Cotutelle as an Alternative to Discover New Academic Horizons

This is Andrés Mauricio Enríquez Hidalgo, a PhD student in Engineering who is currently pursuing a cotutelle with the Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña (UPC) for a PhD in Marine Sciences, aiming for a dual degree from both universities.

During his first year of mobility between both institutions, Andrés has gained various insights that have helped him grow professionally, supported academically by four tutors, two from each university. Thanks to the guidance of his advisors, he has been able to complement and improve his research work for his thesis, which focuses on a decision-making system for the management and prevention of coastal flooding and erosion, offering alternative solutions to mitigate these natural disasters.

His decision to choose Barcelona as the place to continue his professional education was mainly driven by the city’s architecture, the Spanish lifestyle, the quality of the UPC’s infrastructure, particularly its laboratories, and the educational and pedagogical excellence of the faculty.

The motivation behind pursuing his cotutelle went through several stages. First, he had to contact his potential tutors in Barcelona and present them with his thesis idea. Second, he conducted a social and economic analysis of what his lifestyle would be like during his PhD in Spain. Lastly, he had to meet the university’s requirements, such as enrolling in the PhD program, formalizing the agreement, adhering to the program's timeline, and paying the tuition fees.

Amidst challenges and obstacles, Andrés plans to continue exploring and researching his areas of interest in Engineering and Marine Sciences, making the most of the knowledge and experience gained through conferences, social networking, teaching opportunities, and publishing his academic papers.

Finally, Andrés encourages his fellow Javeriana students to take advantage of the postgraduate opportunities offered by Javeriana, explore all the agreements provided by the DAI (International Affairs Office), and make sacrifices for a better professional future.