EN :

Art. 1 La Commission des écoles doctorales du F.R.S.-FNRS est composée de deux membres par institution universitaire complète et d'un membre par institution universitaire incomplète. Le mandat de membres de la Commission est de cinq ans, renouvelable une fois.

Art. 2 À l'échéance des mandats, le Conseil d'administration du F.R.S.-FNRS, après avoir pris l'avis des Recteurs, désigne les personnalités appelées à composer la Commission. La même procédure est suivie s'il faut pourvoir à une vacance.

Art. 3 Le Conseil d’administration du F.R.S.-FNRS élit le Président de la Commission ; celle-ci élit en son sein deux Vice-présidents.

Art. 4 La Secrétaire générale convoque les réunions et assure le secrétariat de la Commission.

Art. 5 La Commission arrête ses avis selon la procédure dite « du consensus » ; si cette procédure ne peut aboutir, il est procédé à un scrutin auquel participent tous les membres. En cas de parité, la voix du Président est prépondérante.

Art. 6 La Commission a pour missions :

• de proposer au Gouvernement la création des écoles doctorales près le F.R.S.-FNRS (EDs) et d'en suivre les activités ;
• d'agréer les écoles doctorales thématiques (EDTs) et d'en suivre les activités ;
• de veiller tout particulièrement à ce que soient bien associées à une école doctorale thématique (EDTs) les équipes de recherche qui en font la demande et sont en mesure de la justifier.

D'une manière générale, la Commission assiste le F.R.S.-FNRS dans la promotion et le financement des écoles doctorales et des écoles doctorales thématiques.

Art. 7 La Commission transmet ses propositions au Conseil d'administration du F.R.S.-FNRS.

Art. 8 La Commission se réunit au moins deux fois par an. Les réunions de mai et de novembre sont consacrées à l'examen des demandes d'agrément des écoles doctorales thématiques (EDTs).

Art. 9 Tout litige qui pourrait survenir dans le cadre de la création d’une école doctorale thématique (EDT) est soumis à l’arbitrage de la Commission des écoles doctorales du F.R.S.-FNRS.

The Decree of 7 November 2013 defines the landscape of higher education and the academic organisation of studies: the doctorate is a postgraduate degree, doctoral training programmes are supervised by teams associated in thematic doctoral schools  approved by the ARES following the advice of the Academic Thematic Chamber.

There are currently 22 doctoral schools (DSs) per field of study, on a proposal from the F.R.S.-FNRS.

Since 2005, the F.R.S.-FNRS Doctoral School Commission, based on the opinion of the DSs, has accredited around 50 thematic doctoral schools (TDSs) in order to correspond better to the organisation of research and to guarantee quality doctoral training programmes. These TDSs fall under one or more DSs. Only one of them asked for its dissolution, theTDS in Geography in which the doctoral students found sufficient training programmes in other TDSs in the field.

Over the years, the DS Commission has been able to observe, during examination of the activity reports, the progressive professionalisation, standardisation and internationalisation of the work done by the doctoral schools, as well as the fact that the TDSs were at the right scale. The Commission was delighted to note that most schools have integrated doctoral students into their scientific council.

Each year, the F.R.S.-FNRS grants a total budget of approximately €180,000 to support the activities of the DSs and TDSs; the distribution among schools is partly related to the number of doctors trained in the last 5 years.

• Doctoral schools with the FNRS
• Thematic doctoral schools
• Creation of a new doctoral school
• Creation of a new thematic doctoral school

 The doctoral schools with the the F.R.S.-FNRS are inter-university doctoral schools.

