Cotutelle Agreement

1. The Cotutelle agreement must be based on genuine academic research collaboration and mobility. The agreement requires that the doctoral researcher works on their dissertation and postgraduate studies equally at both universities.
2. The partner university must be officially recognized by the relevant authority of its country or higher education system.
3. The doctoral researcher must have at least one supervisor from each partner university.
4. Before applying for the right to study, the equivalence of the foreign university’s doctoral degree requirements (including dissertation requirements and the defense process) with those of the University of Turku must be ensured.
5. The Cotutelle agreement is based on genuine international collaboration, allowing the doctoral degree to be completed naturally at two different universities in different countries. The agreement is typically established during the first year of study.

Under a Cotutelle degree arrangement, the doctoral researcher completes studies at both universities simultaneously, following their respective degree regulations, and writes a single dissertation that meets the requirements of both institutions. The joint supervision arrangement and training must adhere to the regulations of the relevant faculty and the doctoral education guidelines of the University of Turku.

The Cotutelle agreement specifies:

• The content of the degree, dissertation requirements, and study obligations at each university, including possible credit transfers and mutual recognition of studies.
• The supervision arrangements and division of supervisory responsibilities.
• The funding of the studies.
• The allocation of the doctoral researcher’s time between both universities, ensuring that their employment contract applies to only one university at a time (to prevent challenges and unexpected costs related to social security issues).
• The procedures for dissertation review, approval, and grading.
• The public defense of the dissertation.
• Intellectual property rights.
• The awarding of the degree and the issuance of diplomas.

The dissertation requirements and defense process must comply with the general and faculty-specific regulations of the University of Turku. The agreement may include details on harmonizing review practices, but the requirements and defense process must always meet the minimum standards set by the university and faculty.

Although the Cotutelle agreement does not require pre-arranged funding, it is recommended that the agreement outlines the doctoral researcher’s funding for study periods at both universities. This funding may include grants, employment, or other financial support. If the doctoral researcher is employed by the University of Turku (e.g., through a UTUGS-funded position), they cannot simultaneously be employed by the partner university or any other institution abroad.

The dissertation research is evaluated and approved at both universities. Typically, the doctoral researcher submits their dissertation for evaluation at both awarding institutions simultaneously but defends it at only one university. The defense must be public, in accordance with Finnish law.

Before starting the preparation of a Cotutelle agreement, the conditions outlined above must be verified. The doctoral researcher must have study rights at both universities before the agreement can be created. Study rights must be obtained through the standard application processes. The Cotutelle agreement is always created on a case-by-case basis.

Preparation time should be allocated, as aligning the degree requirements and procedural rules of two universities can take a long time, depending on the partner institution. The Cotutelle agreement is generally established during the first year after obtaining study rights at the second university.

The preparation process proceeds as follows:

1. Potential supervisors and the doctoral researcher assess whether the basic conditions for joint supervision are met.
2. The supervisor and doctoral researcher contact the doctoral education coordinator of their faculty. A draft agreement is prepared in collaboration with the supervisors, the doctoral researcher, the doctoral education coordinator of the relevant faculty at the University of Turku, and the partner university.
3. The doctoral education coordinator contacts the Student and Admissions Services, which verifies that the partner university is officially recognized by the relevant authority of its country or higher education system.
4. The UTU Cotutelle agreement template is recommended as the basis for the contract. The doctoral education coordinator submits the draft agreement to the Legal Services of the University of Turku for review before signing.
5. At the University of Turku, the agreement is signed by the doctoral researcher, the supervisor(s), and the dean.