International experiences with a PhD

PhDs include a compulsory period abroad at foreign universities and research organisations. As part of your studies and research path, you will come into contact with international companies and teams, acquire language skills, and enrich your competencies and knowledge.

You can apply for a scholarship increase

For stays abroad lasting at least thirty continuous days, it is possible to apply for a scholarship increase.

For more information, see the website (restricted access, only with @unibo credentials)

You can apply for funding for your experience abroad

From the first year of your programme, whatever financial support you receive, and also in the case of a position with no scholarship, you will have a budget at your disposal of at least 10% of the value of the scholarship corresponding to your PhD programme, to support research and training activities in Italy and abroad.

For more information, see the website (restricted access, only with @unibo credentials)

What is it and can I apply

A PhD co-tutorship is an international collaboration that takes place through bilateral agreements signed by two universities located in different countries. You will have the opportunity to carry out research at both universities and under the joint responsibility of two supervisors, one from each university. At the end you will obtain the title of Doctor of Philosophy in both universities, with an explicit mention of the collaboration with the partner university.

Main elements of a co-tutorship

• Joint programme and joint supervision: the PhD student carries out his/her research activity under the joint responsibility of two supervisors, assigned by the home university (i.e. the university of first enrolment) and the host university;
• Mobility plan: the research period spent at the two universities must be as balanced as possible; it is planned jointly by the two supervisors;
• Final presentation: generally just one presentation is made (usually at the home university); the composition of the committee is structured to ensure a fair balance of members from the two partner universities involved in the agreement;
• Dual qualification: both universities award a PhD qualification, explicitly mentioning the collaboration with the partner university.

Application requirements

• Enrolment in the first year, or start of the second year at the home university;
• Second-level qualification;
• Funding with a minimum duration of one year or a foreign title recognized as equivalent;
• A part of the entire PhD programme must be carried out at the host university.

How to apply

PhD students need to agree on the proposal with the supervisors at both the home and the host university and must facilitate contact between the universities.

Find out how to apply for a co-tutorship on the University Intranet (access restricted with @unibo.it credentials)

Once the procedure is completed, the PhD office will handle the negotiation of the agreement, subject to approval by the PhD programme’s academic board.

Follow your university's guidelines on how to carry out a mobility period abroad.

Below are some active collaborations between the University of Bologna and other universities, promoting research mobility for PhD students.

Mobility Confap Italy (Brazil)

The Mobility CONFAP-ITALY (MCI) project promotes scientific, technological and innovation cooperations between Italy and Brazil through the mobility of PhD students. If you are doing a PhD in Brazil, you can do all or part of your training at the University of Bologna.

China Scholarship Council

First-rate Chinese students may be admitted to PhD programmes at the University of Bologna with funding from the China Scholarship Council.

Find out more

Visiting PhD students from abroad

Foreign or Italian PhD students who are attending a PhD at a foreign university may be invited to the University of Bologna facilities for a mobility period, outside of international cooperation agreements or projects to which the University of Bologna is a party. 

Find out more

What is it and can I apply

A PhD co-tutorship is an international collaboration that takes place through bilateral agreements signed by two universities located in different countries. You will have the opportunity to carry out research at both universities and under the joint responsibility of two supervisors, one from each university. At the end you will obtain the title of Doctor of Philosophy in both universities, with an explicit mention of the collaboration with the partner university.

Main elements of a co-tutorship

• Joint programme and joint supervision: the PhD student carries out his/her research activity under the joint responsibility of two supervisors, assigned by the home university (i.e. the university of first enrolment) and the host university;
• Mobility plan: the research period spent at the two universities must be as balanced as possible; it is planned jointly by the two supervisors;
• Final presentation: generally just one presentation is made (usually at the home university); the composition of the committee is structured to ensure a fair balance of members from the two partner universities of the agreement;
• Dual qualification: both universities award a PhD qualification, explicitly mentioning the collaboration with the partner university.

Application requirements

• Enrolment in the first year, or start of the second year at the home university;
• Second-level qualification or a foreign title recognized as equivalent;
• Funding with a minimum duration of one year;
• A part of the entire PhD programme must be carried out at the host university.

How to apply

PhD students need to agree on the proposal with the supervisors at both the home and the host university and must facilitate contact between the universities.

Subsequently, they need to submit the form [.pdf 103 KB], along with the required attachments, to the PhD Unit at aform.dottorato-internazionale@unibo.it, which will handle the negotiation of the agreement, subject to approval by the Academic Board of the PhD programme.

Once the procedure is completed, the PhD office will handle the negotiation of the agreement, subject to approval by the PhD programme’s academic board.