Charles University in Prague,

with the registered office at: Ovocný trh 560/5, 11636 Prague 1, Czech Republic,

Identification number: 00216208, VAT number: CZ00216208,

(hereinafter referred to as "UK" ),

represented by: prof. Tomáš ZIMA, MD. DSc., rector

applies to the faculty/institute of: …………………………………

and

………………………………………,

with the registered office at: ………………………………………,

(hereinafter referred to as ”Partner 1")

represented by: ……………………………..…………, ………….(position)

applies to the faculty/institute of: …………………………………,

and partners no. 2, no. 3 etc., as the case may be

ELEMENTS of an

Agreement on the Implementation of a Study Programme of Joint Degree Type

article I

General intent

  1. The submitted Agreement on the Implementation of a Study Programme of Joint Degree Type (hereinafter referred to as the "agreement") between partner universities[1] (i.e. UK, partner 1, partner 2, …etc.- hereinafter referred to as the "Partners“) is based on the Bologna Process, and in this respect it is to facilitate their cooperation in teaching/education and scientific research in the field of ……..……
  1. The submitted agreement is concluded pursuant to Act No. 111/1998 Coll., to provide for higher education institutions (hereinafter referred to as the "Higher Education Act"), especially S. 47a; under S. 1746 of Act. No.89/2012Coll., civil law; and in accordance with internal regulations of Charles University in Prague.

Note:RUK: Please mention here all regulations the study shall abide by.

article II

Subject-matter of the agreement

  1. The subject-matter of the agreement shall be joint preparation and performance of a (bachelor/master/long-cycle master, PhD) degree programme ...... (name) with the specialty ..... (name)[2], within the scope of the project ...... (joint degree / Erasmus)[3] (hereinafter referred to as the "study programme")

Note: RUK: Please mention the name of the study programme, and optionally the specialty, standard period of study, type of the study programme, language of instruction, form of instruction/study, etc.

  1. The Partners agree with the formation of a consortium. This consortium unites teaching, scientific, and administrative staff responsible at individual departments for provision of teaching/education and respective background.

Upon decision taken by the Partners and on the basis of written association contract constituting a numbered annex to this agreement, the consortium can further incorporate so-called Associate Partners which are non-academic sponsor-type institutions providing consultancy, internship options, information resources etc.

Note: RUK: With somenon-Erasmus Mundus programmes, it is possible to create a different association, but we recommend a similar procedure, i.e. to solve the issues with which the consortium is dealing.

  1. The Consortium shall prepare a study programme with a joint study plan by ...... (date). When creating the study plan, the Partners undertake to use the ECTS credit system or a system compatible therewith.[4] The study plan shall stipulate with which member of the consortium the study is to take place.
  1. For this purpose, the Partners undertake:

a)to provide one another with their teaching and administrative support materials so that a joint integrated high-level study programme may be formed at various departments,

b)to support research and regular scientific exchanges between research teams by participating in joint projects, conferences and publications.

  1. The Partners shall jointly prepare an application for accreditation of the study programme and shall procure consideration thereof in accordance with the respective national legislation. In the Czech Republic it will proceed under the Institutional Accreditation of CU: the Proposal for the study programme shall be submitted by the Head of the Respective Faculty to the Internal Evaluation Board of CU.

article III

Organization of the consortium

  1. The consortium shall establish an Executive Board the task of which shall be stipulation ofconditions for admission to the study programme, stipulation of the study plan and conditions which a student must meet in the course of study and at the termination thereof while respecting regulations of the Partners.
  1. The Executive Board shall adopt all decisions necessary for the running and performing of the study programme. The Executive Board shall have the following composition: ……(representation of HEI etc.). The Board shall closely cooperate with a team of administrative workers of the programme. The Partners shall appoint members of the Executive Board within .... months at the latest from signing the agreement.

Note: RUK: For technical and financial back-up of the study programme, the consortium can establish a separate body and simultaneously define its relation to the Executive Board – the governance structure of a study programme can generally be more complicated – see Annex 4). Also compare Par. 3.

  1. The Executive Board can some of its powers delegate at the Guarantor of the study programme / programme convenor who, as a rule, is its member, while respecting regulations of the Partner.
  1. The Executive Board shall regularly check the quality.Once in …… years, the Executive Board shall ensure an independent audit of the study programme to be carried out. Further details can be specified in annex to this agreement.
  1. The coordinating university of the consortium shall be …… which shall provide a secretariat of the consortium working in close cooperation with workers responsible at individual partner universities for the implementation of the study programme. The coordinating university can also take up functions of the home university, established under Art. IV, Par. 6 hereinafter, provided the Partners have approved it in compliance with Art. X.

