Between Warsaw and Montréal - one doctorate at two universities in practice

– We learned about the cotutelle PhD programme from our supervisor, Professor Adam Woźniak, when we made the decision to start a doctorate – Kasia and Krzysiek tell us. – For us it was an opportunity to be in another research unit and cooperate in an international experts team. Apart from scientific aspects, it was also a chance to meet another country and culture, simply the adventure of a lifetime.

– Polytechnique Montréal was a natural choice due to long-standing cooperation between Professor Adam Woźniak and Professor René Mayer – specialist in metrology, CNC machinery and kinematic modelling – our doctoral candidates add.

A cotutelle is an agreement on joint doctoral supervision. It is also referred to as a co-supervision agreement, but in practice it involves a deeper form of collaboration. It is not merely a document formalizing the appointment of a second supervisor. Under a cotutelle agreement, the doctoral candidate writes their dissertation and completes their doctoral training program at both universities, after successfully completing the admission process at each institution. The implementation of a cotutelle agreement leads to a single defense before a joint doctoral committee appointed by both universities and to the awarding of the doctoral degree by each of the institutions involved.

How can you take part in cotutelle PhD? What does life in Montréal look like? What advice can you give to those interested in going? Listen to Katarzyna Matys-Popielska and Krzysztof Popielski.

First things first

The first key step is signing a general cooperation agreement between the universities. We were able to skip this stage, as such an agreement had already been signed several years ago in connection with another PhD project. Next, we had to sign a specific agreement concerning our particular doctoral studies. This detailed agreement includes, among other things, the topic of the dissertation, the courses to be completed during the programme, the number of committee members for the defense, and the location of the defense. The next step was to register for doctoral studies at Polytechnique Montréal. After receiving the admission confirmation, it was necessary to obtain a study permit for both Canada and the province of Québec. Once those permits were issued, all that was left to do was pack up and go.

Research and life in Montréal

Montréal is a great place to live. We often joke that it is a mix between Warsaw and Białystok — it is a big city, but people do not seem to be in a rush. At the university, we notice that many more students spend time on campus beyond classes — meeting with others, working on projects, or simply choosing the campus as a place to study. In addition, the student association organizes numerous events, focusing not only on student integration but also on mental health. Such initiatives include monthly community breakfasts, trips to the Garden of Lights, ballet outings, and even puppy yoga sessions.

Życie doktorantów w Montrealu. Krzysztof Popielski i Katarzyna Matys-Popielska na zajęciach z puppy yogi

– Under my doctorate, I work on development of a new measurement method of children’s growth, which will help doctors study correct growth of children, including the impact of medication taken – says Krzysiek.

– I study the scanning method used in measurements on CNC machine tools in terms of improvement of diagnosis of dynamic measurement errors – Kasia explains.

At Polytechnique Montréal, every PhD student is required to complete four courses designed to provide tools useful for conducting doctoral research. These courses cover topics such as how to properly carry out a literature review and which tools can be used for it, how to plan and write a research proposal and grant applications, as well as how to prepare all the necessary components of these documents. We also have a course focused on creativity, which is based on completing a group project. The remaining courses are fully dependent on the individual doctoral student. In our case, Polytechnique Montréal recognized the courses we had already completed while studying in Poland. In addition to coursework, each stage of the PhD process must be completed separately according to the requirements of both institutions — in Poland and in Canada. However, there are fewer stages in Canada (for example, there are no semester reports).

When applying for a PhD program in Canada, the research topic is not formally defined at the outset. After four terms, students must submit a Research Proposal, which includes the research topic, literature review, methodology, project plan, risk analysis, and other relevant details. This is followed by a two-part examination. The oral part consists of presenting the research plan to a committee composed of the supervisor and two professors — one from the home institution and another from any other university, either in Canada or abroad. The second part of the exam varies depending on the faculty. At the Faculty of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, it involved preparing a 20-page literature review on a topic assigned by the committee, which was not directly related to the student’s PhD research. Passing both parts of the exam is required to continue in the doctoral programme. After that, the focus shifts to conducting research, writing articles, preparing the dissertation, and finally defending it — in our case, the defense will most likely take place in Warsaw, with a remote connection to Montréal.

Time spent on a cotutelle PhD programme is typically divided in half. We spent the first two years in Warsaw, now we are spending the next two year in Montréal.

During the week at Polytechnique Montréal, we attend the mandatory PhD courses, work on developing a measurement system or designing a measurement method, conduct experiments, and then analyze the results. We hope that this work will ultimately lead to the publication of scientific articles, the completion of the doctoral dissertation, and form the basis for obtaining the PhD degree.

PhD candidates’ life in Montréal. Katarzyna Matys-Popielska and Krzysztof Popielski during their research

On a typical day, we usually spend around eight hours at the university. However, it often happens that we want to finish an experiment or complete an analysis, so the day ends up being not eight but nine, ten, or, in extreme cases, even twelve hours long. This is both an advantage and a drawback of working on a research project — it does not fit neatly into an eight-hour schedule. Most of the time, we work independently on our projects. We have consultations every week or every two weeks — sometimes with one supervisor, sometimes with both. However, some experiments require assistance from others. Sometimes we help each other, and in other cases — such as when creating a phantom or conducting measurements using machine tools — we receive help from technical staff.

In contrast to doctoral studies in Poland, we do not teach classes.

In the winter and summer semesters we took part in a great course of French. Since Québec is a French-speaking province, completion of this course or presenting a certificate in French is one of the requirements for the award of the doctoral degree.

In the winter, we spend our Sundays skiing and snowboarding — and that’s probably what we enjoy the most: being able to combine our studies with pursuing our passions. Winter in Montréal is beautiful — lots of snow, sunshine, and temperatures around -30°C, although, when 75 cm of snow fell in just two days, getting to the university became quite a challenge! What really surprised us, though, was the hot summer — on the warmest day, the temperature felt like +49°C.

PhD candidates’ life in Montréal. Katarzyna Matys-Popielska and Krzysztof Popielski enjoying winter time

There were many more surprising things. Two measurement systems are in use: air temperature is usually given in Celsius, while water temperature is in Fahrenheit; distances are measured in kilometers, speed limits are in km/h, but tools use inches, and apartment sizes are given in square feet. Prices for products sold by weight are listed in dollars per pound, yet the scales are set to kilograms. Another fascinating aspect is the complete bilingualism of Montréal’s residents — to the

point where it’s common to hear a single sentence spoken partly in English and partly in French. What may not be surprising, but definitely challenging, is renting an apartment. To do that, you need a Canadian bank account and a Canadian phone number; to get a phone, you need a bank account; and to open a bank account, you must provide a Canadian address.

Advice for everyone interested

For those who are considering going abroad, our main advice is to be patient. Arranging all the necessary documents takes time; it can sometimes be difficult and tedious, but it is certainly not impossible — especially with the help of the kind people we met in Canada.

Participation in the cotutelle PhD programme was cofinanced with the ”Excellence Initiative – Research University” (IDUB) project at the Warsaw University of Technology.