IITs to now offer joint PhD programmes
Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have decided to offer joint doctorate courses, allowing a student to pursue part of the course at one IIT and the other part in another.
The elite engineering schools feel that such a move will foster collaborative research and utilization of advanced research infrastructure among IITs.
Through joint PhDs, it is possible to carry out high quality collaborative research work by taking advantage of expertise and excellent infrastructure available at both institutions. At present, IITs have joint degree programs of PhD mainly with foreign universities.
Here are five key components of the initiative:
1) Two IITs may enter into an agreement to offer joint PhDs in mutually agreeable areas of research.
Students interested will be first selected to the PhD programmes at either institute following selection procedures. The institute at which a student initially joins the PhD programme will be called the Home Institute, while the other will be the Partner Institute.
2) Students will complete the requisite course work and comprehensive examination as per the rules of the home institute. Each student of joint PhD programme will have at least two thesis supervisors (advisors/ guides).
The thesis supervisor at the home institute will be the primary supervisor of the student, while the one from the partner institute will be the co-supervisor.
3) A doctoral Committee (or equivalent) will be setup for each student to monitor the research progress till the thesis is submitted.
The students will follow home institute regulations for monitoring their research progress, submission of synopsis, and submission & evaluation of the thesis.
4) The students of the joint PhD programme is required to spend a minimum one year (two semesters) at the partner institute working, under the supervision of the co-supervisor.
During the period of stay at home institute, students will pay semester fee, including tuition fee and hostel fee as per the fee structure of the home or partner institute.
Each student of joint PhD programme will be entitled to financial assistance, scholarship as per rules.
5) The joint PhD candidate, post completion of the degree, will be awarded a single degree certificate with the signatures and stamps of both the institutes. The format of the degree certificate will be jointly finalized by the two institutes.
It means, both the IITs will be free to give two separate degree certificates, but the degree certificates must indicate unambiguously that the degree is being awarded jointly with the partner IIT for the same thesis.