Joint Doctorate

For all PhD projects, ETF Leuven strives to provide optimal supervision on the basis of expertise. Where necessary, external experts are invited to be second or co-supervisors. In certain situations, a joint doctorate is possible and desirable.

A joint doctorate means that the doctoral dissertation is produced and developed under the joint responsibility of two (or sometimes more) partner institutions. At the end of the program, depending on the agreements made, the doctoral student receives either one doctoral degree in the name of the two partners or separate degrees from each institution. In that case, either the diploma or the diploma-supplement will clearly state it concerns a joint doctorate.

At the moment, ETF Leuven has agreements with the faculty of theology of VU University Amsterdam and with the Theological University in Kampen to stimulate joint doctorates.

Joseph Bosco Bangura from Sierra Leone was the first to defend a joint doctorate of ETF Leuven and VU University Amsterdam in December 2013. His thesis was entitled ‘The Charismatic Movement in Sierra Leone (1980-2010): A Missio-historical Analysis in View of African Culture, Prosperity Gospel and Power Theology’ and was supervised by Prof. Dr. K. Fiedler and Prof. Dr. B. van den Toren.

The first joint doctorate of ETF Leuven and the Theological University Kampen was defended by Steven van den Heuvel in January 2015. Prof. Dr. P. Nullens and Prof. Dr. A.L.Th. de Bruijne were the supervisors of the dissertation, entitled ‘Bonhoeffer’s Christocentric Theology and Fundamental Debates in Environmental Ethics’.

For each joint doctorate, an individual contract is signed. More information about the procedures regarding a joint doctorate can be obtained from the academic secretariat.