Deakin-Coventry Cotutelle - International university alliances and international education in a changing geopolitical contexts

This is a doctoral cotutelle project between Deakin University (Australia) and Coventry University (United Kingdom).

The successful PhD Student will be awarded a scholarship from Coventry University with the supervision team being drawn from Centre for Global Learning of Coventry University and the School of Education, Deakin University. The PhD Student will graduate with two testamurs, one from Deakin University and one from Coventry University, each of which recognises that the program was carried out as part of a jointly supervised doctoral program. The program is for a duration of 3.5 years and scheduled to commence in May 2025.

The PhD Student is anticipated to spend up to 12 months of the total period of the program at Deakin University during their second year of study, with the remainder of the program based at Coventry University.

This project seeks to investigate and understand international university alliances: reframing Internationalisation and collaborative (dis)advantages in a changing geopolitical context.
International university alliances, which emerged in the late 19^th century and proliferated in the past three decades, have been an integral element of internationalisation strategies in higher education. Some 185 national, regional and global universities associations of which the majority were established from 1990s onwards (Brankovic, 2018). Termed differently as alliances, associations, consortia, or networks, university groupings take many forms and operate with different objectives and at different territorial scales. One shared feature is that they create a new set of actors, logics and relations between and beyond universities, including ties between countries and regions. Therefore, geopolitics could impact international university alliances in different ways. Previous studies were often concerned with negative consequences of geopolitical tensions, such as disruptions to student mobility, research collaborations, branch campus agreements, and portrayed higher education as a 'victim' of geopolitical contestation.

Applications close 5pm, Tuesday 1 October 2024

This scholarship is supported by Coventry University, is available over 3.5 years and includes:

• Stipend of £15,000 per annum
• A Tuition Fee Waiver
• Travel Support Package including one return economy airfare to Deakin University to support residency period in Australia
• Student visa and health insurance costs for period of residency at Deakin University in Australia

Deakin University will also provide a full tuition fee waiver for a duration of up to 4 years.

To be eligible you must:

• meet the PhD entry requirements of both Deakin University and Coventry University, including English language proficiency requirements (IELTS overall minimum score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component)
• hold a Master's degree in a relevant subject area
• be enrolling full time
• be able to physically locate to both Coventry University (UK) and Deakin University (Australia)

Please refer to the research degree entry pathways page and Coventry’s research entry criteria page for further information.