This toolbox is designed to offer easy acces to information pertaining to preparation and maintenance of transnational joint programmes in the Alliance. Academic staff and other interested personnel can use it to filter essential information surrounding the practices at selected member higher education institutions. The contents are divided into several clusters and can be deliberately filtered and exported.
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1. Regarding the curriculum (guidelines are in French): Guide for the creation of UNIGE programs (in french: Guide pour la création de programmes UNIGE (genial.ly))
2. Regarding mobility tracks: Policy governing stays abroad (https://www.unige.ch/exchange/en/outgoing/study-abroad/policy-regarding-risk-areas/)
3. Regarding student’s pathway or enrolment : UNIGE registration information (https://www.unige.ch/immatriculations/en)
Any specific requirements or challenges
There are three distinct collaborative academic structures involving partnerships with other institutions: collaboration, double degree, and joint degree programmes.
1. Collaboration: In this model, another institution offers its courses to students enrolled in a UNIGE programme. Students are required to take courses at either UNIGE or the partner institution, as determined by the study regulations of their programme. UNIGE maintains its own curriculum and study regulations, and upon completion, students receive a single UNIGE diploma that does not acknowledge the partner institution. This type of collaboration is typically noted in the first article of the study regulations.
2. Double Degree: Both UNIGE and the partner institution establish their own curricula and study regulations. However, there is a planned study track and a formal agreement that binds the two institutions for the double degree. Students who pursue this path ultimately receive two diplomas, one from each institution, with each diploma uniquely signed and mentioning the partnership (e.g., "UNIGE issues this degree in partnership with..."). The double degree is particularly justified when the student workload is increased compared to a regular programme, such as requiring an additional year of study. The aim is to ensure that no degree is issued "on the cheap" in this context.
3. Joint Degree: In this arrangement, both institutions collaboratively establish a single joint study plan and a single set of study regulations. Students receive one diploma that includes the names of both institutions, along with their respective signatures. The complexity of this setup is due to the need to develop study regulations that comply with the respective legislations of the two countries involved. The printing of the diploma itself can be a challenge (use of third institution’s logos, diploma’s design. The tuition fees as well can represent a complicated issue (especially if fees of the involved institution are quite different) : where should students register, how to retrieve the imbalance, etc.
For both collaboration and double degree programmes, it seems that a minimum number of ECTS to be completed at UNIGE should be established since a UNIGE degree is awarded. The “directive sur les équivalences” (directives on equivalences), which requires that at least two-thirds of master's studies be completed at UNIGE to qualify for a UNIGE degree, could serve as a guideline. In the case of a joint degree, since the study plan and regulations are jointly developed, specifying a minimum or maximum number of credits to be completed at either institution seems less necessary, as the program is designed as a coherent whole recognized by both parties.
There is no specific information regarding the timeline required for joint degree programmes. However, based on the information available for the creation of a new program at our university (https://memento.unige.ch/doc/0326), it is recommended that a minimum of two years should be considered for the process to be completed successfully. Below are the steps involved in creating a new program, along with their estimated durations:
Step 1 - Analyse the needs: This step takes approximately 6 months.
Step 2 - Set up the programme's management: This step takes about 5 months.
Step 3 - Get the necessary approvals: This step involves getting the programme documents approved by the relevant faculty/institute/centre authorities, and takes about one month.
Step 4 - Send documents to the Legal Affairs Service and to the Center for Teaching and Learning (support for assessment of compliance with institutional standards and national directives): The final version of the study regulations project and other required documents need to be sent to the Legal Affairs Service and the Center for Teaching and Learning, and this step takes around 2 months.
Step 5 - Continuation: This step involves opening registrations and preparing teachings, and takes approximately 9 months.
It will depend on what we wish to establish and the scope of the project. After the designation of the parties/members of the consortium, a possible presentation of the context in which the parties have decided to establish a consortium (preamble), it would undoubtedly be necessary to define: the purpose of the consortium, the effective date, the duration and grounds for termination of the contract, the contributions of each member, the possible financing or management of project financing, the management and governance within the consortium (decision-making), the jurisdiction and applicable law. If there is no research activity, the question of the distribution of any potential results and intellectual property rights does not arise. There will also be no publication rights to settle, nor any confidentiality obligations. A liability clause may be inserted if the occurrence of damage cannot be excluded in the performance of the contract.
Specific internal regulations
The UNIGE Directive 0069 (https://memento.unige.ch/doc/0069) applies to contract signing. (Note that this directive defers to UNIGE Directive 00283 regarding research collaboration agreements in particular).
In general, UNIGE wishes that the contracts it concludes be subject to Swiss law with jurisdiction in Geneva.
Timeline
The legal department can generally perform an initial review of the agreement within approximately 2 weeks. The time required to finalise a contract will depend on the number of exchanges with the partners. Please note that the legal department "only" performs a review of the contract projects submitted to them.
University of Geneva (UNIGE)Current state of national legislation regarding issuing diplomas and degrees for completion of an international joint programme
International joint programmes are not mentioned in national legislation RS 414.205.1 - Ordonnance du Conseil des hautes ... | Fedlex (admin.ch)
Specific internal regulations or instructions
As of now, no specific internal regulations exist at UNIGE regarding international diplomas. However, there is a growing interest in the matter, which may lead to the creation of such regulations or instruction. Such regulations or instructions are pleaded for by international project holders, who, for now, do not benefit from a specific framework.
This is contingent upon the Rectorate's readiness to pursue this course of action and allocate resources, which could potentially take several months to a year.
Other specific requirements
In order to obtain a joint degree from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and a partner Higher Education Institution (HEI), the two institutions need to work collaboratively to establish a single study plan and set of regulations. The resulting diploma will bear the names and signatures of both institutions. However, this process can be complicated due to the need to adhere to the legal requirements of both countries involved.
In the case of double degrees, each institution will issue its own diploma, which will also mention their partnership. To ensure a successful collaboration, a minimum number of ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) completed at UNIGE (University of Geneva) should be established. This can be inspired by the directive on equivalences for master's degrees, which requires at least two-thirds of the studies to be completed at UNIGE.
As per Article 76 of the University's Statute, students who are enrolled in UNIGE's basic and advanced training programs, even if they are part of a joint program, are required to pay a fee of 500 CHF. This fee is non-negotiable, unless the statute allows exemption. Any additional fees for UNIGE students require a political decision, which goes beyond standard administrative procedures. The amount is defined by the University's Statute, as well as by the University Law Articles 16 and 48 and the internal regulations concerning university taxes and fees
Regarding the payment of university fees at UNIGE, students are required to pay their fees at the time of confirmation of enrollment. This typically occurs by early November for the fall semester and April for the spring semester. Fees must be paid per semester and not as a lump sum for the entire duration of the studies.
Fees for joint programmes
For joint programmes that involve two institutions, students are always enrolled at one institution, and this institution manages all administration. This institution may redistribute a portion of the subsidies to the other institution (alternatively, consider implementing a rotational system (where registrations alternate between Uni 1 and Uni 2 on a yearly basis).