I appreciate the opportunity to introduce you to the Graduiertenkollegs, a programme for reshaping PhD training in Germany which has also developed into a new mode of international partnerships. To set the scene, let me briefly outline some facts about the PhD in Germany. Outside the medical Sciences, PhD training in Germany begins after approximately five to six years of undergraduate study, completed by the traditional German "Diplom" or, in an increasing number of cases, by a Master’s degree, often following a BSc or BA. Overall, an average of 20% of graduates go on to take a PhD - according to subject, the rate varies from 10% to 80%. Around 90% of PhDs in Germany are stili completed in the traditional "apprenticeship" mode. İt is the remaining 10% that I would like to talk about today, those PhDs that receive their training in the context of a “Graduiertenkolleg”.