Teaching / Pasteur-Paris University International Doctoral Program / Educational Program

The Pasteur - Paris University International Doctoral Program

Overview of the Educational Program

The overarching goals for the Pasteur-Paris University International Doctoral program are to prepare students for an exciting and competitive career in disease-based research science. The Program aims to meet the highest standards for education. Through the development and execution of a project, as well as academic courses and professional development training, the students will complete a rich program. The students within this program will be well supported by the staff, present as advocates for the students’ scientific education and to provide assistance in any practical matters. A Thesis Advisory Committee will follow the students’ research progress and offer guidance as needed in addition to that provided by the laboratory in which the student is working.

The Pasteur Paris University program has its primary foundations based on scientific research. Students will benefit from the highest training in conducting state of the art research by mentorship, active planning and execution, and discussion of results with their Ph.D advisors and other world renowned scientists. The program is embedded in the Paris Campus which hosts the latest scientific equipment and organization of their use as technological platforms (IP or national access). A very dense scheduling on campus of lectures and seminars by leading scientists, including Nobel prize winners, as well as congresses and workshops are also part of the exposure to ideas and data that students will benefit.

Academic training

Specifically, the students will be responsible for attending a specified number of courses dedicated to fundamental biological concepts and public health. The course work fulfills the requirements set forth by the Paris Universities. Multiple theoretical and practical courses are available, and the students will have their choice in which courses to take based on their personal backgrounds, interests and topics of research, in accordance with their host lab. Furthermore, training at the Institut Pasteur provides students with the opportunity to attend some of the many cutting-edge scientific seminars and participate in on-site symposia.

The Ph.D. program staff is fully committed to also building a strong network within each incoming class of students, between all of the students in the program as a whole as well as with students and scientists of the campus. Successful scientific research requires the exchange and discussion of ideas and the ability to work as a team. To this end, the students will also participate in the planning and attendance of annual program and departmental retreats, at which they can present their own projects. They will assist at monthly journal clubs and are encouraged to apply at international workshops and conferences, for which the Ph.D. program will offer monetary support

Professional development training

Complementing these academic trainings and in addition to the hands-on laboratory training, the Pasteur-Paris University Ph.D. program will require attendance at several professional development training courses. The latter aim to enhance the students’ skills in oral presentation and writing of manuscripts to provide a competitive advantage to the students. The training courses offered also cover other important aspects of the professional life, from as diverse topics such as bioethics to patent licensing. As a program focused on bringing international students to the Institut Pasteur, students will benefit from intensive French language courses. During the completion of the program, the students will also be informed about the Institut Pasteur international research network and the main missions of the Institut Pasteur, which are research and sharing knowledge for the benefit of prevention and treatment of disease around the world.

Together, this combination of laboratory training, academic and skills courses, and program events, will provide the doctoral students graduating from this Ph.D. program with a high-level, competitive foundation from which to pursue a scientific career.