
Di. 04.11.2025, 10:00 – 12:00
Desiree Dickerson, PhD
The multiple Roles of a Supervisor (English)
Do. 20.11.2025, 10:00 – 12:00
PD Dr. Mareike Menne
In Verbindung bleiben. Kommunikation, Absprachen und nachhaltige Promotionsbetreuung (German)
Di. 27.01.2026, 10:00 – 12:00
Dr. Phuong Glaser
From Bias to Belonging. Compassionate Supervision in an International and Diverse Academia (English)
Do. 12.02.2026, 10:00 – 12:00
PD Dr. Bettina Bock von Wülfingen
Kompetenz im Umgang mit Machtmissbrauch – sicher navigieren in der Betreuungs- und Leitungsfunktion (German)
These two-hour online workshops, led by external trainers, combine expert input with opportunities for collegial exchange among supervisors.
Further information