Vrije Universiteit Brussel


Joint PhD Guide

On this page you'll find the information and procedures for Joint PhDs: what is it, what are the conditions, which are the administrative steps involved, what kind of diploma will I have at the end... If you would like to start a Joint PhD or if you still have questions after reading the 'Joint PhD Guide' below, contact Julie Debrauwere of the Central PhD Office.

All contracts for Joint PhDs have to be processed by the Centrale PhD Office! Always contact us when you are considering starting a Joint PhD, at least one year before the defence.

 

 

What is a joint PhD?


A joint PhD, known as a ‘gezamenlijk doctoraat’ in Dutch and a ‘cotutelle de thèse’ in
French, stands for a doctoral thesis researched, written and defended under the joint
responsibility of two partner institutions. In concrete terms this means co-operation
between the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and another domestic or foreign institution
either within or outside Europe.

The terms of such co-operation are laid down for each PhD student individually in a
contract signed by the rectors of the two institutions, both co-supervisors and the
PhD student.

It is a prerequisite for a joint PhD that the PhD student has completed a minimum of
six months of his or her doctoral research work at the partner institution during one
or several periods.

The conditions for conducting a joint PhD in Flanders are set out in the 2003 Decree
on the restructuring of higher education in Flanders (Decreet betreffende de
herstructurering van het hoger onderwijs in Vlaanderen):

Art. 94 § 4: “A university may confer, in conjunction with another domestic or foreign university, a joint PhD degree or a double PhD degree, provided that a public defence of the thesis has taken place before a jury including professors from the two institutions concerned and that the PhD student has spent a minimum of six months at the partner university for thesis research work.”

The partner institution should be backed by similar legislation creating the
preconditions for joint PhD projects.

A joint PhD may result in either of two types of diploma, both conferring a doctor’s
degree: a joint degree or a double degree. For more details about the two types of
degree please refer to the section below.

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Who is eligible for a joint PhD?


Any PhD student enrolled at the VUB may in principle apply to do a joint PhD,
provided that prior permission has been obtained from his or her supervisor and that
a co-supervisor has been found in the chosen partner institution.

The same applies to any PhD student enrolled at an institution other than the VUB, on condition that a co-supervisor is found within the VUB and that the student is able to produce a certified copy of the prerequisite diploma which gives him/her admission to a PhD programme.

The PhD student must spend a minimum of six months at the partner institution for thesis research work, during one or several periods. PhD students who, at an earlier stage of their PhD programme, have completed at least six months of research at an external institution, may also submit an application for a joint PhD before their final exam. This exam is subject to signature of the contract by all parties concerned.

 

What is the added value of a joint PhD?

A joint PhD carries a number of advantages. It stimulates and formalises cooperation between research institutions either on a national or an international level leading to a greater exchange of knowledge. As a result the PhD student will be in a better position to benefit from external expertise in the course of his or her research project. Moreover, a joint PhD formally underscores the PhD student’s (inter)national mobility during the research programme. The PhD degree certificate makes official mention of co-operation with any partner institution, thus making the most of the student’s mobility during the research programme. This will prove to be an enormous asset in terms of career perspectives, both within the academic community and in the outside world.

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What is the difference between incoming and outgoing PhD students?

From a VUB perspective, outgoing PhD students are those whose primary enrolment is at the VUB. In this case the VUB is the home institution. The institution with which a PhD student enters into an agreement and where he/she spends at least six months in order to conduct research is the guest institution. For incoming students the VUB is the guest institution. Different procedures apply to the two categories of student regarding the contract which is to lead to a joint PhD.

 

How is the contract for a joint PhD drawn up?

The procedure leading to a contract for a joint PhD is different for incoming and outgoing PhD students. Incoming PhD students use the documents provided by the VUB, whereas in principle outgoing PhD students use the documents provided by the guest institution. Always contact the Central PhD Office when you are considering starting a Joint PhD. Start the procedure at least 1 year before the defence.

Incoming PhD students

1. The student’s VUB supervisor will use either the Dutch-language or English-language template for a preliminary version of the contract. This template includes several blank fields to be completed by the supervisor (primarily institutional and personal details). In principle, the other provisions are fixed and may only be altered with prior permission from the Central PhD Office.

