Thesis supervision

The PhD in Biodiversity and Conservation has taken into account that the procedures for monitoring the PhD student and supervising the PhD thesis are appropriate to ensure that the student acquires the skills defined in the programme. These procedures arise from and are in accordance with Royal Decree 99/2011, of 28 January, which regulates official PhD studies and the Resolution of 17 January 2013, which provides for the publication of the Regulations for Official PhD Studies at the University of La Laguna.

The Regulations for Official Doctoral Studies at the University of La Laguna describe in article 10, points 3 and 4, the activities planned to promote direction or co-direction, in those cases academically justified, for the development of the program. Thus, the thesis may have another director, who must meet the same requirements established to be a thesis director in that doctoral program, when there are reasons of an academic nature, such as the case of thematic interdisciplinarity or programs developed in national or international collaboration, with prior authorization from the Academic Committee. Likewise, a new researcher or a professor or researcher with a minimum of research experience who does not meet the requirements established to be a thesis director may assume the functions of co-director. In any case, he or she must have a civil service or contractual relationship with the university or organization that collaborates in the development of the program.

In the areas where topics related to Biodiversity and Conservation are investigated at the University of La Laguna, the involvement of the teaching staff and researchers in the supervision of doctoral theses has been high. A large majority of the teaching staff in these areas have committed to the programme and have shown interest in supervising doctoral theses, with a greater offer from the directors than the demand from potential doctoral students, despite the fact that the number of doctoral students has remained the same during the implementation of the degree.

In this doctorate, it is also worth mentioning the participation of international experts in monitoring committees, in the preparation of preliminary reports or in the doctoral thesis committees. For those doctoral students who choose to include the International Mention in their doctoral degree, international experts will be responsible for the stays that the doctoral student will have to carry out outside Spain under their supervision, in a prestigious higher education institution or research centre, where they will carry out additional training or research work. In addition, these doctoral theses will have to be reported on by a minimum of two doctoral experts belonging to a foreign higher education institution or research institute. Finally, at least one foreign expert, with a doctoral degree, and different from the person responsible for the stay will be part of the thesis evaluation committee.