Note: RUK: the coordinating university need not be established, especially in case of a two-member consortium. In this agreement, we recommend to specify the rights and duties of the coordinating university as well as those of the Partners. The tasks of the secretariat shall be specified in Annex 4) to this agreement.

article IV

Admission to study

  1. A student may be admitted only to the study programme which is accredited in accordance with the national legislation.
  1. Admission procedure shall be organized jointly and shall take place in accordance with the announced and published conditions of admission procedure.If an entrance examination is among the conditions it shall be executed jointly.
  1. The conditions of admission procedure shall be stipulated by the Executive Board in cooperation with individual partners.
  1. Application for study in the study programme will be submitted in a uniform, preferably electronic form (sample attached).
  1. Only those applicants who shall pass a joint entrance examination (if any) and who shall meet formal conditions for admission in their countries of enrolmentwill be admitted to study,upon approval of the Executive Board.
  1. Decision on admission shall be issued by the partner with which the given student is enrolled for study. The decision shall be written in the language specified by legislation valid in the country, where it is issued. The student must be enrolled for study at least with two partners, and one of those partners will be designated as his home university. Other partners with which he completes part of study shall be entitled as hostuniversities. In the decision on admission to a doctoral programme there shall be also mentioned a name of (a) supervisor(s).

Note: RUK: Contrary to the common practice at the CU, where the supervisor is approved by the subject area board sometimes after the decision on admission has been posted, here the Partners shall agree on the supervisors in advance (similar situation arises at the bi-nationally supervised study programmes, so-called “cotutelle”).

  1. The Executive Board shall conclude with each student at enrolment (resp. ceremonial enrolment) the so called student agreement which shall specify legal, organizational aspects and a time schedule of his studies in the study programme, his rights and obligations within the scope of valid regulations of individual partners. An individual study plan of a student may constitute an annex thereto[5]. A sample of the student agreement constitutes a numbered annex to this agreement.

Note: RUK:a student /doctorand agreement is duly concluded within the program Erasmus Mundus. CU closes this kind of agreements with all students on study programmes with the language of instruction other than Czech, i.e. paid study programmes.

article V

Organization of study

  1. Home university shall be obliged to maintain study documentation of the student(Note:RUK: specify if needed). The Partners undertake to regularly exchange data of all students of the study programme, including transfer of records and the entire study documentation.

Note: RUK: If the student is listed in two registers, all steps must be made in parallel: we recommend to the host university to input data from the home university and vice versa on the basis of an official “summary of changes”. The universities shall exchange such summaries, in an agreed order, aftereach semester is over.

Under Art. III Par. 5, the role of home university may be assumed by the coordinating university.

The Partners should regularly exchange, among others, transfers of records, or, respectively, send it to the headquarters (to the coordinating university), which would distribute it further. When a semester is over, each university involved should have a good knowledge, what and whereany given student fulfilled.

  1. Students admitted to studies at Charles University in Prague shall be enrolled for all stages (i.e. units) of their study.
  1. Student of the study programme must complete in accordance with his/herstudy plan at least 1 semester with each of the partners with which he is enrolled.
  1. Each of the partners with which the student has completed the agreed part of study shall assign a tutor to the student who will be available to the student for advice and support throughout his stay.

Note: RUK: We recommend to specify the duties of tutor; respectively, upon an agreement of the Partners, this paragraph may be omitted.

  1. The Executive Board will assign to the student upon agreement with him a Bachelor degree work/thesis director or supervisor[6]. Compare Art. III, Par. 3.
  1. The Partners undertake to help students in all matters associated with the study at their institution, including official agenda, accommodation, access to language courses, libraries, etc.
  1. Students of this study programme will have the same rights and obligations at the host university as the students of other study programmes of that university (while respecting clauses 3 and 8 of article V and other provisions of this agreement).
  1. Language of study and administrative paperwork towards the student shall be the language in which the study programme is accredited and taught. Particular language of teaching/education and official paperwork must be specified in the student agreement. In the student agreement there may be specified even more languages.

article VI

Completion of study

  1. The study shall be duly completed upon fulfilment of all study obligations stipulated by the respective study plan according to which the student studied in accordance with the student agreement and internal regulations of those partners with which the student was enrolled.
  1. Rules and conditions for taking a state final examination, including defence of a final degree work, shall be stipulated by the Executive Board in accordance with article III par.1.

article VII

Issuance of documents of completion of study

  1. Document of due completion of study and of obtaining a respective academic degree shall be a university diploma (hereinafter referred to as the "diploma") and diploma supplement (hereinafter referred to as the "supplement") which shall be issued to graduates by that partner with which the student was enrolled.
  1. option a) University diploma and supplement in case of a joint diploma contain academic degree(s) pursuant to national legislation valid in the countries of the partners with which the student was enrolled; partners with which the student was enrolled; or a fact that each awarded foreign degree is a joint degree awarded concurrently by the respective partner.

option b) In case of a multiple diploma all the partners with which the student was enrolled shall issue their own diploma and supplement pursuant to national legislation in force. On each diploma or supplement there will be stated that there have been concurrently issued other diplomas for completion of the study programme, and the diploma in question is issued along with them.

