Guide for foreign students
Un article de Loria Wiki.
Tips and tricks for non-French students at LORIA
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There are many ways you could be doing a thesis. One common way is to be attending the Université Henri Poincaré, and be working under an INRIA contract. Below is a flowchart describing the yearly administrative paperwork for your case. (Note: only UHP/INRIA is covered for now... so get to work!). Click the image to enlarge.
Thesis in English (or other languages)
Can you do your PhD thesis in English? Yes and no. Let's start with the bad news. The law in France states basically that PhDs done in France have to be done in French, so go practice your French now.
The good news: UHP's implementation of law (both in letter and spirit) is as follows
- you are required to produce a 40 page self-contained mini-thesis in French
- following this mini-thesis, you may include a technical annex, a very long appendix in English containing the meat of your work, proofs and what not.
- naturally, your mini-thesis will likely make frequent references to this technical annex, but don't forget that to comply with the spirit of the law, you should really try to make it so that the mini-thesis can stand alone.
Better news for co-tutelle students: what language you write your thesis in is completely governed by the terms in the convention signed by your two universities. So go find out about that, you may luck out even more!
ToDo
Can somebody please...
- find a link to the law about French theses being in French
- Can somebody please find an example of a thesis written this way?
Defence (soutenance)
As far as UHP is concerned, the deadline 15 November (otherwise, you're up for another inscription, but hey, maybe that doesn't bother you much, and yes this is a hard deadline)
The following details about the defense are from the UHP site:
- T-8wks, YOU give to Service Scolarité:
- 2x your thesis
- 3x phd defense commitee proposal
- 3x avis de Directeur de thèse
- List of publications
- 1700 word max (FR and EN) summary of your thesis
- T-7wks, YOU
- ask the Service Scolarité if you may defend (pretty please)
- if so, send your thesis to your rapporteurs
- T-4wks
- RAPPORTEURS: submit their review of your thesis
- YOU: give the fiche de reseignements to the Service Scolarité
Some deadlines you might thus give yourself:
- 15 August - finish your English-language write-up (if you're doing your thesis in English)
- 15 September - finish your French mini-thèse and assemble the document, submit it
- 15 November - defend (good luck)
Can I defend in English?
No! You can take and respond to questions in English perhaps, but this is, after all, a French thesis under French law and the DFD would strongly prefer that you defend in French.
But my PhD committee do not understand French!
- Find a new one (what I have been told is that I have to choose a committee that understands French at least)
Do I have to submit both the English version and the French summary at the same time, or can the French summary come a bit later?
- Unfortunately, you have to submit the complete package
Carte de séjour note
One minor worry about defending might be what happens if your carte de séjour runs out before you defend your PhD? Does that mean you have to get a new one and consequently sign up for another year of Uni? Not neccesarily. If you're staying in France for just a few months more, you can ask for a prolongation de titre de séjour. Just talk to the Pole Européen.
See also
- Guide for foreigners - a general guide for getting yourself set up in Nancy
- Guide du nouveau doctorant
- handbook for the new thésard
