Sample contract

The basis for a Cotutelle procedure is an international cooperation contract, which must be negotiated individually for each doctoral candidate. This contract supports the implementation of a binational doctorate by providing a simple and common framework that is binding for all parties.

The legal basis for the cooperation agreement is the new version of the General Regulations for Doctoral Studies of the University of Kassel (AB-PromO) and the Special Regulations of the respective faculty in which the dissertation is written.

  • Agreeing on essential aspects of the doctoral procedure (e.g., composition of the examination committee, maximum duration of the doctoral examination, possibilities to repeat the examination, place of the disputation, overall period of doctoral studies).
  • Determination of the language in which the doctoral thesis and its summary will be written and the disputation will be held. The regulations of the doctoral regulations in force at the faculty are to be taken into account.
  • Determination of the duration of stay and the period of stay at the foreign university or, in case of foreign doctoral candidates, at the University of Kassel.
  • The assumption of mobility costs for the supervisors and/or members of the doctoral committee must be arranged. It is customary that each university bears the costs for its members.
  • The number of dissertation copies to be delivered to each of the two universities depends on the respective regulations.
  • At the end of the doctoral process, a certificate issued jointly by the two partner universities (= joint degree) or two certificates referring to each other (= double degree) are awarded. The certificate states that the doctoral procedure was carried out in cooperation with a foreign partner university. The certificate is provided with the seal of both participating universities. A sample of the doctoral certificate(s) included into the appendix of the Cotutelle agreement.

The contract can be adapted in some cases according to the needs of the respective doctoral procedure or the foreign university. 

 

Information on the process:

  • The supervisors of both universities fill out the contract together with the doctoral student.
  • With the change and comment function, change requests or additions are inserted. The draft contract together with the contact information of the person in charge of the cooperating university will be forwarded to the doctoral office of the University of Kassel for review.
  • The doctoral office checks the changes or additions on the basis of the applicable legal basis involving the legal advisors of the University of Kassel.  
  • The doctoral office will contact the supervisor and the partner university in order to make final arrangements.
  • Provided that there are no legal objections, the cooperation agreement is forwarded in triplicate to the faculty (supervisor, dean), the doctoral candidate and the President’s office for signing.
  • Once the signed copies of the contract are available, they will be forwarded to the partner university.
  • After the contract has been returned, one copy is handed over to the doctoral candidate. One copy remains in the doctoral file.

 

  • The personalized draft contract is forwarded to the doctoral office of the University of Kassel together with the contact information to the person:s in charge of the cooperating university.
  • The doctoral office checks the changes or additions on the basis of the applicable legal basis involving the legal advisors of the University of Kassel.
  • The doctoral office contacts the partner university and draws up the cooperation agreement in several steps.
  • As soon as the contract details have been clarified, the cooperation agreement is forwarded to the supervisor and the doctoral candidate.
  • Requests for changes and/or additions will be directed back to the Doctoral Office.
  • Provided that all details are set, the cooperation agreement is forwarded in triplicate to the faculty (supervisor, dean), the doctoral candidate and the President’s office for signing.
  • Once the signed copies of the contract are available, they will be forwarded to the partner university.
  • After the contract has been returned, one copy is handed over to the doctoral candidate. One copy remains in the doctoral file.

Overview