University Lille 1

PREPARING
A COTUTORIAL THESIS

atUniversity Lille 1

Information and International Convention

International relations Office

Catherine FORTUNATO
Tél: +33(0)3 20 43 6652

Fax: +33 (0)3 20 43 40 03

Mail:

Enrolment Submission of thesis:

Doctoral Registrar Service DIRVED -Doctoral Registrar Service

Telephone: +33 (0)3 20 33 70 35 Theses Office

Fax: +33 (0)3 20 43 67 70Telephone: +33 (0)3 20 43 43 29

E-mail -mail:

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Aim

The co-supervised thesis project aims to develop scientific and academic cooperation between French and foreign research teams, and to foster mobility of doctoral students. It allows doctoral students at University Lille 1 or doctoral students from foreign universities to carry out research on a given topic, alternating between their home institutions and a foreign host institution.

General conditions

The two institutions hold equal responsibility with regard to the supervision of the theses and the research work. Division of the workload and of the financial costs will be agreed in advance. Once the thesis has been successfully completed and defended, the doctoral student will receive the title of Doctor of University Lille 1 and the equivalent degree from the foreign university.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS

Agreement

An agreement laying out the administrative and academic provisions will be signed by the contracting institutions for each co-supervised thesis project. The two thesis supervisors will be appointed as soon as the agreement has been signed. The agreement will stipulate:

-the name of the student,

-the names of the thesis supervisors,

-the thesis topic,

-the host laboratories,

-the provisions for funding,

-the Doctoral School,

-the date of enrolment for a co-supervised thesis programme:

-the expected duration of the thesis project

-the expected length of time spent in each institution

-the country in which the thesis will be defended,

-the conditions relative to the student’s accommodation and insurance in the host country.

Research topic and co-supervision

All work carried out during the preparation of the thesis must be original research. The doctoral students will carry out their research under the supervision of a thesis supervisor, scientist or professor accredited to supervise research, both from a University Lille 1 research laboratory and from the foreign university.

The two thesis supervisors agree to collaborate in carrying out their function as tutor to the doctoral student.

Duration of the doctoral programme and mobility

The average time needed to complete the thesis is 3 years. At least two consecutive enrolments are required at University Lille 1 including the year of defence. The expected length of time spent in each institution is laid out in the co-supervision agreement. It is divided into alternative periods in each of the two countries, representing a minimum of 12 months of the total duration of the thesis programme.

Annulment of the co-supervision agreement

The co-supervision contract includes a clause which enables the contracting parties to terminate the agreement in question if one or other of the partners considers that the progress of research is below the necessary standard. In such a case, the host laboratory must inform the international relations officeof the principle reasons. The annulment should be effected six months before the beginning of academic year.

Enrolment

Students must enrol annually with the two institutions in which they are preparing their thesis at the beginning of each academic year, and in accordance with the enrolment conditions in effect in each country.

Enrolment must be renewed at the beginning of every academic year. Re-enrolment is subject to a report attesting to the progress being made on the thesis, which is transmitted to the Doctoral School via theinternational relations office.

The doctoral students will pay their enrolment fees in one of the two partner institutions (specify which institution in the co-supervision agreement) and will be exonerated from the fees in the second institution upon presentation of the enrolment certificate.

Accommodation, social security insurance, funding

Each partner university agrees to facilitate the conditions pertaining to the hosting of doctoral students in a co-tutorial thesis programme. The agreement will specify any conditions applying in the case of accidents at work. In addition, the student will conform to the regulations applying in the host country with regard to social insurance and third party liability.

When students enrol in a doctoral co-supervision programme before the age of 28, they will take out insurance cover under the French student social security scheme. In addition, should they enrol in the programme before 28 years of age, affiliation with the student social security scheme is mandatory until the age of 32. If these conditions are not met, the student must take out a private insurance contract.

The students participating in the co-supervised thesis programme will be eligible, as all students at University Lille 1, for insurance cover against accidents at work, in accordance with article L0.412-8 of the Social Security Code.

Provisions for the defence of the thesis:

The organisation of the thesis defence must compulsory be simultaneously prepared in both partner Universities: in any case, the University Lille 1can validate a defence not conformed to University Lille 1conditions.

Submission: The student must respect the thesis submission, processing and reproduction conditions in force in each country.

Thesis Committee: It should be noted that even within the framework of a co-supervision programme, examination of the thesis must be conducted by Committee members from outside the institution.

Defence Committee: The defence committee will be appointed by the Presidents/Rectors of the two partner universities. It will be made up in equal numbers of academic and scientific representatives from both countries, composed of at least four members including the two thesis supervisors. The conditions for appointing the defence committee are laid out in the co-supervision agreement.

Location of thesis defence: The thesis will include one oral presentation recognised by both the contracting institutions. The country where the thesis will be presented and the expected date of the thesis defence will be decided on the signing of the co-supervision agreement.

Language: The thesis, which will be written and presented in one of the two languages of the contracting countries, will be completed by a written abstract (between 5 and 10 pages) in both languages of the twoestablishments.

Conferring of degrees

Once the thesis has been successfully defended, the two institutions will award the title of Doctor of University Lille 1 and the equivalent degree from the foreign university.

PROCEDURE

Information

For any information concerning the co-tutorial thesis procedure, please contact international relations office(Catherine FORTUNATO).

Application:

The authorization enrolment file of the concerned DoctoralSchool as well as a validation form for foreign degrees (Master or equivalent degree) will be available at the Doctoral Studies Office that will be in charge of validation by the different services concerned.

International convention

The convention for co-tutorial thesis will be elaborated by theinternational relations officein link with the foreign academic partners.Every co-tutorial agreement should be presented to the international relations office before setting signatures. After agreement by both parties, it will be signed.

Examination/Decision

The decision regarding admittance to the co-tutorial thesis programme will be taken by the president.

In case of admittance

The student has to sign the thesis charter (it can be obtained with the Doctoral School Office) and has to enrol according to the procedure and dates in effect in both institutions.

Re-enrolment

The application form for individual enrolment in the doctoral programme will be handed in to the Doctoral Studies Officefor signature. The application form will be accompanied by a report attesting to the progress being made on the thesis (copy to be collected from theinternational relations office) signed by the director of the doctoral school.

Thesis Defence

The regulations in force for the submission of the thesis must be respected in the two institutions.

At University Lille 1, the administrative procedure set up by the Registrar’s Department and relative to the defence of all theses must be respected.

Degree

The degree will be produced by the Registrar’s Department at University Lille 1. The student may collect the degree from University Lille 1 or it may be sent through the diplomatic bag to the student’s home country.

University Lille 1- septembre 20131/4