This Directive was amended by Rector's Directive No. 5/2020. See the updated version here.

Doctoral Study Handbook

Date of Effect: 1 June 2018

Article 1 - Introductory Provision

This directive is intended to enable a better orientation for participants in doctoral study and for faculty staff. It contains in particular provisions issuing from the Higher Education Act or internal regulations of Charles University relating to Subject Area Boards and their chairmen, the supervisor (or advisor), the dean, the Rector, and students in a doctoral programme of study. It also deals with the responsibilities of co-ordination boards of doctoral programmes of study.

Article 2 - Subject Area Board

¹

1. The Subject Area Board carries the main part of responsibility for the content of the programme of study and its implementation. The Subject Area Board of a doctoral programme of study is established for doctoral programmes of study. The Rector appoints and removes its members.² An efficient Subject Area Board guarantees the operation of a doctoral programme of study. The Subject Area Board has the right to submit applications for the dean’s approval. The board communicates with the student, supervisor, or advisor and with the management of the faculty.

2. In particular, the Subject Area Board:

   a.	monitors and assesses the conformity of the entire study in the doctoral programme of study with the content of the programme of study3;
   b.	proposes the programme of lectures, courses, and other forms of study in the given programme of study in conformity with the content of the programme of study;
   c.	proposes to the dean the members of admissions boards for each academic year;
   d.	proposes to the dean of the respective faculty the appointment and dismissal of supervisors for students in a doctoral programme of study in conformity with the programme of study he is pursuing4;
   e.	assesses and approves the individual curricula of students in doctoral programmes of study5;
   f.	approves the change in an individual curriculum upon the supervisor’s or advisor’s opinion;
   g.	monitors the topic of the dissertation so that it corresponds with the programme of study which the student is pursuing;
   h.	approves a change in the topic of a dissertation upon the supervisor’s or advisor’s opinion;
   i.	proposes to the dean of the respective faculty the appointment of advisors if need be6;
   j.	sets the requirements for state doctoral examinations in conformity with the content of valid accreditation;
   k.	monitors and assesses the fulfilment or individual curricula of individual students on the basis of documents provided by the supervisor at least once a year7;
   l.	submits proposals to the dean for an adjustment of a bursary in specific cases8;
   m.	together with the supervisor usually recommends the student’s application for a change of the form of study to the dean; after the standard period of study has expired such recommendation is no longer necessary9;
   n.	usually proposes to the dean the members of state doctoral examination boards and boards for the defence of dissertation.

3. Rules for the meetings of the Subject Area Board are determined by the faculty; where the programmes of study are implemented jointly by several faculties the rules for the meetings of the Subject Area Board are determined by an agreement of the deans.

Article 3 - Guarantor of Doctoral Programmes of Study

¹⁰

1. The guarantor of a doctoral programme of study is the chair of the relevant Subject Area Board¹¹. He is the member of academic staff whose expertise and name serves as the basic guarantee for the quality and proper implementation of the programme of study he guarantees¹². He is responsible for cooperating with the bodies of the relevant faculty to ensure the quality of content and methodology of the study programme, proper realization of teaching, as well as its development and regular assessment¹³.

2. The guarantor:

   a.	is responsible for the Subject Area Board activities; he is responsible to the dean of the faculty and the Rector of the University for the observation of Charles University regulations, the content and implementation of contracts – the so-called cotutelle (Agreement on Bi-national Supervision of a Doctoral Thesis between Charles University and a foreign university);
   b.	may only be a member of academic staff who satisfies the requirements set by the standards for accreditation of a study programme for the proper performance of activities under Section 44 (7) of the Higher Education Act14;
   c.	is appointed and removed by the Rector15;
   d.	is responsible for the study programme documents relevant for the accreditation process and assessment of quality of study16;
   e.	consults and coordinates his work with the dean, relevant vice-deans, heads of the relevant supervising entities, and guarantors of related study programmes with the aim of good implementation and perspective creation of the given study programme.

Article 4 - Supervisor

1. The supervisor is responsible for the quality of the doctoral project (topic) and for specialist supervision of the student.

2. The supervisor is usually a member of the academic staff or a scholar (for example, an associate professor, a professor, or an expert in the given area) whose national and international expert standing should be a guarantee of good and proper supervision of the student; he should heed the good name of the University. The supervisor has sufficient time for the supervision of the student.

3. The supervisor is appointed and removed by the dean upon the proposal of the Subject Area Board¹⁷. The appointment, or the removal, of the supervisor must be recorded in the file of the student of the doctoral programme of study. The supervisor may be a person other than an employee of Charles University if a contract has been made between Charles University, or the relevant faculty, and the particular supervisor or supervising entity.

