Co-tutored PhDs

About co-tutored PhDs

Co-tutored or co-directed doctorates are a driving force behind the Euskampus Bordeaux Campus. Collaboration between Euskampus Bordeaux partners has been strengthened, as can be seen by the increase in collaborative projects, stays by its members, co-publications, etc. between the groups with co-tutored PhDs.

Between 2011 and 2022, around 50 theses were defended under this scheme. Currently there are about 30 students enrolled in co-tutored PhDs.

What is a co-tutored PhD?

A co-tutored PhD is a PhD that is carried out at two universities in different countries, each of which awards a PhD qualification after a single thesis defence. In the case of the Euskampus-Bordeaux Campus, it is a thesis carried out between the UPV/EHU and the University of Bordeaux or the Bordeaux Montaigne University.

A co-tutored PhD requires:

• a supervisor at each university
• the PhD student to spend at least 9 months at each university (it is generally recommended that 50% of the 3 years of the project is spent at each university).
• a signed agreement by both universities specifying, among other issues, the following:
  - the specific periods of stay at each university
  - the principal at each university
  - the place where the thesis is defended
  - the composition of the panel
  - the languages of the thesis (writing and defence)

Grants, scholarships, administrative procedures

Co-tutored PhD students and their principals, the student community and research staff can access the following information at all times:

• Specific regulations on co-tutoring
• Administrative procedures
• Specific training
• Grants, scholarships and subsidies that can be applied for

This information can be found on the website of the Collèges des ecoles doctorales de Bordeaux (https://college-doctoral.u-bordeaux.fr) and the Doctoral School (DOKe) of the UPV/EHU (https://www.ehu.eus/es/web/doktorego-eskola/tesis-doctorales-cotutela), which collaborate actively.

Euskampus Bordeaux co-tutored community

Every year the community of co-tutored PhD students can take part in specific training courses organised by the universities, the LTCs (link?), Euskampus Fundazioa and in activities to present their thesis projects dynamically within the framework of Euskampus Bordeaux Eguna.