Christopher Dibke is doing his doctorate in the Organic Geochemistry working group at the Institute of Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) and is a participant in the EcoMol (The Ecology of Molecules) doctoral programme.

"For me, the extensive range of workshops is the biggest advantage of OLTECH. Although I am taking part in the EcoMol doctoral programme at ICBM, I am in a special situation: I have restarted a position I had already started. This meant that the planned collaboration with the other doctoral candidates from the doctoral programme was only possible to a limited extent. On the one hand, this meant that my supervisor and I had a lot of creative freedom. On the other hand, the structured nature of the programme was weakened. However, I clearly recognise the advantage of such a structure: a team spirit develops that motivates people to work together in depth in a field of research. A team spirit that doesn't have to end with the doctoral programme itself and can continue afterwards.

OLTECH's programme helped me to prepare for the different phases of my doctorate. I was able to put together a programme of useful workshops. The highlights were: Good Scientific Practice, Self and Time Management, and Scientific Writing.

A mentoring workshop last year really helped me to prepare for my plans after my doctorate. With my mentor from my future favourite field of work, I was able to consolidate my prospects long before completing my doctorate, which will hopefully make the transition easier. The monthly lecture colloquia, in which alumni of the university talk about their career paths, have also laid a really good foundation."