From 2 – 13 March 2026, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore hosted the EMBO PhD Course, a two-week intensive training programme for 3rd and 4th year PhD students working in the laboratories of EMBO Global Investigators and Young Investigators. The course is designed to equip participants with the professional and communication skills needed to thrive in their scientific careers and beyond.
This year’s cohort consisted of over 30 students from India and Taiwan. The course began with a week of in-person immersion at IISc. Participants stepped away from the bench to work intensively on the craft of being a scientist: shaping a compelling abstract, structuring a research article and learning to deliver engaging presentations tailored for different audiences. Hands-on sessions on grant writing gave students a chance to draft, exchange and refine proposals with feedback from peers and facilitators. Throughout, the small-group, peer-driven format gave early-career researchers a rare space to test their ideas and hear how others approach the same challenges. The in-person week culminated in a day of research presentations.
The second week moved online and shifted the focus to research ethics, creativity and career perspectives. Participants engaged with EMBO Press to discuss scientific integrity and peer review. They also learned how to apply design principles to schematic figures to communicate their research findings in a clear and compelling way. Lastly, students participated in a career fair to explore non-academic career options.
By combining technical training with reflection on research integrity and career development, the course addressed skills often underrepresented in doctoral training but essential to succeed in modern research environments.
Located in one of Asia’s research hubs, the course offered the opportunity to further strengthen connections between EMBO and the Asia-Pacific region and provided participants with the chance to network with peers across India and beyond as they advanced in their scientific journey. The next EMBO PhD Course will take place in Heidelberg, Germany in 2027 and the next course in India will take place in Pune in early 2028.
