Our tasks:

• We are the central point of contact for all doctoral candidates who have questions/concerns relating to their doctorate.
• We advise on issues that affect doctoral students at our university and make recommendations to the university bodies (such as the Senate or the Faculty Councils).
• As advisory members, we represent the doctoral candidates in the Senate and the Faculty Councils.
• Our work is based on Section 9 (4) sentence 3 of the Lower Saxony Higher Education Act (NHG):

"The doctoral student representation advises on issues concerning doctoral students and makes recommendations to the university bodies in this regard."

Current topics:

• Equal rights for all doctoral candidates - regardless of funding (WiMi, scholarship holder, external)
• Employee protection of doctoral university employees
• Problems of international doctoral candidates
• Amendment of the WissenschaftsZeitVertragsGesetz (short: WissZeitVG)

In summer 2016, the 1st Doctoral Representation of the University of Oldenburg drew up new election regulations for the election of the Doctoral Representation. These election regulations were adopted and published by the Senate in fall 2016.

In fall 2022, the election regulations were revised with the aim of avoiding the inability of the doctoral student representation to pass resolutions due to successful dissertations by its members during the term of office.

Key points of the election regulations:

• As a rule, the doctoral student representation has six members, of which each faculty is entitled to one seat.
• If fewer than six doctoral candidates stand for election, the doctoral candidate representation can still be constituted, provided that at least half of the seats to be allocated plus one can be allocated, i.e. provided that at least four people stand for election.
• If a faculty does not send a representative and therefore seats remain vacant, a seat is awarded to the person who receives the most valid votes among all candidates and does not already hold a seat.
• The term of office is one year.
• All accepted doctoral candidates are eligible to vote.
• Each voter receives one vote.