To PhD Students in the Covid-19 times

To PhD Students in the Covid-19 times

Guidelines adopted by the Council of the University Institute of Higher Studies - IUSS Ferrara 1391 in the online meeting of Wednesday 11 March 2020 regarding the containment of the risk of contagion from COVID-19 with respect to the activities involving PhDs and PhD students.


A) Methods for carrying out the doctoral exam

Without prejudice to any different provisions that may be received by the University Bodies or by higher regulations and provisions, the final examinations for the achievement of the Ph.D. title will take place in the following ways for the entire duration of the current health emergency:

1. All candidates will take the exam electronically;

2. The entire Commission will carry out the work electronically;

B) Attendance of the departments / laboratories

Without prejudice to any different provisions that may be received by the University Bodies or by higher regulations and provisions, doctoral students will be able to access the facilities and laboratories only if there are circumstances of extraordinary need, to be assessed under the responsibility of the tutor and the Director of the Department. Doctoral students who are required to be present at the facilities and laboratories must be issued with a specific motivated authorization by the Director of the Department or laboratory, so that the doctoral student, should he/she find himself having to justify his/her movement on the national territory, can demonstrate that, despite the legal status that qualifies him as a "student", he is in a position to self-certify the existence of "proven work needs" as required by the Prime Ministerial Decree of 9 March 2020. Furthermore, in the face of urgent laboratory activities that cannot be postponed, it is necessary to comply with the safety rules already amply illustrated and, at the same time, to work to finish the activities as soon as possible, so that the doctoral student can return and stay at his / her own residence.

C) Mobility of incoming and outgoing PhD students

Without prejudice to any different provisions that may be received by the University bodies or by higher regulations and provisions, for the period of validity of the health emergency, mobility abroad, which has not yet started, is suspended. In the event that at the end of the emergency it is possible to resume mobility and take advantage of any funding assigned, the latter will still be disbursed. In the event that the previously assigned mobility grants and / or scholarships for mobility are not available due to the expiry of the term of use of the specific loan, the loss of the benefit will be taken into account as a priority for future assignments. Foreign doctoral students currently present in Unife and who for security reasons wished to return home, must request authorization from the Teaching Body which will have to evaluate the possibility or not of continuing the research activities by the interested party. In case of manifest impossibility to continue the research during the period of secondment from the University structures, the doctoral program and the relative scholarship will be suspended. With regard to the frequency of research laboratories and / or research facilities present on the national territory in temporary mobility for the purpose of developing research activities, what is reported in point B.

The IUSS Director

Prof. Massimo Coltorti