Throughout their doctoral training, candidates engage in a wide range of research activities, including attending seminars and conferences, presenting papers, publishing in peer-reviewed journals, organizing events, and participating in research networks. These activities, along with certain additional training opportunities, may be credited under the Research Activities category (25 ECTS).

Please note that the criteria for crediting such activities may vary between universities. For specific guidance, we recommend contacting your administrative officer.

Crediting Passive Attendance

Passive attendance at seminars and conferences can be credited at a rate of 1 ECTS per seminar or conference day. For a list of seminars organized by each university, please refer to the “Research Activities” section in the main menu. However, credits for passive attendance are capped at 10 ECTS. This means that at least 15 ECTS must be earned through active research contributions.

Introduction to the PhD Training

Each October, the Doctoral School in Management welcomes new PhD candidates. The “Introduction to the PhD Training Day” is credited with 2 ECTS under the Research Activities category. This event is a valuable opportunity to meet fellow PhD candidates and begin building your research network.

Encouragement to Go Beyond

We strongly encourage candidates to exceed the minimum ECTS requirements and to take advantage of all relevant opportunities that can enrich their doctoral journey.

Important Notice for ULB PhD Candidates

Candidates newly enrolled in the ULB doctoral training programme are required to attend a minimum of five Research Seminars in Applied Economics and Management (RSAEM) per year in person. This participation will be credited with 5 ECTS under passive Research Activities.

In addition to core research activities, seminars and training sessions that help PhD candidates develop transversal skills—such as academic writing and the publication process, oral presentation techniques, bibliographic research and reference management, and proficiency in specialized software—are highly recommended.

The acquisition of these transversal skills can be credited with up to 5 ECTS within the doctoral training programme.