Why enter into a cotutelle agreement?
The purpose of a cotutelle agreement is to contribute to academic cooperation between UiA and an international university, and thereby stimulate to increased mobility by doctoral students. This is in line with UIA’s strategy for the period 2016 – 2020 where Global Mindset is one of three priority areas. A cotutelle agreement provides the doctoral candidate with unique international experience and adds an important international dimension to the PhD degree.
How does it work?
The doctoral candidate is admitted to the doctoral programme at two different institutions, one home and one abroad. The candidate must spend time at both institutions, and at least three months at the partner institution. The candidate should also have a supervisor at each institution. The University of Agder and the cooperating institution must mutually approve the PhD studies carried out at the respective institutions.
Unless otherwise agreed, the doctoral thesis should normally be written and defended in English. The thesis must display the logo of both involved institutions.
The individual agreement for each PhD – candidate should at least contain the following elements:
- Duration of the agreement and the possibility of prolongation
- Title, language and form of the thesis
- Financial issues concerning the candidates’ stay and public debate
- The course component
- Assessment, degree awarded, diploma, and intellectual property rights
- Supervisors’ names
- The candidate’s periods of residence at the respective institutions.
Requirements concerning assessment and public debate
The thesis, the trial lecture and the public debate should be assessed by an expert committee of at least three members. The composition of the committee should be in accordance with current rules and regulations at the institution where the public debate takes place, but should also be approved by the partner institution. The committee should include at least one representative from each of the institutions and should work according to rules and regulations at the institution where the public debate takes place (the candidate’s home university)
Procedure
Academic environments/candidates who wish to enter into cotutelle agreements must contact the faculty’s PhD advisor, who will ensure that they have the support of the management for entering into cooperation with the institution in question. Further proceedings will then take place between the PhD advisor and a contact person at the partner institution. UiA’s standard template for agreements should be used as a starting point, but both institutions’ requests concerning the cooperation must be met. When the agreement is completed, the faculty’s PhD advisor will obtain the required signatures.
More information about legislation and regulations:
- UiA guidelines for joint degrees and cotutelle agreements
- Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Agder, see section 23 on Joint degrees and cotutelle agreements.
- Forskrift om kvalitetssikring og kvalitetsutvikling I høyere utdanning og fagskoleutdanning Norwegian only)
- Universitets-og høyskolerådet: «Fellesgrader på ph.d. nivå. Introduksjon og veileder» (Norwegian only)