Cotutelle – the Canadian View

Christian Blanchette,
Professeur en usages pédagogiques des
technologies de l’information
Doyen associé, interdisciplinarité et affaires
internationales
blanchette@uottawa.ca ,
COTUTELLE - CONTEXT
1.  The Canadian Graduate Education Model
2.  Cotutelle – The Canadian Point of View
3.  A Policy on Cotutelle
4.  Establishing a PhD in Cotutelle, a Practical Guide
5.  Academic Regulations French vs. Canadian
6.  PhDs in Cotutelle, a tool for our International
Strategies

Cotutelle Workshop, Nov. 30, Toronto, Canada

 CANADIAN HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM

•  MASTER degree
–  2-year degrees (dominant model)
–  Four configurations possible
•  2-yr research master – 4 x 39 hour-courses + Research
monography or one scientific article (16 months)
•  2-yr project master – 6-8 courses + one research paper
•  2-yr course master – 10 courses
•  1-yr master – Executive MBA, literature
–  Admission requirements
•  Honours bachelor degree
•  Selection based on marks and experiences

Cotutelle Workshop, Nov. 30, Toronto, Canada

 CANADIAN HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM
•  PhD
–  4-year degree (typically but up to 6-7 years)
–  Requirements
•  4 courses (year 1)
•  Comprehensive exam (year 2)
•  Research proposal (year 2)
•  Research (year 3 and 4)
•  PhD Defense – Committee 5-7 members with one
external expert
–  Admission requirements
•  Master degree in a related discipline
•  Marks assessed (GPA)
•  Letter of motivation and research interest

Cotutelle Workshop, Nov. 30, Toronto, Canada

 Cotutelle, in four sentences
•  A PhD in cotutelle is a customized program constructed by two
universities to serve the research project of a PhD candidate.
•  The PhD student is registered in both universities concurrently and
meets the requirements of their respective PhD program.
•  The partnering universities agree to recognize academic activities
done in the other university, with the goal that none of them are
duplicated.
•  At the end, the single thesis defense leads to the attribution of two
parchemins (dual degrees) – one from each universities both
mentioning the cotutelle “PhD done in cotutelle with University of
France”

Cotutelle Workshop, Nov. 30, Toronto, Canada

 WHY ENGAGE IN A COTUTELLE?
•  Academic View
–  Broadens the spectrum of research possible for our PhD students
–  Enables more complex international research project to be
implemented
–  Customized Interdisciplinary Degrees
–  Access to expertise and specialists
–  Access to labs

•  Administrative View
–  Provide support for our students when “in-country”.
–  Implementation of Customized Dual Degree
–  Respect Provincial Regulations (Ontario)
–  International index

Cotutelle Workshop, Nov. 30, Toronto, Canada

 Senate Policy on Cotutelle -
OBJECTIVES

1. Consolidate and improve the training of our doctoral

students

2. Foster doctoral student mobility

3. Ease the establishment of interdisciplinary plans in

doctorates

4. Generate scientific exchanges between the

University of Ottawa and partner institutions with which
we sign cotutelle agreements

Cotutelle Workshop, Nov. 30, Toronto, Canada

 Senate Policy on Cotutelle -
PRINCIPLES

1.  Program requirements are all met.

2.  Concurrent registrations at both universities
3.  Tuition fees paid at the university where the student attends
physically.
4.  Structure of activities defined by student/supervisors/
program director
5.  Multiple academic activities are done at both universities

Cotutelle Workshop, Nov. 30, Toronto, Canada

Typical academic path of cotutelle students

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

Start of doctoral program
Define and prepare cotutelle
project
Sign cotutelle agreement
Courses
Complete studies at home
university – residency
Courses Courses Research: return to home
university or continue with
partner university
Take comprehensive Conduct thesis work studies Present oral defense of
examination or present at partner university thesis at home university
thesis proposal
Complete studies at home
university – residency

Cotutelle Workshop, Nov. 30, Toronto, Canada

 Senate Policy on Cotutelle -
RESPONSIBILITIES

•  Supervisor: Establishes contact, defines research project and

actively communicates with student and cosupervisor

•  Program director: Validates academic plans and ensures

program requirements are met.

•  Associate Dean at FGPS: Ensures the Academic Plan was

approved by program director, review cotutelle agreement to
ensure academic regulations are respected and negotiates
adjustments.

Cotutelle Workshop, Nov. 30, Toronto, Canada

Establishing a PhD in Cotutelle, a Practical Guide

Program Associate Dean

Director
International Grad. Studies

Supervisor
Research Disciplines
Validate
Research Cotutelle
Project Academic
Question Expertise
Plan
Agreement

Access to the field

Responsable
Labs and Facilities École doctorale

Cotutelle Workshop, Nov. 30, Toronto, Canada

 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FRENCH AND
CANADIAN ACADEMIC REGULATIONS
Elements of PhD Degrees France Canada

Length of degree 3 years 4-6 years

Comprehensive exam NO YES, Trimester 5

Research proposal defense NO YES, Trimester 6-7

PhD course work YES, participation in YES, formal 39-hour courses

research seminars
Presence of supervisor on YES - Requirements NO - Forbidden
examining committee

Tuition fees 500 euro From $2700/yr to $5800/yr

Scholarships YES Canadian students yes

International students a few
 COTUTELLE WITHIN AN INTERNATIONAL
STRATEGY
•  Provides international experience to our students
•  Serves Interdisciplinary Research
•  Serves Interdisciplinary Study
•  Establishes research links
•  Establishes closer collaborations with foreign universities
•  Enables a bottom up approach to the establishment of
international collaborations.
•  Formalizes collaboration with our partner universities.
•  Spread funding for international students to serve
more students.

Cotutelle Workshop, Nov. 30, Toronto, Canada, 2010

Cotutelle Workshop, Nov. 30, Toronto, Canada
Available Resources

•  uOttawa web site

http://www.grad.uottawa.ca/Default.aspx?tabid=3763

•  Senate Policy on Cotutelle

•  Guide to cotutelle (Adapted from uMontréal
document)
•  Cotutelle agreement – a template
•  Cotutelle checklists

Cotutelle Workshop, Nov. 30, Toronto, Canada

 Christian
Blanchette

blanchette@uottawa.ca