The 12th edition of the ECTS PhD training course will be held in the picturesque town of the Lage Vuursche, surrounded by forest in the heart of The Netherlands, between September 1 and 4 2018.
One of the mission statements of ECTS is to “foster a multidisciplinary approach and to stimulate, through meetings, symposia, study groups, lectures, seminars and other means, exchange of information and collaboration”. The PhD training course serves this mission in multiple ways, by bringing together a precisely balanced group of Clinicians and Basic scientists, men and women, in their early, mid or late career, who will exchange information on bone biology and disease through lectures and interactive sessions. The PhD training course allows a maximum of 50 PhD students each year, and promotes collaboration between students and lecturers throughout the duration of the course.
Like previous years, lectures will be given on basic knowledge of bone biology, genetics, and disease, thereby providing an essential foundation of knowledge for any broadly oriented future bone scientist, able to bridge that treacherous gap between bench and bed site. This year there will also be lectures on measurement techniques such as Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography and Transmission Electron Microscopy of bone. There will be special interactive sessions on writing a “catchy” abstract that will get it selected for an oral presentation, and sessions on presenting skills, i.e. how to present your data in proper figures, and how to engage an audience. Active participation is thus not only encouraged, it is a prerequisite. All PhD students will present their work via either an oral presentation or a poster, and will receive feedback on their work from peers and lecturers in a friendly and positive atmosphere.
The PhD training course goes further than the transfer of knowledge, we also aim to help PhD students envision and support their career path by enabling the formation of a tight network. Lecture rooms, dining rooms and lodgings during the course are all located in the Koos Vorrinkhuis to ensure maximum interaction and accessibility of lecturers for students. The Koos Vorrinkhuis is a simple group accommodation that is easy to reach by bus or taxi from Hilversum, which in turn is only a 30-minute direct train ride from Schiphol airport. It is located close to the heart of Lage Vuursche, a tiny Dutch town surrounded by historical forests, that invite a relaxing stroll with colleagues after the hard work at the end of the day. This way, the foundations are laid for lasting collaborations and networks, that are so essential for a scientist in this day and age. After all, “in science today, a genius never works alone”
We hope to welcome many of you, ambitious PhD students, at the training course in September, and start to lay solid foundations for the future of bone research.