International doctorate
In many cases, doctoral research is international in scope from the outset: through research topics with an international dimension, exchange with researchers abroad, conferences, research stays, international publications, or joint supervision arrangements. Pursuing a doctorate with an international focus therefore does not necessarily mean spending an extended period abroad. Rather, there are many ways to add an international dimension to your doctoral research and engage with international scholarly debates.
The Leuphana Graduate School and doctoral supervisors support doctoral candidates in integrating suitable international experiences and collaborations into their doctoral research. The key is to ensure that international activities are meaningfully connected to the doctoral research project: they should strengthen the research, broaden methodological or theoretical perspectives, facilitate access to data, archives, laboratories, or research sites, and contribute to building international academic networks.
©Leuphana Brinkhoff/Mögenburg
©Moritz Peters
©Leuphana Universität/Jannis Muser
What is an international doctorate?
International engagement during a doctorate can take many different forms, including:
- research stays at a university or research institution abroad
- field research or research stays at archives or laboratories
- participation in international conferences, workshops, summer schools, or research methods schools
- involvement in international research networks
- international publications and presentations
- international co-supervision or cotutelle arrangements
- exchange with international visiting scholars and Visiting Fellows
- digital formats for international collaboration, such as virtual colloquia or joint research groups
Which form is most appropriate depends on the individual doctoral research project, the conventions of the discipline, the stage of the doctorate, and personal circumstances. A short workshop can be just as valuable to a research project as a research stay lasting several months. International collaboration without extended periods of mobility can also be an important part of an internationally oriented doctorate.
Funding Opportunities for International Activities
There are various funding opportunities available for international activities during a doctorate. Funding may be available, for example, for research stays, conference travel, summer schools, research methods schools, field research, stays at archives or laboratories, and visits to partner institutions abroad.
Which funding option is most suitable depends, among other factors, on the purpose and duration of the stay, the destination country, the stage of the doctorate, and the doctoral candidate’s funding status. Since many programs have fixed deadlines and require significant advance planning, doctoral candidates should explore funding opportunities at an early stage.
An overview of funding opportunities for stays abroad is available on the International Center website.
Cotutelle and International Supervision
In addition to individual international activities, doctoral supervision itself can have an international dimension. One option, for example, is international co-supervision, in which a faculty member or researcher from a university abroad contributes to the academic supervision of the doctoral project.
A special form of international supervision is a cotutelle arrangement. Under a cotutelle agreement, the doctorate is jointly supervised by Leuphana University Lüneburg and a partner university abroad on the basis of an individual agreement. Cotutelle arrangements require the academic, organizational, and legal framework to be coordinated at an early stage.
Further information on requirements and procedures is available on the International Center website.
Planning and Advice
International activities should be planned as early as possible and coordinated with doctoral supervisors. It is particularly important that the research stay or international format is meaningfully integrated into the doctoral research project and is appropriate for the respective stage of the doctorate.
Depending on the activity, organizational and administrative matters may also need to be considered in addition to funding, including visas, insurance, business travel requirements, research ethics, data protection, security conditions, and compatibility with family and caregiving responsibilities.
Your doctoral supervisor can advise you on the international dimension of your doctorate, particularly on suitable formats and international supervision. The International Center provides support primarily on matters related to stays abroad, mobility, funding opportunities, and formal requirements for cotutelle arrangements.