Binational doctoral training – Cotutelle de thèse

Cotutelle de thèse – general information

A “cotutelle de thèse” is a binational doctoral programme that is carried out in cooperation with an international partner university. The programme is binational regarding the following aspects:

• the doctoral candidate has a supervisor both at the home and the international partner university,
   
• the candidate spends an agreed upon amount of time at the partner university,
   
• external supervisors are involved both in the evaluation of the dissertation and its defense and
   
• a common doctoral diploma is issued by both universities (or in some cases two separate diplomas are issued which refer to one another).

Cotutelle contracts

Each individual cotutelle programme is accompanied by a written agreement, signed by both universities, which lays down the details of the doctoral training. The German Rector’s Conference (Hochschulrektorenkonferenz  HRK), the voluntary association of state and state-accredited universities and institutions of higher education, has issued recommendations and guidelines (PDF) regarding cotutelle programmes, which are available on their website.

The Graduate Academy

• provides information about the HRK guidelines regarding cotutelle
   
• gives advice about the individual preparatory steps and
   
• has sample agreements available to doctoral candidates and supervisors.

We also review cotutelle agreements as to whether

• they are consistent with the HRK guidelines and
   
• the general University regulations with regard to matriculation, fees, insurance, granting of titles etc.

Regulations pertaining to the academic framework

Issues having to do with the academic work, the supervision of the doctoral candidate or the details of the doctoral training are, of course, decided upon and regulated by the appropriate academic faculty. This includes the following aspects:

• time and length of the visit to the partner university,
• language in which the dissertation is written or in which the defense is carried out,
• evaluation of the dissertation
• location of the defense
• members of the examining committee etc.