I consider the followings in order of importance:

1) Compatibility of the master thesis to my field of expertise

2) The publications

3) Grades in masters and bachelor 

4) Rank of  universivities he/ she studied in before

I believe that key element to success in any project  is motivation. However, motivation is very hard to measure. any suggestions?

The main criteria to choose the right student for writing PhD under my supervision is the area of specialization.

I consider the followings in order of importance:

1) Compatibility of the master thesis to my field of expertise

2) The publications

3) Grades in masters and bachelor 

4) Rank of  universivities he/ she studied in before

I believe that key element to success in any project  is motivation. However, motivation is very hard to measure. any suggestions?

Dear @Mahfuz, @Ahed and @Behrouz, thank you for valuable suggestions. I really need comprehensive points of views (to learn a lot) and thank you kindly your advices and experiences.

Dear @Beata, as far as the student is accepted in the program then he is capable of writing his thesis; for me, the student should be serious and hard worker.

Students are often selected based on a combination of information provided. This might be a motivation letter, a CV indicating past performance, past activities, and past education environments, a supporting letter from a former educator, or a brief oral presentation.

Psychologists claim that not all people can efficiently work together because of incompatibility in personality profiles. This might also be the case when people interact within an education framework. Perhaps success in formations of thesis students might also depend on matches or mismatches in biology-based characteristics between thesis directors and students, independent from the thesis topics proposed. Details of these biology-based characteristics are most often not reliably reflected in CV’s or brief oral presentations used to select students. 

Dear @Abedallah and @Marcel, I appreciate your contributions. Good points as hard work and seriousness about the duties. Thank you.

All answers are drawing my attention and perceptions to different things. @Marcel said about biology - based characteristics and/or profiles - very interesting aspect. I will look for such factors too.

Thanks  dear @Marcel, but can you also precise what would be these biology-based characteristics from your point of view ? When will be chance for good match in relationship PhD student - supervisor and when mismatch ? This seem interesting according to the goal - written thesis.

Competence in the same research area is predominant factor for me, as well as for a student-Ph.D candidate. Previous results in the area are the best recommendation for!

Dear @Beata, I have read very good paper "Advising and Supervising Doctoral Students: Lessons I Have Learned", which is attached and may be helpful to all of us. The author says: "Advisor competence may be an important factor in student selection of a research area and a dissertation topic. Unless a student has good skills and confidence, the tendency is to gravitate to the advisor who can provide adequate mentoring and quality assurance. In one case, a student did dissertation research in an area outside of her long term interest because of the lack of advisor competence in her department for the area of her interest." Well done!

http://misrc.umn.edu/workingpapers/fullpapers/2004/0412_052404.pdf

Dear @Ljubomir, I highly appreciate your support. Thank you.

Dear Beata

I would like to see the following in my Ph.D student:

--Area of research

--Verbal abilities and ability to conceptualize

--General level of intelligence

--Does s/he have hunger for learning more through research

--Attitude towards academic rigour

But you have to compromise on some issues as not all candidates have all these.

Dear Beata:

I believe that our colleagues have responded adequately with pretty much the required features.

On top of that, two further points to consider:

1- It would be helpful if the student has previously attended a course with you.

2- Pay special attention to the writing and communication skills or you will be suffering with the student during the thesis/dissertation writing phase.

Dear @Debi and @Ziad, good points. I agree with both of you that, verbal, writing and conceptualizing abilities are very important. You are absolutely right.

Dear @Debi, I like your remark concering hunger for learning more through the research. Thank you.

Just a minor remark about verbal, writing and conceptualization abilities:

Why are so many manuscripts refused to be published, including those that involve the thesis director or senior researchers or professors?

Dear Marcel, good remark. We should also constantly develop our writing abilities and eloquent speaking, to be published. I agree. But dear Marcel tell us in details of biology - based factors, as influencing good match ot mismatch of our PhD student. What would those be ?

Dear @Shafig, of course. Some students choose us for some reasons. But what are our reasons to make agreements and choose particular student ?  

Thank you very for your comprehensive and valuable comment.

Dear Beata,

'Tell us in details of biology - based factors, as influencing good match ot mismatch of our PhD student.

As an example, some students might permanently require enthusiastic remarks to be motivated. Students might differ in abilities to handle critical remarks from thesis directors. Critical remarks formulated by thesis directors A, B, C or D addressed to students A, B, C or D might be accepted or rejected depending on which personality types are interacting. Some students always take advice into account, whereas others always refuse advice. How to interact with students having fast or bold personalities versus students having slow or shy personalities? Etc....

I do not exclude that the level of past competition to which PhD students were exposed might influence how they accept or refuse advice... Etc...

