Graduate employment
In the past, the doctoral studies seemed to be just another step for academic career. This is no longer the case today, the requirements for the skills of workers are constantly growing, economic development is based on new knowledge and the labor market demands experts who are able to push the limits of existing knowledge. The number of PhD students is growing steadily, not only in Europe, and doctoral programmes raise experts who can use their knowledge beyond the academic sphere.
A successful graduate is able to:
- independently conduct research activities, lead and participate in the research projects,
- interpret the results of the research, present the conclusions of their work, defend these conclusions in front of the scientific community and reflect its observations,
- collaborate with professionals from the Czech Republic and from another countries, that are working in related disciplines,
- understand in depth the theories of regional development and regional economics and use this knowledge for the realization of professional lectures,
- interpret the different effects of spatial patterns and evaluate their impacts on socio-economic development,
- participate in the establishment of concepts, strategies and plans for development at local, regional or national and transnational levels with a specific emphasis on the use of so-called place-based approaches,
- evaluate large publicly funded investment projects,
- participate in the creation of feasibility studies of investment projects in the private and public sector, strategic development plans of companies, specific studies on investment opportunities and
- comment on the economic policy measures implemented in the field of regional policy and critically evaluate them.
“Regions are the new communities of the 21st century. They have emerged just as villages, towns, cities and counties did before them... and now they determine our fates.”
William R. Dodge
author of books about regionalism
Where can you work after graduating in the Regional Economics programme?
If you undertake the Regional Economics programme, you will be able to work in various organizations across the public and private sectors at local, national and European level.
As a graduate of the Regional Economics doctoral programme, you can work in the following sectors as:
- a researcher in the institutions that focus on basic or applied research in the Czech Republic and abroad, including project managers focusing on international grant schemes,
- an academician at the university that would focus on student education, research in regional economies and their development,
- a manager, analyst, or expert team leader in regional advisory and consulting agencies and companies dealing with regional issues both in the non-profit and private sectors,
- the head of regional and national (eg. ministries) public administration bodies,
- a managing officer in international institutions including EU institutions and foreign branches of Czech institutions,
- a manager in private companies in positions where analytical skills and wide regional economic outlook are needed,
- a founder and expert of industry-centered think tanks or consultant and expert on political subjects and public administration in the field of regional issues.