Denis Janković shares his experiences of completing a binational doctorate at KIT and the University of Strasbourg.

Binational doctorate: Why Denis Janković chose KIT for his PhD in nanophysics

Cutting-edge research doesn't know any borders. French physicist Denis Janković is leveraging the close cooperation between Baden-Württemberg and France for his binational project – a conscious decision in favour of top-notch research in Karlsruhe.

Denis Janković grew up in France and studied physics at the University of Strasbourg. However, he completed his PhD in nanophysics not only in France, but also at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Southwest Germany. While many young researchers opt for a predefined binational PhD program, he deliberately chose to collaborate with one of the top universities in Baden-Württemberg. The reason? The KIT offered him exactly the scientific ecosystem that took his research to the next level.

THE LÄND as Career Upgrade

When Denis began his PhD at the Institut de physique et chimie des Matériaux (IPCMS) in Strasbourg in 2024, he quickly realised that he needed a strong experimental counterpart to complement his theoretical work. Since the Baden-Württemberg University of Excellence KIT offers outstanding research opportunities in the field of chemistry and biosciences, he decided to additionally pursue his doctorate at the Institute of Nanotechnology (INT) in Karlsruhe. This binational PhD enabled him to validate his theoretical models against experimental reality in real-time, significantly increasing the efficiency of his interdisciplinary work.

The fact that this path was so seamless for Denis is rooted in the strategic orientation of Southwest Germany. Baden-Württemberg lies at the heart of the Upper Rhine Valley – a tri-national innovation region uniting expertise from Germany, France, and Switzerland. A central pillar of this is Eucor - The European Campus, which connects five prestigious universities – including KIT and the University of Strasbourg – to form a joint campus. Here, researchers work across borders, and individual binational doctoral programs are accordingly encouraged. In addition, the University of Strasbourg and KIT founded two closely networked quantum research institutes in 2022. This professional synergy came at the perfect time for Denis: ‘It therefore was really natural for me to collaborate with people across the Rhine, because there was already a big collaboration between universities or even politics.’

Denis' current path also demonstrates how valuable the scientific network in Baden-Württemberg is: he is currently completing his postdoc in Seoul, South Korea. It was his doctoral supervisor at KIT who facilitated the decisive contact. The international appeal of Baden-Württemberg's players in research opens doors to the world's leading institutes. Besides the beneficial network, Denis highlights a pragmatic advantage of the region: ‘Here you have more funding than in France and therefore easier ways of doing research’, he explains, referring to the funding opportunities in Germany’s Southwest.

Very good science and very good life

Beyond cutting-edge research, Denis particularly appreciates the high quality of life in Baden-Württemberg. Cities such as Karlsruhe, Heidelberg and Konstanz offer not only perfect research institutes, but also great recreational opportunities. He particularly likes both the manageable size of the cities and their medieval charm. With everything so accessible, spontaneous trips are easy - offering a perfect balance between vibrant city life and nature in the Black Forest. 

Summing up why he is considering a return to Baden-Württemberg after his time in South Korea, he says: ‘Each city in Baden-Württemberg can stand on its own two feet – very good science, very good physics, very good chemistry and very good life.’

  • Denis’ tip for you: To start a research career in Baden-Württemberg, perfect German isn't essential from day one. Since English is widely spoken in the scientific community, you can learn the language over time. Most importantly: make sure to take the time to explore the beauty of Southwest Germany outside of the lab.

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Video: Robert Engel

Author: Isabelle Dobratz

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