Co-tutelles in European universities: concept, aims and implementation

This report is the result of the work of the EUA-CDE Thematic Peer Group (TPG) on ”Co-tutelles and Joint Doctorates”. EUA-CDE established this working group to address a topic of growing interest among European universities and to discuss the different approaches these institutions have taken to co-tutelles. The group, composed of representatives from 23 universities in 15 European countries, explored why universities engage in the challenging process of facilitating exchange and mobility of doctoral candidates through co-tutelle arrangements and the practical issues involved. At the same time, the group aimed to share good practices that could be transferable to other contexts. The following sections of this report focus on the relevance of the so called co-tutelles de thèse and present the different steps leading to co-tutelle arrangements based on the practices and experiences of the participants in this group. At the same time, common challenges related to this type of cooperation and possible solutions will be identified. The text focuses in particular on the practical dimension of the introduction of co-tutelles but also relates to the potential of co-tutelles as a strategic tool. It serves as a source of inspiration and reflection for everybody who is tasked with introducing such schemes within their own institution.