International

Mobility of doctoral students

The ED encourages the outgoing mobility of InfoMaths doctoral students (conferences, summer schools, seminars or company days). When other budgets are not available, the thesis director may request financial support for travel and/or accommodation expenses outside Lyon.

Organization of scientific events (by/for PhD students)

The ED wishes to encourage initiatives allowing PhD students to learn about the organization of scientific events for PhD students and also supports events specifically targeting the PhD student public (thematic or seasonal schools). The support can take different forms and must be justified to the ED by a budget proposal.

International mobility

There are several possibilities of mobility for a PhD student

  • co-supervision of a thesis, which allows the student to do a doctorate jointly with another university abroad and to obtain two diplomas after a single defense,
  • co-direction of a thesis, which allows students to conduct research in two universities with two thesis directors,
  • Research stays in a university, a research center or a research field abroad,
  • participation in international conferences and congresses.

Financing of the mobility

Mobility imposes additional expenses (travel, stay, possibly visa and insurance) and therefore requires specific financing.
For a longer stay, it is necessary to look for funding from among the many existing programs at a very early stage, 6 months to 1 year before the mobility.

Thesis juries

The ED has a policy of encouraging the internationalization of thesis juries. This incentive takes the form of covering the travel expenses of a jury member who travels from abroad (plane or train only).
 

Financing of missions :

All requests for support must be made 15 days before departure to the ED management via the ED InfoMaths secretariat. An email with all the necessary information and the argument justifying the request (no own budget or thesis support for example).
However, for justified reasons, you can ask to buy your tickets yourself and then be reimbursed. In this case, you must specify the costs in the request and present the receipts (original invoices) for the reimbursement.
 

 

You wish to undertake a PhD in France and you are not of French nationality? You will find below all the necessary information to help you to carry out your project.
 

How to apply ?

You can apply for a doctorate in the same way as a French national. However, if you do not have a Master's degree, you must be able to prove that you have an equivalent diploma or degree that has enabled you to acquire research training.

In addition, foreign candidates are also eligible for all the funding offered in our Find Funding section. If they do not receive funding from their government, foreign doctoral students can benefit from a doctoral contract or another work contract that supports their doctorate (e.g. CIFRE contract) like any other French national.

 

Administrative assistance / admission and registration procedures for foreign doctoral students at the beginning of their thesis

Foreign students can benefit from assistance with the application and registration process for a doctorate.


Help with settling in Lyon

The Euraxess service center at the University of Lyon is open to all and can also help you with the procedures for coming to France and settling in Lyon.
 

French language courses

French language courses are offered free of charge to doctoral students by certain higher education institutions and by the University of Lyon during the doctoral program. Participation in these courses can be validated as part of the training program required by the doctoral school.

We advise doctoral students whose mother tongue is not French to take these courses from the first year. Indeed, these courses will allow you to better integrate into your laboratory and your daily life. Moreover, they will allow you to follow other courses in French later on.
 

Writing your thesis

If you are not fluent in French, it is possible to conduct your research and write your thesis in English. In this case, a summary in French must accompany your manuscript. During the oral defense, your presentation must also include a summary in French.
 

The principles of co-supervision

The international co-supervision of a thesis aims to reinforce the international dimension of the Doctoral School, to encourage the mobility of doctoral students in different scientific and cultural areas, and to develop scientific cooperation between French and foreign research teams.

A cotutelle agreement must be established between the two universities to which the doctoral student will be attached. This agreement specifies the conditions for supervising the doctoral student, the periods of time spent alternating between the two research teams, and the procedures for setting up the defense jury. At the end of the defense, the institutions award either a joint doctoral degree or the doctoral degree of each of them.

Recognition of International Mobility

The diploma supplement for the recognition of international mobility during the thesis allows for the recognition of a research stay in a higher education and/or research institution abroad. Co-supervision is recognized by the double diploma and cannot be subject to this recognition.

The doctoral student must apply for it at the time of submitting the defense file to the doctoral school service of his or her enrolling institution.

Conditions :

  • To justify a period of at least one quarter spent in a country outside France. Split stays can be counted if several stays of at least 30 consecutive days have been made in the country/countries (attach proof of stay),
  • Carry out part of the defense in a language other than French,
  • At least one member of the jury belongs to a higher education institution in a country other than France (attach the composition of the jury)
  • The authorization to defend is granted on the basis of reports written by at least two researchers or teacher-researchers attached to institutions of higher education in two different countries outside France (not under joint supervision)
  • The language in which the thesis manuscript is written must respect the rules set by the institution where the thesis is registered and/or the doctoral school.