4. In particular, the supervisor:

   a.	prepares the draft individual curriculum including the topic of the dissertation with the student; where the student waives the right to participate in the preparation of the individual curriculum it is prepared by the supervisor within two months18;
   b.	approves the topic of the dissertation proposed by the student or assists in its wording;
   c.	continuously monitors the fulfilment of the student’s duties and regularly consults with the student on the results of study;
   d.	checks the compliance of the content of the dissertation with the student’s study programme; in case of non-compliance he proposes a solution to the Subject Area Board;
   e.	regularly (at least once a year) assesses the fulfilment of an individual curriculum in the SIS module and submits such assessment, for whose correctness he is responsible, to the Subject Area Board for their approval19; duties set in an individual curriculum for each academic year must be specific and controllable;
   f.	comments on the content of individual contracts, the so-called cotutelle (Agreement on Bi-national Supervision of a Doctoral Thesis between Charles University and a foreign university), particularly as regards an individual curriculum.;
   g.	recommends together with the Subject Area Board the student’s application for a change of the form of study to the dean; after the standard period of study has expired such recommendation is no longer necessary20;
   h.	may propose to the Subject Area Board the appointment of an advisor from among experts in the given programme of study who is able to supervise the student as regards a certain topic or during a specific time period of the doctoral study due to his special expertise or methodological and technological facility;
   i.	together with the supervising entity provides to the student his own/individual operational and technological support;
   j.	teaches and supervises the student, recommends specialist literature (sources) to him, teaches the student how to communicate in an expert community, how to present the results of his scholarly work to the public (soft skills), and how to acquire financial means to fund his projects, assists him in making contacts with experts locally and abroad and in joining international scientific community, teaches him how to convey knowledge to students, and assists him in his teaching activities set in the individual curriculum.

Article 5 - Advisor

1. The advisor, as a top specialist in the given area, is competent to supervise the student and complement the scholarly effort of the supervisor. The advisor is responsible for the part of the supervisor’s duties which are assigned to him; however, he may not substitute the supervisor in the latter’s primary responsibility for the scientific quality of the student’s doctoral study.

2. The advisor may be proposed by the supervisor or the student from among experts in the given field of research.

3. The advisor is able to supervise the student as regards a certain topic or during a specific time period of the doctoral study due to his special expertise or methodological and technological facility.

4. The advisor for the given student is appointed and removed by the dean upon the proposal of the Subject Area Board; the appointment, or the removal, of the advisor must be recorded in the file of the student of the doctoral programme of study.

5. Usually, the advisor does not come from the same unit as the supervisor. He may be a person other than an employee of Charles University if a contract has been made between Charles University, or the relevant faculty, and the particular advisor or supervising entity. He is jointly responsible for the realisation of the doctoral project.

6. The advisor maintains regular contact with the student; he also communicates with the Subject Area Board and the supervisor, or with the dean.

Article 6 - Doctoral Study Programmes Coordination Board

²¹

1. The coordination board is a platform for the cooperation of those Subject Area Boards which declared their alliance to related areas of study.

2. The coordination board coordinates assigned doctoral study programmes. In particular, its activities include:

   a.	strategic decisions on the direction and development of doctoral study programmes in the given area;
   b.	searching shared common areas in the implementation of doctoral study programmes;
   c.	the creation of uniform standards for doctoral study programmes related by a topic (for example, requirements for dissertations, admissions procedure criteria, quality requirements for the students’ scientific output or the number of students per supervisor;
   d.	proposals for measures designed to increase the rate of successful study;
   e.	cooperation in the preparation for possible common accreditation;
   f.	communication with the relevant units at the Rector’s Office and faculties.

3. Chairs of Subject Area Boards become members of those Coordination Boards to which their Subject Area Board was assigned according to their alliance for areas of study, or for which they applied, upon the Rector’s appointment. The chair of the Subject Area Board may be a member of several Coordination Boards.

4. A member of the faculty participating in the implementation of the doctoral study programme represented in the given Coordination Board, or another expert proposed to the Rector by the dean or the chair of the relevant Coordination Board, may be a member of the Coordination Board upon the Rector’s appointment.

5. Members of the Coordination Board nominate a chair from their ranks; he is appointed by the Rector. The Chair, or a deputy designated by him, convenes and presides over the meetings.

Article 7 - Doctoral Study Programmes in Biology and Medicine (DSPB)

1. Doctoral study programmes in biology and medicine (biomedicine) are based on cooperation between Charles University and the Czech Academy of Sciences (“the CAS”) in the area of doctoral study of biomedicine regulated by the Contract on Cooperation in Doctoral Study Programmes made by Charles University and the Czech Academy of Sciences. These study programmes enable the concentrated utilization of expert capacity of both institutions and sensible use of material means of individual supervising entities. DSPB is regulated by the legislation in force applicable to higher education. The mutual cooperation of the contracting parties is coordinated by the Vice-Rector designated by the Rector and the member of the Academic Council designated by the President of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

2. DSPB activities are provided by the Coordination Board of the DSPB.

   a.

   The Coordination Board of the DSPB coordinates doctoral study programmes in biology and medicine. The coordination entails regular communication with the Coordination Board members, the management of Charles University and the Czech Academy of Sciences, the deans (vice-deans) of participating faculties, and also regular assessment of the current state of affairs in doctoral study programmes; it resolves possible problems with the management of the University and the Academy.

   b.

