Cotutelle agreements

CO-TUTELLE AGREEMENTS (CONCERNING CO-SUPERVISION) 

The term ‘co-tutelle’ comes from French (from the English ‘cotutelage’), and thus refers to an agreement on joint supervision of the doctoral degree process (formerly: doctoral programme) for a doctoral student studying at a university. It is also known as a co-supervision agreement; however, in practice, it involves a deeper form of collaboration. It is not merely a document authorising the appointment of a second supervisor. Under a co-tutelle agreement, the doctoral student writes a thesis and completes the study programme at both universities after successfully passing the admission process at both institutions. The completion of the co-tutelle agreement leads to a single defence in front of a joint doctoral committee appointed by both universities and to the award of a doctoral degree by each party to the agreement.

A co-tutelle agreement may be signed with any foreign partner university interested in this form of cooperation.

Regulations governing joint doctoral programmes:

• The Act of 20 July 2018 – Act on Higher Education and Science (as amended)
• Procedures for the award of a doctoral degree, annexed to the resolution of the Senate of the Warsaw University of Technology

REGULATIONS

• A co-supervision agreement concerning a specific individual may be concluded between universities if the person in concern has been admitted to a doctoral programme at both the Warsaw University of Technology and another (foreign) university interested in participating in the co-supervision agreement;
• Co-supervision agreements entered into by the Warsaw University of Technology relate to specific individuals. The Warsaw University of Technology has a template for individual co-supervision agreements, as well as a template for a framework agreement to be concluded with a partner institution in the case of long-term cooperation involving a larger number of PhD students.
• The template co-tutelle agreement may be amended as necessary to bring it into line with the regulations of the partner institution.
• It is possible to use the template co-tutelle agreement proposed by the partner institution. It should be modified to comply with the regulations in force in Poland and at the WUT.
• Under the co-tutelle agreement, the PhD student prepares a single doctoral thesis in the language specified in the agreement.
• If the doctoral thesis is written in a foreign language, one of the abstracts must be in Polish.
• The education programme is carried out at both universities. The schedule for the programme (the time spent at each university) is determined by the PhD student in consultation with their supervisors and the heads of the relevant departments at both universities. The schedule and an outline of the education programme should be included in the agreement or in an annex to the agreement.
• An important piece of information that should be included in the agreement is the location of the doctoral thesis defence. This is subject to negotiation between the two universities (although the Warsaw University of Technology prefers the defence to take place on its own campus).
• If the defence is to take place in person, the general allocation of costs relating to the travel and accommodation of the doctoral examination board should also be specified in the agreement. This matter is also subject to negotiation (typically, costs are split equally, or the sending institution covers travel costs whilst the host institution covers accommodation costs).
• A co-tutelle agreement may also specify the sources of funding for the PhD programme carried out under its terms, where such funding is provided for (e.g. in the case of a research project).

PROCEDURE

• A co-tutelle agreement may be signed on the initiative of the Warsaw University of Technology or another higher education institution interested in this form of cooperation. The agreement may also be signed on the initiative of a supervisor or a PhD student who is currently studying or plans to study at the Warsaw University of Technology and a selected foreign higher education institution.
• The agreement may also result from an arrangement between WUT and another foreign university, or from the terms of an international research project providing for this form of cooperation.
• The coordinator for co-tutelle agreements at the Warsaw University of Technology Doctoral School is Iwona Napierała, MA (iwona.napierala@pw.edu.pl)
• Before the contract is signed, it must be approved by the University’s Law Office.
• Once the final draft of the agreement has been approved by both parties, it is signed by representatives of each university. At the Warsaw University of Technology, the agreement is signed by the supervisor, the Head of the Scientific Council for the Discipline, the Dean of the Faculty or the Director of the organisational unit, and the Rector of the Warsaw University of Technology (or a person authorised by him).
• The agreement is then sent by the WUT Doctoral School or the relevant WUT Faculty to the partner institution for signature.
• The co-tutelle agreement may be signed initially by the partner institution. In such cases, it must be forwarded to the Doctoral School so that the signatures of representatives from the Warsaw University of Technology can be added.
• One copy of the co-supervision agreement, signed by all parties, must be submitted to the Warsaw University of Technology Doctoral School.

An example of the procedure:

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