György Dán is the supervisor of the year!
This year, the PhD Chapter of THS launched a Supervisor of the Year Award in order to highlight exemplary supervision practices in Third Cycle Education at KTH. An independent jury of doctoral students, from all five schools, has selected Professor György Dán, at the Division of Network and Systems Engineering, as the winner for his “tremendous commitment as a supervisor of his doctoral students”.
Congratulations! What does this award mean to you?
“I have to confess that I felt extremely honoured already when I got to know that my students nominated me for the award. I actually heard about the award through them first. The fact that I received the award was a very pleasant and great surprise and is really the cherry on the cake. I think one of the most important aspects of this award is the feedback received through the nomination about what and why my closest colleagues - doctoral students - appreciate, and how they perceive my efforts to be supportive and at the same time productive. It is very rewarding to know that the people with whom I like to cooperate enjoy the way we work together.”
What is the best thing about being a supervisor of doctoral students at KTH?
“There are many great things about being a supervisor, it is not easy to pick a single aspect. If I have to name one then I would say it is the chance to interact with and learn from highly motivated and talented people, facilitate their self-development over the years and see them being successful in their careers afterwards. I reckon this may appear as more than one aspect, but they are tightly connected.”
What is the most challenging part?
“Accepting that the people that you enjoy working with will eventually leave, always, and it is for their own good. It is a bit like raising children.”
How will you celebrate?
“Surely with a cake, as soon as Covid is over.”
