ADDITIONAL PROVISION TWO AND TRANSITIONAL PROVISION ONE

UPV/EHU POSTGRADUATE COMMISSION MEETING OF 28 NOVEMBER 2024

Point 7.1. topic

Complementary provisions of the Regulations for Managing Official Doctoral Studies at the UPV/EHU of 25 April 2024

AGREEMENT PROPOSAL BY THE UPV/EHU POSTGRADUATE COMMISSION ON 28 NOVEMBER 2024 APPROVING THE COMPLEMENTARY PROVISION TO THE REGULATIONS FOR MANAGING OFFICIAL DOCTORAL STUDIES IN RELATION TO ADDITIONAL PROVISION TWO AND TRANSITIONAL PROVISION ONE

The Office of the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies and Lifelong Learning presented for approval a complementary provision for developing Additional Provision Two and Transitional Provision One of the Regulations for Managing Official Doctoral Studies published in the Basque Country Official Gazette on 7 June 2024, relating to the industrial doctorate distinction.

The Regulations Governing Doctoral Studies that were approved by the Governing Council on 12 July 2029 stipulate that the industrial research or experimental development project in which the PhD candidate participates must be directly related to the doctoral thesis being carried out, and that the Academic Commission of the doctoral programme in question is responsible for reviewing and accepting the report submitted to that effect by the candidate at least one year in advance. The need to comply with this procedure at least one year in advance has, over recent years, prevented theses that complied with all the other conditions from obtaining the industrial doctorate distinction. Having detected said circumstance, the Postgraduate Commission, alongside the Doctoral School and the Office of the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies and Lifelong Learning, agree to eliminate this condition. Consequently, in the 2024 Regulations for Managing Official Doctoral Studies, this condition was eliminated for new students and the following provision was included for those who had earned their PhD under the previous regulations:

‘ADDITIONAL PROVISION TWO. - Re-issuing of a doctorate with an ‘Industrial Doctorate’ distinction.

Within the space of one year from the entry into force of these regulations, anyone who earned a doctorate from the UPV/EHU in accordance with the Regulations Governing Doctoral Studies approved by agreement of the UPV/EHU Governing Council on 12 December 2019 and complies with the requirements for obtaining an industrial distinction established in the present regulations, may request that a new degree certificate be issued that includes said distinction. Issuing fees apply.’

The intention was to enable certificates to be re-issued with the distinction, providing the thesis complied with all the conditions required for that distinction with the exception of ensuring the report was accepted one year in advance. After the entry into force of this provision, difficulties were noted in its application, leading to the conclusion that it did not provide a fair solution to all the different circumstances that may exist.

The Provision is only applicable to those who obtained their certificate under the previous regulations, thereby excluding those who had begun their doctoral studies under said regulations, but had not yet obtained their degree. Moreover, it should also be noted that, if the provision is interpreted literally, PhD holders are required to have signed the corresponding agreement, even through the 2019 regulations only required such a step in certain circumstances. This would render some PhD holders ineligible for the distinction, since the agreement must have been signed prior to the start of (then) candidate’s activity in the organisation or company. 

We therefore propose to develop Additional Provision Two by adding the following: ‘and have a signed agreement, only in the event of such a requirement being included in the regulations in effect at the start of the thesis’, and to develop Transitional Provision One by adding ‘To obtain an Industrial Thesis Distinction, candidates will have up until the moment they deposit their thesis to accept and submit the report accrediting the direct relationship between the thesis and the project in which they have participated’.

Finally, in accordance with that stipulated in the Regulations for Managing Official Doctoral Studies, published in the Basque Country Official Gazette on 7 June 2024, ‘The Postgraduate Commission is authorised to establish complementary provisions to develop these regulations’.

In light of the above, this body hereby

AGREES

One.- TO APPROVE the complementary provision that develops Additional Provision Two with the addition of the text underlined below:

‘ADDITIONAL PROVISION TWO. - Re-issuing of a doctorate with an ‘Industrial Doctorate’ distinction.

Within the space of one year from the entry into force of these regulations, anyone who earned a doctorate from the UPV/EHU in accordance with the Doctoral Studies Management Regulations approved by agreement of the UPV/EHU Governing Council on 12 December 2019 and complies with the requirements for obtaining an industrial distinction established in the present regulations, may request that a new degree certificate be issued that includes said distinction To this end, they must pay the corresponding fees and have a signed agreement, only in the event of such a requirement being included in the regulations in effect at the start of the thesis.’

Two.- TO APPROVE the complementary provision that develops Transitional Provision One with the addition of the text underlined below:

‘TRANSITIONAL PROVISION ONE. - Doctoral candidates who are engaged in doctoral studies on the date on which these regulations enter into force.

Doctoral candidates who, on the date on which these regulations enter into force, have already initiated their doctoral studies in accordance with previous regulations will be subject to those regulations in everything related to their studies and the issuing of their degree. To obtain an Industrial Thesis Distinction, candidates will have up until the moment they deposit their thesis to accept and submit the report accrediting the direct relationship between the thesis and the project in which they have participated.

Notwithstanding, all provisions relating to viva panels, vivas and the assessment of doctoral theses (including Extraordinary Doctoral Awards) outlined in the present regulations will be applied to said doctoral candidates from the 2024-2025 academic year onwards.’

Three.- TO INFORM the Doctoral School and the Academic Commissions of the Doctoral Programmes at the UPV/EHU of this Agreement, taking into account the fact that the complementary provision approved will be applied from the present academic year (2024-2025) onwards.

In Leioa, 28 November 2024.

Chair

Montse Maritxalar Anglada

Pro-Vice Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies and Lifelong Learning

Secretary

Amaia Landera López

Head of the Postgraduate Service