Introduction
A joint thesis supervision program represents a significant opportunity for the doctoral student to carry out research in a manner oriented towards international cooperation. This method, once the application for activation by the interested PhD student has been accepted and the required requirements have been verified, involves the doctoral student's enrollment in two universities in two different countries and the awarding of two separate degrees with legal value recognized by both countries. The PhD student's research project in the field of co-supervision is supervised by two PhD Supervisors, one for each university, and the PhD student alternates roughly equivalent periods of study at both universities.
Thesis co-supervision is governed by Article 33 of the UniMe PhD Regulations and differs from the Joint PhD and Doctor Europeaus.
This refers to:
- Incoming co-tutorship for PhD students already enroled in a PhD course at a foreign university abroad (Home Institution) and hosted by the University of Messina (Host University)
- Outcoming co-tutorship for PhD students already enroled in a PhD course at University of Messina (Home University) and hosted by a foreign university (Host Institution).
Activation Procedure
To activate joint research, a Framework Agreement for International Cooperation between the two Universities must already have been signed.
At national level, framework agreement have already been adopted with:
- France, CRUI-CPU framework agreement (Conférence des Présidents d'Université), signed the 13th February 1998
- Spain, CRUI-CRUE Agreement (Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities), signed the 15th June 1998
- Germany, CRUI-HRK Agreement (Conference of Rectors of German Universities), signed the 17th November 2000
- Switzerland, CRUI-CRUS Agreement (Conference of Rectors of Swiss Universities), signed the 26th February 2003.
In case a Framework Cooperation Agreement has not been signed, the activation procedure is described at the following link: https://www.unime.it/international/accordi-e-network/accordi-di-cooperazione
Once the presence of a Framework Cooperation Agreement has been verified, the student requests the activation of co-supervision by completing the form (see below) and sending it to protocollo@unime.it, together with the required documentation.
Once the presence of a Framework Cooperation Agreement has been verified, the PhD student requests the activation of joint research supervision filling the attached form Request Joint Research PhD thesis Incoming/Outgoing.
Joint Research PhD Thesis is activated through a nominative agreement stipulated between the Rectors of the Universities involved. The procedure is instituted during the 1st year of the PhD Course, upon request of the doctoral student, following the favorable opinion of the PhD Academic Board in which the student is already enrolled (outgoing) or will be enrolled (incoming). The PhD Academic Board may also authorize the activation of Joint Research PhD Thesis for PhD students enroled or to be enroled in the first months of the 2nd academic year of the course, if there are particular scientific interests. The PhD student must enroll in both universities, but will be required to pay fees only at the administrative headquarters.