Agreement for the creation of an International Exchange Programme

Purpose

This agreement aims to establish specific educational links and cooperation between the two Institutions in Partnership in order to facilitate the exchange of their respective doctoral students and academic staff. This type of agreement can be used to formalize informal scientific collaborations at doctoral level with foreign Institutions in particular when the extreme heterogeneity of the respective national and local regulations on the matter of doctoral studies makes particularly difficult the creation of joint doctoral tracks aimed to the conferral of joint/double degrees.

Main features

Under this Agreement, PhD students who are regularly enrolled in a PhD programme at their Home Institution can spend a period of study and research at the Partner Institution, where they will be registered as “non-degree visiting students” for the entire duration of their exchange. Incoming students will have the possibility to attend lessons, academic meetings, symposia, seminars and participate in the research training activities organized by the PhD programme/Graduate School that promotes the international exchange. In addition they will be exempt from Host Institution fees, except for fixed fees established by the university’s regulations in force and required by law.
On the basis of this Agreement the Institutions in Partnerships will be required to guarantee to the incoming students the following services:

- Access to university facilities as home students (such as libraries, local language courses and canteens, printing facilities, desks);
- Information on health insurance requirements and the extent of the medical cover;
- Assistance in finding accommodation;
- Documents necessary for obtaining the appropriate visa.

At the end of their exchange period at the Host Institution, doctoral students will receive a nominative letter stating the activities carried out during the period of their stay and the lectures and seminars attended. Such a letter, signed by the relevant authority, will be issued for each student participating in this International Exchange Programme and it shall be submitted to the competent office at the Home Institution in order to receive the equivalent credit units recognized for mobility periods abroad.