Mobility and Internationalization

Missions

For off-site training or research needs (such as conferences, workshops, summer schools, or consultation of archival and/or bibliographic materials), PhD students can apply for a “mission” through the dedicated procedure. These requests must be approved by the Coordinator of the PhD Course and sent at least three days before the planned departure date. According to the dedicated Regulations, once the mission has been completed, the PhD student must submit to the administration all supporting documentation for the expenses for which they are requesting reimbursement.

Period abroad

All PhD students are invited to spend at least three months at high-level research institutes abroad during the second and/or third year of the Programme. For stays abroad, the scholarship amount is increased by 50% in proportion to the number of days actually spent at the host institution. Each period must be at least 15 consecutive days; the maximum period eligible for the increase is 18 months.

For further information and forms, please refer to the dedicated webpage.

Co-tutelle

The PhD in Political Science actively participates in the internationalization process promoted by the University of Pisa through numerous co-tutelle agreements with prestigious foreign universities. The co-tutelle of doctoral theses represents a particular form of internationalisation that allows for the issuance of a double or joint degree, which is recognized in both partner Countries.

The co-tutelle programme allows students to learn about the two universities involved and their daily scientific systems, broaden and deepen their linguistic and intercultural skills, and encourages their mobility.

The doctoral thesis in co-tutelle is developed under the joint supervision of two thesis directors (Supervisors), from the University of Pisa and from the foreign University. The discussion of the thesis is conducted only once, and takes place at a single location.

The requirements for activating a co-tutelle PhD project are:

• a regularized position with respect to university tuition fees (only for outgoing co-tutelles);
• the approval of the Academic Board of the PhD Course;
• the obligation to conduct research at each institutions in different periods, according to the ways defined by the co-tutelle agreement;
• the stipulation of a co-tutelle agreement between the two universities.

The application for the activation of the co-tutelle, drawn up according to the relevant facsimile available on the dedicated page, must be submitted to the PhD Unit by the Supervisor of the University of Pisa.

The co-tutelle agreement cannot be stipulated during the final year of the PhD Programme. It refers to a single doctoral student and specifies the following conditions, agreed upon by the two universities:

• how to perform research activities;
• the tuition fee, to be paid at one of the two institutions (usually the home university), except the annual regional tax that the PhD student must pay to the University of Pisa every year;
• the final examination, the examiner committee, and the issuance of the PhD degree.

Co-tutelle agreements have been and still are an important tool not only for promoting a richer and more comprehensive training for the doctoral students, but also for proceeding fruitful scientific collaborations with colleagues and foreign universities.

Below are the co-tutelle agreements currently in place/completed:

• Sebastian Carlotti – Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam
• Vincent Sarbach Pulicani – Université Côte d’Azur
• Francesca Columbano – UNED Madrid

Agreements to strengthening scientific relations

The agreements listed below have been activated in recent years (since 2023); they mainly concern periods of research to be spent abroad and internships at national companies/institutions for students with PNRR scholarships. They aim to strengthen the scientific profile of doctoral students, also with a view to the future.

• Latvia University of Life Science and Technologies, Faculty of Economics and Social Development
• Interdisciplinary Center of Social Sciences (CICS.NOVA), Portugal
• Departamento de Sociologia I, UNED, Madrid
• Centre d’Étude des Mouvements Sociaux (CEMS) de l’EHESS, Paris
• Dipartimento per l’amministrazione generale, per le politiche del personale dell’amministrazione civile e per le risorse strumentali del ministero dell’interno, Roma
• Comune di Viareggio
• IRPET, Istituto Regionale per la Programmazione economica, Firenze
• Regione Toscana, Firenze
• Città Metropolitana di Firenze
• Università di Buenos Aires, CUSAM

Doctor Europaeus certification

To promote and facilitate international cooperation in doctoral programmes, the University of Pisa also issues the Doctor Europaeus Certification, an additional certification to the doctoral degree, which is awarded by the University under certain conditions.

For more information, see the dedicated webpage.