2. The VUB supervisor will send this preliminary proposal electronically to Christian Daman, who will then conduct a legal check. The document in question should preferably be named: “joint PhD surname first name of PhD student”. The supervisor will then be advised regarding the preliminary proposal.

3. The VUB supervisor will make the required adjustments (if necessary in consultation with the external supervisor) in order to bring the contract proposal in line with VUB stipulations and guidelines.

4. When the contract has been approved by all parties, Christa De Permentier will send the definitive version to the Central PhD Office, where the document will be printed in three copies and presented to the rector of the VUB for signature.

5. The three copies of the contract signed by the rector will be sent to the VUB supervisor by internal post, after which he/she will add his/her signature and return the documents to the Central PhD Office.

6. The Central PhD Office will send the three copies of the contract to the partner institution by post in order for them to be signed by the PhD student, the supervisor and the rector of the home institution. Two copies will remain there (one for the institution, one for the PhD student, while the external supervisor is handed a photocopy). The third copy will be returned by post to the Central PhD Office at the VUB.

7. The Central PhD Office will hold this original copy of the contract and will send the VUB supervisor a photocopy by internal post.

8. It is recommended that the candidate starts at the same time the enrolment procedure. Click here for more information.

9. There is a discount on the enrolment fee for the first year for PhD students in a Joint PhD. But the contract for the Joint PhD must be complete. Bring your copy to the Registrar's Office upon enrolment.

 

Outgoing PhD students

1. The supervisor at the guest institution will draw up a contract proposal which conforms to the stipulations and guidelines in force at the guest institution.

2. Either of the two supervisors will then send this contract proposal electronically to Christian Daman, who will carry out a legal check. The document in questions should preferably be named: “joint PhD surname first name of PhD student”. The supervisor will then be advised regarding the proposal.

3. The external supervisor will make the required adjustments (in consultation with the VUB supervisor) in order to bring the contract proposal in line with VUB stipulations and guidelines.

4. When the contract has been approved by all parties, the definitive version will be printed in three copies by the guest institution, where it will be presented to the rector of the guest institution and the external supervisor for signature.

5. The three copies of the contract signed by the rector of the guest institution and the external supervisor will then be sent by post to the Central PhD Office at the VUB.

6. The Central PhD Office will present the three copies of the contract to the rector of the VUB for signature.

7. The Central PhD Office will send the three copies of the contract to the VUB supervisor by internal post. The VUB supervisor and the PhD student will then both sign all three copies, one of which is intended for the PhD student.

8. The VUB supervisor will send the remaining two copies of the contract to the Central PhD Office by internal post.

9. The Central PhD Office will file one original copy of the contract and send the other one by post to the guest institution.

Please note: a contract which is to lead to a joint PhD may not conflict with the Central Regulations regarding the Conferment of PhD degrees of the VUB, nor with the supplementary faculty regulations of the relevant VUB faculty.

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What are the enrolment procedures for a joint PhD?

As a joint PhD is a project straddling two institutions the PhD student must also be enrolled as such at both institutions. This means that he/she is required to pay the enrolment fees at both institutions from the academic year in which the contract takes effect up to and including the academic year in which the final PhD examination takes place (without interruptions). So also in the period or years during which an incoming PhD student is not present at the VUB he/she will need to be enrolled at the VUB as a PhD student.

A joint PhD student is - just like any other PhD student - bound to the VUB regulations. This means that he/she needs the authorisation of the university to start a PhD at the VUB and therefore needs to make an official request. Incoming students with a non-Belgian degree need to fill out an application package. The application package for incoming student of a joint PhD consists of an application form, an officially authenticated copy of the degree giving access to a PhD and (if applicable) a statement of sufficient financial resources. The other documents requested in the package are not to be enclosed or filled out by incoming joint PhD students. This request is then screened by the Registrar's Office and by the faculty. Once the result of the screening is positive and the contract for the joint PhD is signed, you will receive a letter of approval, giving you the authorisation to enrol as a PhD student at the VUB.

The tuition fees for the academic year 2011-2012 are for PhD students of a Joint PhD € 275 for the year of the defense and € 5 for all the other years (also the first year).

Click here for more information on the enrolment procedure.

 

Is there additional funding available for joint PhDs?