  1. The Partners undertake to recognize the validity of the study, fulfilment of study obligations, assessment of students and obtained degrees within the scope of the study programme under this agreement with all the partners.
  1. All acts connected with ceremonial graduation shall be procured by the home university in accordance with its regulations unless otherwise stipulated in a written agreement of the partners. (Such agreement of ceremonial graduation must constitute a numbered annex to this agreement.)

article VIII

Publication of final degree works of students

  1. Publication of final degree works shall be governed bynational legislation and internal regulations of individual partners.
  1. The Partners shall be obliged to archive (a) copy(ies) of a Bachelor degree work/thesis/dissertation[7] of each of their graduates either in the written or electronic form (while respecting par. 1).
  1. The Partners are obliged to provide each other with the counterpart/s of Bachelor degree work/thesis/dissertationin electronic form, inclusive abstract and review/s of external examiner/s (while respecting par. 1).

article IX

Issuance of other documents of study

  1. Student card and student certificate shall be issued by each partner with which the student is enrolled for study in accordance with their internal regulations.
  1. Student’s record book shall be issued to the student by the home university (unless otherwise agreed by the partners).
  1. Certificate of examinations taken shall be issued by each partner with which the student is enrolled for study in accordance with their internal regulations.

Note: RUK: we recommend that the following issues be regulated by this agreement:

-fees associated with the study

-administrative fees

-scholarships

-insurance of students, academic and administrative staff

-visa procurement

-procurement of a sufficient amount of residence hall accommodation and sufficient dining -capacity at students´ canteens

-conditions of delivery of documents (incl. fiction of delivery)

-etc.

so that requirements and needs of each partner are reflected, each student/staff member has a sufficient health, social and travel insurance for the whole period of his/her study/work inclusive arrivals and departures, and no doubling of payments for the same service occurs.

Note: Under regulations of the Czech Republic, each applicant for long term visa must present a standard health insurance i.e.“insurance without exclusions” contractedwith one of the limited number of local authorized providers.

-this agreement should further specify how the partners are on a joint and several basis responsible for all costs and liabilities incurred in connection with implementing Art. II, Par. 1 of this agreement. The coordinating partner is entitled to demand from each partner a certificate of his own insurance provider, stating that the insurance coverage in connection with implementing Art. II, Par. 1 of this agreement is sufficient.

-this agreement should also set the rules for peaceful settlement or conciliationproceedingsin case of a disagreement arisen among the partners or a discrepancy detected with the regulations of a partner.

-in case of persisting differences, this agreement may set the rules for arbitration proceedings, preferably under Czech law, with a possibility to appeal to Czech courts; or stipulate direct resort to Czech courts which is anpreferable option.

article X

Alterations

All alterations and amendments to this agreementinclusive extension may be made only in the form of written numbered supplements to this agreement, and they shall come into force upon signing thereof by all the partners. An extension of this agreement shall be effective of the date of expiry of this agreement.

article XI

Withdrawal

A partner can withdraw from this agreement on the basis of …… year’s/s’ written notice delivered to all other partners. The period of noticestarts to run on the first day of the calendar month following the day of delivery to the other parties. In any case, all parties undertake to provide against any breach of students’ rights.

Note: RUK: we recommend to specify.

article XII

General provision

This agreement shall come into force upon its signing by all the partners on the date of attachment of a signature by the last of the partners, and effective as of …………, and shall be valid for the period of ……… years with the possibility of extension on the basis of a written amendment pursuant to Art. X.

To be made in ……… counterparts of the agreement in Czech/English language and ………….counterparts in …………..language, all of them having the validity of an original, and each contracting party shall receive ………. original undersigned copies in Czech/English language and ………….original copies in …………..language.

In case of any changes to this agreement, the participating universities undertake to enable the students to complete their studies under this agreement and in any case to provide against any breach of rights of the students.

In Prague on ………………………… ………………………………………

UK rector

prof. Tomáš Zima, MD., DSc.

In ………….. on……………………… ………………………………………..

authorised representative of Partner 1

In ………….. on……………………… ………………………………………..

authorised representative of Partner 2

Annexes[8]:

1)Study plan

2)Template of the joint diploma, if issued, and/or list of titles conferred by the individual partners under the respective national laws.

3)Sample of a student agreement.

4)Detailed description of the study programme’s governance. Rules of Order.

5)Description of the admission procedure. Sample of the application for study.

6)Conversion table of grades compatible with ECTS, settlement on conditions for conferring a distinction.

7)Organization of state final examinations. Sample protocol of state final examination/state doctoral examination/defence of doctoral dissertation.

8)Agreement of ceremonial graduation.

9)Specific agreements including financial agreements, budgets and time schedules relating to the provision of the organizational backup and to staffing with respect to individualyears/sessions of the study programme.

10)Student complaints order

11)Disciplinary order

12)Annual report of the Consortium

13)Accession contracts between the Associated Partners and the consortium.