• Doctoral school in Philosophy
• Doctoral school in Theology
• Doctoral school in Languages, Literature and Translation Studies
• Doctoral school in History, Art and Archaeology
• Doctoral school in Architecture and Urban Planning
• Doctoral school in Information and Communication 
• Doctoral school in Political and Social Sciences
• Doctoral school in Legal Sciences
• Doctoral school in Criminology
• Doctoral school in Economics and Management Sciences
• Doctoral school in Psychological Sciences and Education
• Doctoral school in Medical Sciences
• Doctoral school in Public Health Sciences
• Doctoral school in Veterinary Sciences
• Doctoral school in Dental Sciences
• Doctoral school in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Doctoral school in Motricity Sciences
• Doctoral school in Sciences
• Doctoral school in Agronomic Sciences and Biological Engineering
• Doctoral school in Engineering Sciences and Technology
• Doctoral school in Art and Art Sciences
• Doctoral school in Performing Arts and Broadcasting and Communication Technology

Each doctoral school with the F.R.S.-FNRS is placed under the responsibility of a “scientific council” (Organisational Rules – Doctoral Schools).
The members of this council are appointed by the Board of the F.R.S.-FNRS on the proposal of the rectors.
Each university institution that is authorised in the field according to the terms of the decree must be represented by a member.
The doctoral schools of the F.R.S.-FNRS submit an annual report to the F.R.S.-FNRS Doctoral Schools Commission.

The F.R.S.-FNRS has created the F.R.S.-FNRS Doctoral School Commission, composed of 12 members from the universities of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.   

The mission of the Commission is:

• to propose to the Government the creation of the doctoral schools with the F.R.S.-FNRS and monitor their activities
• to accredit thematic doctoral schools and monitor their activities
• to ensure that the research teams who request this and are able to justify the same are associated with a thematic doctoral school

In general, the Commission assists the F.R.S.-FNRS in promoting and financing doctoral schools and thematic doctoral schools.
The Committee transmits its proposals to the Board of Trustees of the F.R.S.-FNRS.
The members of the F.R.S.-FNRS Doctoral School Commission have a term of 5 years which is renewable.

See also: the Organisational rules - DS of the F.R.S.-FNRS Doctoral Schools Commission.

Composition of the Doctoral School Commission

President

• HAESBROECK Gentiane - ULiège

Vice-president

• THOMAS Diane - UMons
• SCHIFFMANN Serge - ULB

Members

• AGRELL Per - UCLouvain
• BUREAU Fabrice, ULiège
• CARTUYVELS Yves, USL-B
• LISON Dominique - UCLouvain
• NIEUS Jean-François - UNamur
• NYSSEN Anne-Sophie - ULiège
• RENAULD Jean-Christophe - UCLouvain
• VAN HAUTE Emilie - ULB
• WATTIEZ Ruddy - UMons

The Wallonia-Brussels Federation has established and recognises 21 doctoral schools with the FNRS, one per field of study or set of fields of study. Their mission is to receive, coordinate, promote existing thematic doctoral schools and encourage the creation of new ones.

One thematic doctoral school comes under one or more FNRS doctoral schools, and it may be that subject matter coincides.  Therefore, the development of inter-university, interdisciplinary and international thematic doctoral schools is encouraged. Each thematic doctoral school is placed under the responsibility of a Scientific Committee.

The creation of new thematic doctoral schools depends on the F.R.S.-FNRS Doctoral School Commission. A school is created for a period of 5 years, after which it is re-evaluated.

Procedure for the creation of a thematic doctoral school 

• constitution of the canditature file by the partner teams, and appointment of a Spokesperson
• opinion of the Research Council(s) concerned and, in the case of collaboration of research institutions external to the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, with the agreement of their parent bodies
• transmission of the file and the opinion to the F.R.S.-FNRS by the Rector(s) concerned
• opinion of the Scientific Council(s) of the principal doctoral school(s)

The proposed TDS creation projects are examined by the F.R.S.-FNRS Commission of Doctoral Schools, which requests the opinion of the Scientific Council of the principal doctoral school(s) concerned. It may also seek the opinion of the competent FNRS Scientific Committee(s), as well as the opinion of any other expert.

The recognition of a thematic school within one or more FNRS doctoral schools is granted for 5 years. During the fifth year, a report on the activities and the results of the five-year period is prepared for the F.R.S.-FNRS. It will be attached to the request for renewal, if applicable, which must specify and justify any modifications that may be proposed by the scientific committee of the thematic doctoral school.