Do supervisors have to be psychologists?

Dear Marcel. So, I think I would choose the high marks student and the student who is enthusiastic to work. 

Dear Mahfuz,

I think enthusiasm/motivation/curiosity is very important.

Dear Beata

The choice of research student should depend on

1.     The research area of interest of the students and its overlap with my interests.

2.     The preparation and interest that is demonstrated by the student towards research.

3.     The time available with me depending upon my other commitments within the department.

4.     The financial support that I can provide to the student to help him/her to concentrate on research and help with my requirements.

I have not faced any problems so far with the students because most of them are motivated and serious to complete the process.

Dear @Marcel, very interesting answer. I see analogies with my Master's and Bachelor's student too. So behind A,B, C, D are stairs and possible conflicts to solve. Personally I found recently very difficult for me work with one bright female student who was in constant need of enthusiastic remarks from me, as thesis supervisor. She was infantile young lady with low level of self-esteem but highly motivated of doing BA.You said also of other interesting difficulties with students. I'll think about that later. 

If we should be psychologists ? Dear @Marcel, I know psychologists with own personality problems too, but good to have psychological knowledge to work with students.

Dear @Nageswara, I like especially your No 2. Thank you for kind support. The mysterious word is motivation.

Dear @All, what motivation should satisfy us, as PhD supervisors ? I believe there is no one type of motivation. What are you opinions ?

Dear Kamal, thank you. You are right about the value of FTF contact. I also agree that this thread was already supported by brilliant remarks and advices.

Dear Kamal

I agree fully with you about the interview. In India we conduct a proper interview where we judge the person based on his/her performance during interview to look at the research preparedness of the student.

Dear Dr. Beata invited me to participate in this discussion but I am "lucky" that I cannot supervise a PhD student according to the regulations in our university which require a full professor. Assuming that I am allowed, then I shall subject the student to a "lengthy" interview & to 2 exams "one written & one oral".

I want to know if the student has a high I.Q. , self-trust, lot of patience, reasonable degree of concentration, capacity of self-learning, critical thinking, and desire to stay in the laboratory & the library as much time as is needed.

In short, a student who likes to be spoon-fed is NOT fit for PhD research. On the other hand, I as a supervisor is NOT supposed to answer all the questions that may arise during the progress of the research. We both will collaborate to interpret the results but most of the responsibilty must be shouldered by the student.

Dear @Dr. Nizar, I think that when imposing the student to these conditions then the ouput will be a high qualified academician.

Very well said, and very inspiring dear @Nizar. Thank you.

What is the meaning of a short-term interview of a couple of minutes prior to a PhD thesis when the PhD thesis takes 3-5 years? Is short-term performance requiring efficient communication (closely) correlated with long-term performance also requiring other competences?

I would choose a student under my supervision if:

- He or she is a serious worker

- Has a moderately high IQ level

- Is good in language of writing

- Is academically loyal

- Has high moral values

- Is punctual in following the time allotted

- Is an independent thinker

- Is motivated to complete the work and complete it in time

Dear @Marcel, so this is my dilemma since the beginning - 3-5 years with the PhD student is long relationship to commit and survive. For upcoming academic year 2014/2015 I deciced not have PhD student, after official dean announcement and request to all of us with habilitations, but the next 2015/2016 I will probably agree.

Dear @Marcel I think @Kamal was right about FTF contact, as concluding moment of decision, after careful documents analysis. Your questions are raising more dilemmas and giving new lights on issues to answer. Thank you. Maybe another question to answer should be formulated as: how to survive for 3-5 years while being PhD supervisor ?

Dear @Jaya, Thank you very much. I like a lot your set of keys while choosing the right PhD student. For me very  interesting is the issue named "academically loyal". I can imagine what is in the semanitcs, but can you explain from your perspective?

@ Beata, I have experienced that there are students who have multiple loyalties, they divulge the results for their own benefits to people who are not concerned and then have problems. All this can be done, once you get a degree.

Dear Beata,

Some potential outstanding PhD students are not always excellent in interviews requiring skills to sell yourself (e.g. shy students). I would not like to miss these students. The Master phase is an excellent occasion to know these students better and to observe for at least 6 months how they work, think, write, collaborate.... I am therefore in favor of a system where Master students are given the opportunity to continue as a PhD in the same team, eventually on the same topic.  

Oh yes, dear @Jaya, I understand now and will take into account issues of loyalites, you emphasized. 

Good remarks of shy students and continuity PhD in the same academia, dear @Marcel.  We do have at my faculty such system too. It makes, much convenience, but also raises questions of the right one, when a few are interested in writing PhD thesis. Fortunately all answers above are very, very helpful.