New Forms of International Cooperation in Doctoral Training: Internationalisation and the International Doctorate – One Goal, Two Distinct Models1

1. Due to length restrictions, it was not possible in this paper to present a detailed account of the birth and growth of the European PhD on Social Representations and Communications. For further details see the European PhD web site (www.europhd.eu).

Abstract

Although the idea of a European doctorate has been discussed since the earliest years of the European Union it is only very recently that its time has finally come. This progress is the product of the efforts of a number of important players, including the European Commission, the European University Association, the main representative of institutions of higher education awarding doctoral degrees in Europe, and the Bologna Process. In synergy with the European Research Area's goals, the Bologna Process, in particular, has played a vital role in providing a new impulse to internationalisation of the doctorate in Europe. Despite the important steps already achieved towards the joint European doctorate, full recognition of its legal value is still a work in progress. Problems arise because of the national laws of some European Union members, but are also due to a still pervasive conservative view in European higher education that encourages academic ‘protectionism’ instead of promoting cooperation. The two main reasons for resistance to innovative joint doctoral programmes remain, however, the misinterpretation of international mobility as the goal rather than one of the strategic tools of doctoral training and a widespread fear that harmonisation will homogenise the diversity of European doctoral curricula, reducing its current richness to uniformity.

1. Due to length restrictions, it was not possible in this paper to present a detailed account of the birth and growth of the European PhD on Social Representations and Communications. For further details see the European PhD web site (www.europhd.eu).

Notes

1. Due to length restrictions, it was not possible in this paper to present a detailed account of the birth and growth of the European PhD on Social Representations and Communications. For further details see the European PhD web site (www.europhd.eu).

2. Available at http://www.europhd.eu

3. Within the autonomy framework that had been granted to Italian universities by the Italian Ministry for Universities and Research MIUR (Italian laws of 15 May 1997, no.127 article 17, 3 July 1998, no. 210, article 4, and 30 April 1999, no. 224, article 2), the Academic Senate of the University of Rome ‘Sapienza’ on 12 February 1999 approved new regulations on research doctorates, subsequently (2 October2003) modifying them into better organized regulations for international cooperation on PhD programmes. This has contributed to dissemination of the positive experience of the prototypical European PhD on Social Representations and Communication that has been evaluated as a best practice by the EC and the MIUR. The Regulation (article 14 http://www.uniroma1.it/senatoaccademico/regolamenti/dottorato.htm) finally and clearly distinguished: (a) the joint supervision of doctoral dissertations based on jointly supervised dissertations (co‐tutela); (b) the bilateral schema of the doctorate with the European label; (c) the multilateral schema of joint titles recognised by the university network (International Doctorate). In brief:I. The initiation of a jointly supervised dissertation via a specific agreement proposed by the Faculty Board of the two concerned doctoral programmes and agreed to by the two rectors of the universities in question. Following a favourable report from the evaluation committee, each institution commits to award the degree of PhD or its equivalent for the same dissertation or to award a joint degree that demonstrates the different completion modalities.II. The initiation of a doctoral dissertation with a European label via a specific agreement proposed by the Faculty Board of the two concerned doctoral programmes and agreed upon by the rectors of the two universities in question. Instituting a doctoral dissertation with a European label also foresees faculty mobility, integration of collegiate organs and examination commissions, and diverse modalities for elaborating and defending dissertations.III. More complex is the model of a jointly established international programme:

1. If the level of harmonization between Italian university regulations and those of another country allow for the creation of a unified doctoral program between ‘Sapienza’ and a university in that country the jointly formulated proposals for the programme must show the scientific and educational objectives of the doctoral programme, the didactic plan, the structure, the activities to be undertaken at both sites, and the mobility of both doctoral candidates and faculty.

2. The preceding elements will be integrated into a bilateral agreement that, analogous to what was foreseen in the previous article, will regulate the composition and competencies of the organs, modalities of access, dissertation elaboration, final examinations, and awarding of degrees. This is all under conditions of reciprocity between the cooperating universities.

3. Because of its character in being integrated with a foreign university, regulations of a doctoral programme established in this manner can deviate from the provisions of this regulation, drawn up in consideration with those of national doctorates and the University of Rome ‘Sapienza’.

4. Requests concerning the establishment of doctoral programmes under this article will be evaluated by the University Commission, which will also take into consideration the specificities of those doctorates by employing the same criteria used for proposals for regular doctorates as concerns scientific and educational validity.

5. Taking into consideration the time needed to complete agreements and the various procedures linked to internationalisation projects within government ministries, proposals for international doctorates can be submitted to the University Commission at any time of the year.

Proposals must:

(a) (in the case of first time proposals) be accompanied by a positive appraisal from the Department and Faculty Councils that are submitting the proposal and the outline of the agreement to be made with the partner universities;

(b) show proof of having been presented as international doctoral proposals;

(c) provide information concerning the scientific and didactic plan, the composition of the faculty board, publications by the members of the faculty board for the previous five years, and, in the case of renewal, provide indicators of the performance of research trainees and PhD recipients for the past few years.

(d) specifically justify the reasons by which the proposal has an international character and, at the same time, indicate the organizational strategies by which the proponents plan to reach their declared objectives;

6. In addition, in a specific attachment, the proposals must indicate:

(e) the modalities for the nomination and the composition criteria for the Evaluation Committee responsible for admission to the programme;

(f) the Italian and foreign partner institutions, showing the details of their contribution to the scientific–educational plan, organization, co‐financing of expenses, and eventual scholarships;

(g) if there is mutual recognition of the degree or the awarding of a joint degree as well as general conditions of a joint nature between the partners;

(h) finally, the proponents must present a comprehensive financial plan.

7. As regards the composition of the Faculty Board, the rules valid for normal doctorate proposals are not applicable. However, the Board must in any case guarantee the participation of faculty from ‘Sapienza’ that is substantially proportionate with faculty from the other participating institutions and should be no less than three faculty members. The Board should have at least 10 faculty members participating with full rights.

8. The final Evaluation Committee should be composed of either three or five members, designated in agreement with the participating institutions and from outside the Faculty Board.

9. Doctoral candidates must complete part of their educational programme (from a minimum of 6 to a maximum of 18 months) in at least one foreign partner university. They should be conducting research within the scope of a project approved and agreed upon by the Faculty Board.

10. Authorization to defend a dissertation is granted on the basis of written reports from the dissertation advisors from the cooperating universities and from at least two foreign faculty members that belong to other universities.

11. Writing and defending the dissertation should, in part, be in the language of the cooperating university.

12. International doctorates approved for a cycle are automatically renewed for the successive cycle. Subsequent requests for renewal should be presented at the usual time and be accompanied by the appropriate documentation and a report that describes the results for the previous two years.

4. Meeting in Padua (19 December 2003) and meeting in Rome (16 December 2004) organized by MIUR, Fondazione RUI‐CIMEA, and CRUI. All documents are available at http:interlink.miur.it/2004. Bologna Promoter Meeting organized by Socrates Italia, Socrates Bologna Promoters, MIUR, University of Padua, and CRUI in Padua (16 December 2005).

5. A detailed study on the internationalisation of higher education, including the similarities and differences between scientific and institutional networks, in which he illustrates the growing phenomena of international associations, consortia, and networks of academic organisations resulting from the globalisation of economies and societies and its impact on higher education.

6. Available at http://www.eua.be/eua/en/EIT.jspx.

7. A commercial edition of this dissertation has been published as part of the Greenwood Studies in Higher Education, Greenwood Publishing Group, Connecticut, USA.