1. Stéphane NGOMAI Srdjan REDZEPAGIC Nice 25-27th September, 2014
PhD studies at the University Nice Sophia Antipolis: thesis and cooperation
Stéphane NGOMAI
Srdjan REDZEPAGIC
Nice
25-27th September, 2014

2. Studies in France (LMD)

3. In France…
Approximately international students (12% of the student community)
4th place, as most popular destination for study abroad (after the USA, the UK and Australia).
25000 international PhD students (41% of PhD students registered in France are international students)

4. In France… PhD studies 3-4 years in duration.
Doctoral (PhD) candidates (“doctorants””) are not considered as students but more as early career researchers.
In France, strong network of doctoral schools (around 300) which are responsible for the training of PhD students in close collaboration with over 1200 research laboratories where PhD students are conducting their research.
Doctoral schools are part of a university and doctoral training is delivered by the doctoral school under the responsibility of the PhD supervisor.
Doctoral schools are often thematic.
PhD candidates have to publish in peer-reviewed journals and produce a thesis.

5. “French position”
Research in France (supported by the French government)
is particularly dynamic (2009):
Research and Development expenditure: 42.7 billion €
5th place in OECD countries
6th in the world in number of scientific publications
4th in the world in number of patents
International awards for French researchers
55 French Nobel laureates
11 winners of the Fields Medal of 52
2nd in the world for its performance in Mathematics

6. Codirection vs. cotutelle
PhD studies in France
Doctoral Departments - Schools (since 1990) - today about 300 PhD schools
accredited by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research
PhD students within the Doctoral Departments - Schools are under the scientific responsibility:
Supervisor – Director of the PhD School
Director(s) of PhD thesis
Bologna Process / Berlin / Bergen 2005
Integration of PhD studies between the European higher education area and the European research mobility
Increased cooperation in doctoral and postdoctoral
Recognition of joint degrees, including Doctoral level
Joint Doctorats (Cotutelles internationales de thèse)
Codirection vs. cotutelle
Scholarships

7. Students’ enrolment criteria
Each Aspiring candidate has to apply
and fulfill the following criteria:
Hold a degree equivalent to a European Master (5 years of Higher Education).
Should contact a PhD School to inquire about the procedure for submitting a documents.
PhD school will refer the candidate to a thesis supervisor and review with the candidate the options for financing the candidate’s doctoral studies.
If candidate is accepted by the PhD school and thesis supervisor, has to sign a thesis contract.

8. Students’ enrolment criteria
PhD registration documents (for PhD candidate):
Detailed CV of the
Diplomas (grade, distinction, honors) and marks
Certificate of funding or financial aid (scholarship)
Motivation letter with the topic thesis
Letter of appreciation (recommendation) by Master supervisor
Detailed topic thesis signed by the director

9. Tuition fees

10. University and students rights and obligations
Student Responsibilities
Academic Honesty
Attendance

11. Student mobility Inside EU Outside EU Programs
Financing opportunities (scholarships)

12. Doctoral studies in Nice (Economics)
The PhD School "DESPEG" (ED 513) is a multidisciplinary training designed and organized to improve the quality of learning research in law, political science, economics and management. This multidisciplinary approach allows to develop synergies between economists, lawyers, political scientists and managers who can have fields of neighbors and further research with different methodologies. The main aim of the PhD school, which affects about 450 doctoral students, is to assist the development of specific doctoral research while promoting the opened-disciplinary and allow doctoral discipline to benefit from methodological and scientific contributions of other disciplines.

13. Doctoral studies in Nice (Economics)
Training support
The art. 4 of the Decree of 7 August 2006 provides that "the PhD school to offer doctoral training relevant to their research and their career plans, and training necessary to acquire a broader scientific culture."
Doctoral School of the University adopted the principle that these courses should rise to 90 hours within three years (which is the normal time of completion of a thesis).
They are distributed as follows:
60 hours chosen from the courses offered by the PhD school,
30 hours chosen from the proposed by the Council of the PhD School.
These courses follow:
- Academic Orientation (proposed by the PhD School training)
- Methodological guidance (proposed by the PhD School training)
Professionalizing Orientation (proposed by the Council of the PhD School of workshops with the assistance of professional training)

14. Development of the PhD thesis
For holders of foreign diplomas :   The applicant's request for enrollment thesis is studied by the Council of PhD school based on evidence provided. The board may seek any useful guidance for its assessment of the case expertise. All documents listed on next slide must be submitted in French or accompanied by a translation.
Students who wish to begin or continue their studies in France and living in one of the countries listed in campusfrance.org must register with Campus France.
This registration Campus France is required for enrollment in the university, and to obtain a student visa.

15. Development of the PhD thesis
1. Application form (to be completed online and editing) with signatures of the student, the supervisor (PhD director) and the director of the research center
2. Charter signed by the PhD director supervisor and the student
3. Degree of the country of origin stating that the candidate has carried out studies abroad conferring a level at least equivalent to the French Master 2
4. Research project of at least 20 pages detailing the research topic and methodology, together with a basic bibliography
5. Detailed report prospective supervisor agreeing to validate this project and its inclusion in the research areas of the research center
6. Letter from the director of the research center indicating the positioning of the thesis project in the research areas of the Laboratory
7. Proof of the language skills in French
8. Other scientific work (article, communication, research report ...)
9. Indication of the financing of the PhD thesis (scholarship, or…)

16. Development of the PhD thesis
Choice of the title (research field)
Acceptance by Director/PhD school
Acceptance and approval on National level (FCT)
Beginning….researches start!

17. Research paper publication
Publishing a research paper in a journal or scientific conference is very activity.
Academic journals – the most common place for PhD Students to publish their research.
How to find the most suitable academic journal for the PhD Candidate topic?
How to utilize the correct writing style?
Interest: to increase the chance of being published.

18. Project partner inputs on supporting the FE-UP in implementation of the PhD program
Syllabi
Teaching material
Co-teaching
Student mobility FEUP-UNS, hosting PhD students
Next steps…