A co-tutorship is a bilateral agreement signed by two universities located in two different countries on behalf of a PhD student.
The agreement is aimed at the awarding of a double PhD degree, should the single thesis defense be successful.
Students enrolled at the first year of a PhD programme can request the setting-up of a co-tutorship agreement.
A co-tutorship agreement must comply with the following conditions:
- The PhD student’s training and research activities are supervised by two professors, one from the Home University (namely, where the PhD student firstly enrolled), the other one from the Host University.
- The PhD student is required to spend more or less the same period of time at both universities according to a calendar set up by the two supervisors.
- The PhD student will take just one final exam (usually at the Home University) and the examination board will be composed by members from both universities.