Internationalization
PhD. Candidates carry out a minimum period of three/six months visiting foreign or international research institutions, selected under the coordination of their academic supervisors taking into account their specialization fields and research topics.
To this aim specific conventions with foreign universities and research institutions and Erasmus + agreements have been signed to promote research mobility experiences and exchanges (a list of current agreements is available here).
Foreign academics and professional experts are regularly involved in the Ph.D. training and teaching programme and as (co-)supervisors to promote a greater internationalization of individual research tracks in the framework of European and international scientific community.
The Ph.D. Co-supervisor
The Ph.D. Programme in Law encourages the “co-supervision” of candidates’ research work as a joint-tutoring option involving academics not being member of the Ph.D. Teaching and Research Committee to be associated with an internal/local Supervisor for the scientific coordination of Ph.D. final thesis. In this case, the final assessment of research works does not involve any “double title” qualification. To this aim the University of Catania does not require any specific agreement to be signed, but only the previous approval of the co-supervisor assignment by the Ph.D. Teaching Committee.
The Co-tutoring
The “Co-tutoring” of Ph.D. thesis is also encouraged: it involves the release of a Ph.D. double title, which will be considered effective in two different countries. The path of the co-tutoring requires the carrying out of research works during approximately equivalent terms at the University of Catania and the partner university. The doctoral thesis, written under the supervision of two supervisors - one for each partner university – will be discussed once only in one designed academic venue. The University of Catania has signed up agreements on the Ph.D. co-tutoring with several countries around the world.
The Ph.D. programme in co-tutoring is thus based on a preliminary framework agreement between two Universities.
Doctor Europaeus
The Ph.D. title with the additional label of Doctor Europaeus is issued by the University, upon decision of the Academic Board and upon request by Ph.D. Candidates, provided that the following requirements are met:
- The discussion of the thesis will be accorded only if at least two professors from higher education institutions belonging to two European countries (different from the State where the thesis will be discussed) have expressed their positive evaluation on the thesis final work (manuscript);
- At least one member of the Examining Board will belong to a higher education institution of a European State, other than the State where the thesis will be discussed;
- Part of the discussion will take place in one of the European official languages, (different from the language / s of the State where the thesis will be defended);
- The Ph.D. thesis will be the result of a work finalized for at least three months (also not consecutive) in another European country.