As part of the joint PhD agreements signed between the VUB and other domestic or foreign universities, the Research Council provides a one-off bench fee for PhD students enrolled at the VUB who wish to pursue a joint PhD project (available from 12/02/2008, see Research Council Regulations "OZR-reglement"). This financial support option is only available for PhD students who are regularly enrolled as such at the VUB.

The bench fee amount varies depending on the area where the partner university is located:

  • Benelux:  € 2000
  • North America:  € 5000
  • Remaining countries:  € 4000

The bench fee should be seen as a contribution towards the extra costs that a joint PhD project entails. The allocated amount may be used towards the travel and accommodation expenses necessary for the joint PhD project and/or towards the purchase of study or research materials…

The bench fee amount is transferred as soon as all parties have signed the joint PhD contract and as the candidate is enrolled at the VUB. Only agreements which have passed through the Central PhD Office and have been approved by it, will be recognised.

The bench fee is paid into a special account of the department to which the PhD student and his or her supervisor belong and is managed by the VUB supervisor. For each PhD student only one bench fee may be paid out.

If the PhD student does not pursue his or her PhD research project to completion OR if the contract for a joint PhD is terminated prematurely (for whatever reason), then the entire bench fee amount must be refunded by the supervisor.

However, this rule does not apply if the supervisor can present evidence proving that the student’s stay of a minimum of six months at the guest institution (during one period or spread over several shorter stays) took place before it was decided to break off the joint PhD project/terminate the contract. Should a joint PhD project be stopped before it is completed or a joint PhD contract be terminated, then the student must report this fact to the Central PhD Office.

 

What is a framework agreement for joint PhDs and which are the benefits?

The VUB has framework agreements for joint PhDs with several institutions. A framework agreement can be useful when a number of students from a certain institution are expected to work at the VUB as part of a joint PhD, or vice versa.

A framework agreement for joint PhDs does not dispense with the need for an individual contract to be drawn up for each PhD student, but it does facilitate and speed up the process of concluding such an individual contract as all the basic provisions have already been laid down.

Framework agreements between the VUB and other institutions are the responsibility of the International Relations en Mobility Office (IRMO) of the VUB, also if the institution concerned is located in Belgium.

 

 

In which language is the doctoral thesis written and defended?

The doctoral thesis in a joint PhD project is written and defended in the language approved in the contract by all parties. In this the stipulations of both the Central PhD Regulations and the supplementary faculty regulations should be respected. The PhD student must provide a summary in a second language if this is required by the supplementary faculty regulations.

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What is the procedure for the final exam in a joint PhD?

In principle the final examination in a joint PhD takes place at the home institution, unless the contract specifies otherwise. The examination board for a joint PhD comprises a minimum of four members, excluding the two co-supervisors. Each of the two partner institutions will appoint at least two members of the examination board. The composition of the examination board must not conflict with the stipulations of the Central Regulations regarding the Conferment of PhD degrees of the VUB, nor with the supplementary faculty regulations of the relevant VUB faculty.

 

What about the diploma at the end of a joint PhD?

A joint PhD may lead to either of two types of diploma, both conferring a PhD (doctoral) degree: a ‘joint degree’ or a ‘double degree’.

A joint degree certificate, stating one, joint PhD degree and the discipline, will be awarded if there is full equivalence between the PhD degrees of both partner institutions.

If there is no degree equivalence at the two partner institutions the resulting diploma is a double degree, stating the two titles. This may take the form of one certificate or two separate certificates each giving one degree. If there is one certificate this will in principle be drawn up by the institution where the thesis defence takes place; if there are two certificates, each institution will draw up its own certificate.

 

overzicht soorten gezamenlijke doctoraten

What are the PhD students' experiences?

Joint PhDs are still pretty new for the VUB. Most PhDs for which a Joint PhD Agreement was signed are yet to be defended. We would like to find out what PhD students think of their Joint PhD, how they experienced working with another research group and their stay abroad, if the procedure is workable,... Please let us know what you think by sending us an e-mail.

You can read here Nico Deblauwe's experience as a visting researcher. He defended his PhD thesis in June 2008. He was doing research at the research group of Fundamental Electricity and Instrumentation (ELEC) of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and stayed during seven months as a visting researcher at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität of München, Germany. At the end of his stay he formalised this co-operation by signing a Joint PhD Agreement.

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Last update: 20.03.2012 17:14

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