A Year in the Life of Carleton’s Cotutelle Agreements
Note: See details at end of story about Feb. 28th Cotutelle Info. Session.
It’s been one year since Carleton struck its first Cotutelle agreement. These agreements allow our PhD students to study and research at two universities and, upon graduation, obtain two diplomas recognizing their PhD degree.
Carleton now has eight agreements in place and two more are pending.
The first Carleton student to take advantage of this initiative was Jason Crann.
Crann, a PhD student in mathematics, returned recently from a one-year stay at the University of Lille 1: Science and Technology.
Says Crann: “My experience in Lille was nothing short of incredible. It was the perfect opportunity to regain my fluency in the language and to learn about many of the wonderful things France has to offer. My wife and I visited several different regions within the country, including Champagne, the Alps, and the beautiful Côte d’Azur in the south. We also had the unparalleled opportunity to visit eleven of the surrounding countries, each providing new and unique experiences.”
“Academically, I had the opportunity to take two exceptional advanced topics courses; participate in a unique mathematical physics working group; and see a research talk by a Nobel laureate, all the while making advances in my own doctoral research. I also had the opportunity to present my research at two international conferences in Lyon, France, and Oujda, Morocco, where I met many new potential collaborators and learned about the local culture.”
Langis Roy, associate dean (Planning) with the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs (FGPA), says Carleton’s Cotutelle agreements are a win-win for everyone as our PhD students are able to work with brilliant researchers and access resources at different universities around the world while these universities benefit from the high quality of doctoral students we have here at Carleton.
Cotuelles also stimulate broader collaborative research activities between institutions, which can extend beyond the initial PhD topic and co-supervisor of the student involved.
Crann and Neufang at a conference in Morocco
Crann’s Carleton supervisor, Matthias Neufang, who has a double appointment at Carleton and the University of Lille 1, acted as a co-supervisor for Crann during the year. Crann originally decided to do his PhD at Carleton because of Neufang’s research expertise on abstract harmonic analysis and its applications to quantum information theory. Crann explains that this is a high-level form of math that could significantly change the way we view quantum dynamics.
Any new, full-time PhD student at Carleton is eligible for a Cotutelle mode of study, provided their supervisor has an established research collaboration with an international university that offers Cotutelles. Other details are available in the Cotutelle policy found HERE.
FGPA is hosting a Cotutelle Information Session for PhD students. That session will be from 1:30 until 2:30 in the Senate Room (617 Robertson Hall) on Thursday, Feb. 28. Topics will include procedures for establishing a Cotutetelle and funding opportunities (French Embassy and others). Jason Crann will also be on hand at the Information Session to talk about his year in France.
