Double degree and cotutelles

Why a cotutelle?

Internationalization is a trend that also affects research in a very strong way. This also includes the professional project of doctoral students. In this context, the opportunity of a joint thesis supervision, during which the doctoral student carries out his/her research work within research teams of two universities (in this case INSA and a foreign university), makes it possible to obtain the degree of Doctor of both universities. Such an experience allows:

De s’approprier une culture de recherche très large
De valoriser ses capacités d’adaptation et de travail dans un contexte international
De développer un réseau international
De pouvoir plus facilement développer un projet professionnel à l’étranger, notamment dans le pays partenaire de la cotutelle

For more information, a leaflet published by Campus France can be found on the website https://ressources.campusfrance.org/

Procedure

The settlement of a cotutelle requires an agreement approved by all parties and validated by Security Defense representatives. At INSA level, the procedure is managed by the FEDORA department. The Department (fedora-doc@insa-lyon.fr) should therefore be contacted first. In consultation with the various parties, a first draft will be set up. Once the validation has been obtained and the agreement finalized, the latter will be submitted to the signature of the various parties. Finally, Security Defense approval should be engaged. The joint supervision of the thesis can thus begin once this last step is completed.

The procedure can be summarized as follows:

The completion of a cotutelle is also subjected, in general, to certain specific procedures:

The doctoral student must spend at least one year in each university (cumulatively).
The defense is unique and recognized by both universities.
The language of writing the thesis manuscript is usually English. However, in a similar way to the other theses, an extended summary in French is expected.
The volumes of training can be adapted, on the proposal of the Doctoral School of the thesis.

Tuition and funding

A joint cotutelle may incur additional costs, such as:

Travel and accommodation.
Tuition fees are paid each year to only one partner (with at least once at INSA). Nevertheless, it is worth paying attention to the fees of the partner university, which can be much higher than those of the INSA.

Thus, it is advisable to discuss the financing aspects of the co-supervision project, especially between the doctoral student and the management team, before starting the procedure.

Some specific scholarships may also be considered, such as Eiffel scholarships for doctoral students from an INSA partner university.