   Members of the Coordination Board of the DSPB are appointed for a five-year term of office and removed by the Rector of Charles University and the President of the CAS upon proposals of the deans of participating faculties of CU and directors of the participating units of the CAS22. Members are in particular the chairs of Subject Area Boards of doctoral study programmes included in the DSPB. The deans of faculties participating in the DSPB act in accordance with contracts made between them. Possible controversies and different interpretation of contracts by the parties are resolved by the Coordination Board in cooperation with the designated Vice-Rector, or Rector, of Charles University and the President of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

3. The chair and vice-chairs of the Coordination Board of the DSPB are appointed and removed by the Rector of Charles University and the President of the CAS upon proposal by the Coordination Board of the DSPB²³. In particular, the chair:

   a.	presides over the Coordination Board of the DSPB;
   b.	presents a joint report on the DSPB activities to the bodies of Charles University and the CAS as necessary, but at least once a year, usually in March;
   c.	at least once a year informs deans of participating faculties on the state of DSPB study.

Article 8 - Student

1. Students are expected to manifest high motivation for study, professional competence, the qualification for an independent creative work, active fulfilment of duties of individual curriculum, and personal responsibility.

2. The student:

   a.	has a duty to fulfil the requirements resulting from the study programme under the Code of Study and Examination of Charles University, internal regulations of the University and faculty and legislation governing study at higher education institutions24;
   b.	has a duty to provide to the faculty at which he is enrolled his address for service, or its change, or the address of his data box25;
   c.	has a right and a duty to be in regular contact with his supervisor, or advisor;
   d.	participates in the preparation of a draft individual curriculum with his supervisor; it is the supervisor’s duty to submit an individual curriculum to the Subject Area Board within two months of the enrolment to study even if the student fails to cooperate;
   e.	has a right to apply for a change in the individual curriculum which is approved by the supervisor and the Subject Area Board; the change must be recorded in the individual curriculum in the SIS module;
   f.	has a right to file an application with the dean for a transfer from one form of study to another in which the study programme is also taught26;
   g.	has the right to file an application with the dean for an interruption of study27;
   h.	has the right to file a justified application with the opinion of the Subject Area Board for a different supervisor; in case of an application for a specific supervisor the consent of such proposed supervisor is required;
   i.	has the right to apply for a change in the topic of the dissertation which is approved by the supervisor and the Subject Area Board; the change must be recorded in the appendix to the individual curriculum with the express approval of the supervisor and the chair of the Subject Area Board;
   j.	has the right to be provided his own/individual operational and technological support by the supervising entity;
   k.	has the right to file an appeal against the dean’s decision within 30 days of the delivery of the decision28.

Article 9 - Dean

1. The dean as the supreme representative of the faculty creates in the scope of his powers the conditions for the implementation of doctoral study. He decides the rights and duties of students in the first degree.

2. In particular, the dean:

   a.	issues decisions on accepting applicants to study in a doctoral study programme29;
   b.	issues decisions on the termination of doctoral study30;
   c.	issues decisions on the interruption of study and decides on other rights and duties of students31;
   d.	appoints and removes supervisors upon the proposal of the Subject Area Board32;
   e.	appoints and removes advisors upon the proposal of the Subject Area Board33;
   f.	appoints the Admissions Board of at least three members upon the proposal of the Subject Area Board34;
   g.	appoints the State Doctoral Examination Board usually upon the proposal of the Subject Area Board35;
   h.	appoints the Board for the Defence of Dissertation usually upon the proposal of the Subject Area Board36;
   i.	decides on the transfer to a different form of study37;
   j.	signs the diploma together with the Degree Awarding Official and the Rector.

Article 10 - Rector

1. The Rector as the supreme representative of the University creates in the scope of his powers the conditions for the implementation of doctoral study.

2. In particular, the Rector:

   a.	in the case of a study programme implemented independently by one faculty, designates and removes the guarantor of the doctoral programme of study upon the proposal of the dean of the relevant faculty and after the research board of the faculty has expressed its opinion38;
   b.	in the case of a study programme implemented independently by one faculty, designates and removes members of the Subject Area Board of the doctoral programme of study upon the proposal of the dean of the relevant faculty and after the research board of the faculty has expressed its opinion39;
   c.	in the case of a study programme implemented independently by several faculties, jointly by several faculties, with participation of a higher education institution designates and removes the guarantor of the doctoral programme of study upon the proposal of the deans of faculties involved, or the director of the higher education institution submitted to him after mutual consent and after the relevant research boards have expressed its opinion40;
   d.	in the case of a study programme implemented independently by several faculties, jointly by several faculties, with the participation of a higher education institution, designates and removes members of the Subject Area Board of the doctoral programme of study upon the proposal of the deans of faculties involved, or the director of the higher education institution submitted to him after mutual consent and after the relevant research boards have expressed its opinion41;
   e.	decides the appeal against the dean’s decision in the first degree42; signs the University diploma and the attachment to the diploma.

Article 11 - Final Provision

This Rector’s directive becomes legally effective on 1 June 2018.

In Prague on 23 May 2018

Prof. MUDr. Tomáš Zima, DrSc., MBA