Principles governing
at the »Artes Liberales« Academy (MPISD AAL)1
I. Aims, structure and activities
The Inter-University Program of Interdisciplinary PhD Studies at the »Artes Liberales« Academy (MPISD AAL) is a new form of inter-university and interdisciplinary education addressed to graduates of interdisciplinary studies. The program was created and is implemented with the support of the Conference of Polish University Rectors (Resolution No. 205 of December 7, 2007). The result of studying in this form of education (AAL third level) should be an interdisciplinary doctoral dissertation and its defense at one of the universities forming the »Artes Liberales« Academy.
The aim of the AAL Inter-University Program of Interdisciplinary PhD Studies is to promote an interdisciplinary approach in humanities research and educate research and teaching staff. The program serves to promote interdisciplinary doctoral dissertations in the cotutelle system (with two supervisors), thus contributing to changes in the system of PhD education currently in force in Poland and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
The AAL Inter-University Program of Interdisciplinary PhD Studies is carried out in cooperation with PhD programs at the universities forming the AAL. The program may not take more than 4 years to complete. Program participants are awarded a scholarship . PhD students are required to finish their doctoral dissertation on time.
Participants’ involvement in the AAL Inter-University Program of Interdisciplinary PhD Studies and their progress in preparing their interdisciplinary dissertation is subject to an annual progress report. A positive evaluation allows the student to receive a scholarship for a subsequent year.
After defending their interdisciplinary dissertation, Program participants receive a PhD degree from their home university. This degree is supplemented with the Inter-University Program of Interdisciplinary PhD Studies alumnus certificate, signed by the Rectors of all the universities forming the »Artes Liberales« Academy.
Merit and organizational issues related to the AAL Inter-University Program of Interdisciplinary PhD Studies are handled by the Coordination Board, which is appointed by the AAL Council for the duration of the Program and is accountable to the AAL Council. The Coordination Board is headed by the Program Chair. The AAL Council Chairman proposes a candidate for the Program Chair which is approved in a vote by the AAL Council. The Program Chair proposes members of the Coordination Board who are approved in a vote by the AAL Council.
The Coordination Board collaborates both with the Directors of PhD studies at the different universities and with the AAL Council. The Coordination Board reports to the AAL Council on its annual activities. The directors of PhD studies are, by virtue of the AAL Council's decision, associate members of the Coordination Board of the MPISD AAL. The Program Chair and members of the Coordination Board may hand in their resignation or be dismissed from their post by a decision of the AAL Council.
Administrative issues are handled by a person from the AAL Office appointed by the Program Chair and approved by the AAL Council. Accounting and finance issues are handled by a competent person from the »Artes Liberales« Institute Foundation (FIAL).
II. Admission requirements
Admission to the AAL Inter-University Program of Interdisciplinary PhD Studies is open to those graduates of interdisciplinary studies who are in their first year of PhD studies at universities forming the »Artes Liberales« Academy, or who have just been enrolled in a PhD program.
Admission to the Program is based on a completed application form and a dissertation proposal, including how it will develop in an interdisciplinary approach (assessed by two independent reviewers), and an interview. The interview is held before the Qualifying Committee.
Information on the admissibility criteria is made public by the Program Chair no later than 3 months prior to the start of the admission process.
The Coordination Board prepares information about the admissibility criteria and Program participation regulations, and participates in the Qualifying Committee's work.
The decision about admission to the Program is made by the Qualifying Committee headed by the Program Chair. The Program Chair presents the Qualifying Committee’s decision to the AAL Council for approval.
The Qualifying Committee is appointed by the Council of the »Artes Liberales« Academy. The Qualifying Committee is formed by the Program Coordination Board (permanent members of the Committee) and invited specialists from different academic disciplines related to the proposed doctoral dissertations. Representatives of the AAL universities are members of the Committee.
Each participant in the AAL Inter-University Program of Interdisciplinary PhD Studies works under the supervision of two academic tutors who represent two different disciplines of liberal arts and work at different AAL universities. One tutor is from the home university, the other tutor is appointed by the AAL Council to work in the inter-university program.
The tutor from the MPISD AAL may become a co-supervisor of the Program participant's PhD dissertation (which is then completed in the cotutelle system). If this is the case, the costs related to the co-supervisor in the cotutelle system are covered by the AAL Inter-University Program of Interdisciplinary PhD Studies. The decision to appoint the tutor from the Program as a co-supervisor is always consulted with the Program Chair and the director of PhD studies from the home university of the Program participant, in consultation with the original supervisor and the prospective supervisor in the Program (with the participant’s consent).
Participants in the AAL Inter-University Program of Interdisciplinary PhD Studies are expected to attend classes organized as part of the Program. With the consent of the PhD studies directors from the universities forming the »Artes Liberales«Academy (and in consultation with the Program Chair), they are excused from some classes in those PhD programs. The Academy ensures all participants in the Program participation in interdisciplinary research as well as the possibility of teaching their own classes (proposals for such classes are assessed in a competition).
Program participants are obliged to teach classes based on their dissertation projects. The number of hours is determined by the framework the PhD programs at the universities forming the AAL. With the consent of the Program Chair and the PhD studies director of the home university, some of these classes may be taught at the »Artes Liberales« Academy.
An annual evaluation of Program participants’ involvement and progress in writing their dissertations is performed by the Coordination Board on the basis of the participants' reports and the opinions of the tutors and the directors of PhD studies from the home university. The Coordination Board has the right to consult independent reviewers. The decision to qualify a Program participant for another year of studies at the MPISD AAL (and on extending their scholarship - see § 4) is reached in a majority vote of the Coordination Committee members.
Program participants have the right to appeal the Coordination Board's decisions to the AAL Council. In the course of the appeal procedure, they have access to the opinions of their tutors, reviewers and the Coordination Board.
Students may be crossed off the list of Program participants by a decision of the AAL Council on the basis of a written motion submitted by the Program Chair and approved by the tutors and independent reviewers. The AAL Council's decision is final.
Consecutive stages of the doctoral degree procedure (opening of the procedure, appointment of supervisors and reviewers, choosing of specialist and auxiliary exams, public defense of the dissertation) follow the procedures practiced at the Program participant's home university.
Detailed information about the AAL Inter-University Program of Interdisciplinary PhD Studies will be contained in the Studies Regulations drawn up by the Coordination Board in consultation with the AAL Council and with the approval of the directors of PhD studies at the home universities of the Program participants.
Chairman of the AAL Council
Prof. Jerzy Axer, PhD hab.
Head of MPISD AAL
Prof. Barbara Bokus, PhD hab.
1 The document refers to the Preliminary Program of the Inter-University Program of Interdisciplinary PhD Studies at the »Artes Liberales« Academy, approved by the AAL Council on June 16, 2005.
2 information about scholarship: informator MPISD AAL na dany rok akademicki
