Doctoral study is primarily conceived as individual study, where the professional relationship between the supervisor and the student is crucial. The supervisor is mainly an academic or scientific worker (e.g. an associate professor, professor or an expert on a given issue) who should be a guarantee of quality and proper leadership of the student through his or her national and international expertise and at the same time have sufficient time space for supervisoring the student. The supervisor is appointed and dismissed by the dean on the basis of a proposal of the subject area board (SAB) and prior approval of the Research Board of the faculty at which the student is enrolled for study. A supervisor may also be a person other than an employee of Charles University if a contract is concluded between Charles University, or the relevant faculty and a specific supervisor or workplace. The expression of mutual communication between the student and the supervisor is the fulfillment of an individual study plan. The position of supervisor is therefore not representative for doctoral studies.
The supervisor may propose an SAB to appoint an advisor from among the experts of a given study programme who, thanks to his special expertise or methodological and technical possibilities, is able to lead the student within a certain factual or time section of the doctoral study. An advisor as a top specialist in a given field is able to lead the student and complement the supervisor's professional work. A n advisor for a given student is appointed and dismissed by the dean of the faculty on the proposal of the SAB. It may also be a person other than an employee of Charles University if a contract is concluded between Charles University or the relevant faculty and a specific advisor or workplace.
Further information on the supervisor’s study agenda is available on the Charles University website.
Supervisor
The supervisor in a member of academic staff (associate professor, professor or accomplished specialist), who with regard to the expertise at national and international level, personal integrity and moral qualities represents a guarantee of superior and proper supervision of the student. The supervisor shall also possess enough time availability to advise and consult the student. Each supervisor shall prove adequate knowledge of the valid internal regulations of the university.
- a supervisor for the given student shall be appointed and dismissed by the dean on the proposal of the SAB; the appointment or the removal of the supervisor by the dean shall be filed in the student’s records kept by the faculty
- the scientific-research activity of the student may take place under the guidance of a supervisor who is not employed by Charles University, or who is employed at a different workplace than Charles University, provided an agreement between Charles University or the relevant faculty and the particular supervisor or workplace has been concluded
- together with the student, the supervisor shall prepare a proposal for the ISP, including the topic of the dissertation; if the student does not exercise his/her right to participate in drawing up the ISP, it will be established by the supervisor
- approves the topic of dissertation proposed by the student or helps the student formulate it
- shall continuously monitor the fulfilment of the student's study obligations and consult the results of the study with the student on a regular basis
- shall check that the content of the dissertation corresponds to the content of the programme of study that the student is studying. In the case of inconsistency with the content of the programme of study, the supervisor shall propose a solution to the SAB
- shall evaluate fulfilment of the ISP in writing on a regular basis (at least once a year) and present this evaluation to the SAB for approval
- shall express own opinion on the content of the ISP agreements, the so-called cotutelle (agreements on joint supervision of dissertations between Charles University and a foreign university), especially with regard to the ISP
- recommends, together with the SAB, a student's request for a change of study form to the dean; after the standard length of the student's study, his recommendation is no longer required
- may propose to the SAB that an advisor from among appropriate experts shall be appointed to supervise the student during a particular section or time period of doctoral study due to the advisor's special expertise or methodical and technical possibilities
- together with the relevant workplace they shall provide their own/individual operational and technical facilities for the student
- shall remain in regular contact with the student
- shall supervise and provide guidance to the student, recommend specialised literature (resources), teach the student to be in the company of experts, to present the results of own research work to the public (soft skills), teach the student to raise funds to finance the projects, help him establish expert contacts at home and abroad and enter the international scientific community, pass their knowledge on to students and enable them to teach to a reasonable and suitable extent according to their approved ISPs
Advisor
An advisor, as a leading specialist in the relevant area, is able to guide the student and complement the expert activities of the supervisor. The advisors are responsible for the supervisor's obligations that were entrusted to them. However, the advisor cannot replace the primary responsibility of the supervisor for the expert aspect of the student's doctoral study.
- may be proposed by the supervisor or the student and shall be chosen from among appropriate experts to supervise the student within a particular section or time period of doctoral study due to the advisor's special expertise or methodical and technical possibilities
- the advisor for the given student shall be appointed and dismissed by the dean on the proposal of the SAB; the appointment or the removal of the advisor by the dean shall be filed in the student’s records kept by the faculty
- is not usually from the same workplace as the supervisor
- does not have to be employed by Charles University provided an agreement between Charles University or the relevant faculty and the particular advisor or the workplace has been concluded. The advisor shall be co-responsible for the realisation of the doctoral project
- shall be in regular contact with the student; in addition, the advisor communicate with the SAB and the supervisor, or also with the dean
See the list of supervisors in the Study Information System (SIS). This is a list of active supervisors, i.e. supervisors who currently supervise at least one student.
Supervisors within the CU according to study programmes (including those who do not currently supervise anyone):
Anatomy, Histology and Embryology
Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry
Human Physiology and Pathophysiology
Kinesiology and Rehabilitation
Molecular and Cellular Biology, Genetics and Virology
