The Doctorate in Tourism programme has been designed with the aim of ensuring that doctoral students acquire the skills described. In this way, procedures are established for the supervision of the doctoral thesis and for the monitoring of the doctoral student that arise from the provisions contained in Royal Decree 99/2011, of 28 January, which regulates official doctoral studies and the Resolution of 17 January 2013, which provides for the Publication of the Regulations for Official Doctoral Studies at the University of La Laguna .
The Official Doctoral Studies Regulations of the University of La Laguna guarantee the use of good practices in the supervision of the thesis.
In this regard, Article 21, point 1 of the Regulations on Official Doctoral Studies requires that the supervision functions of doctoral students be guaranteed through a documentary commitment, signed by the vice-rector responsible for postgraduate matters, the doctoral student, his/her tutor and his/her director or co-directors. This commitment, for which this university already has a model, means the acceptance of the respective rights and duties regime provided for in Article 20 of this regulation. In particular, the commitment document specifies the functions, rights and obligations of the tutor and the director, as well as the obligations and dedication of the doctoral student. Finally, it establishes the procedures for possible conflicts. All of this can be consulted in open access at the following link: document.
Royal Decree 99/2011, in its article 12, regulates the direction and co-direction of the doctoral thesis. In this sense, it indicates that the director will be the person most responsible for the coherence and suitability of the training activities, the impact and novelty in his/her field of the subject of the doctoral thesis and the guidance in the planning and its adaptation, if applicable, to that of other projects and activities in which the doctoral student is enrolled. This strengthens the monitoring role of tutors and thesis directors, who must issue, with the doctoral student, an annual report of the activities developed by him/her, which will be subject to evaluation.
The Regulations for Official Doctoral Studies at the University of La Laguna describe in article 10 the activities planned to promote direction or co-direction, in those cases academically justified, for the development of the program.
If authorized by the academic committee, the thesis may have another director for academic reasons, such as the case of thematic interdisciplinarity or programs developed in national or international collaboration.
In addition, it is expected that 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 take on the role 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.
Likewise, Article 30 of the Regulations for Official Doctoral Studies at the University of La Laguna contemplates the possibility of joint supervision of doctoral theses between the University of La Laguna and a university in another country, with the aim of creating and developing scientific cooperation between research teams from both institutions and facilitating the mobility of doctoral students.
Due to its importance, in justifying the existence of this doctoral program, REDINTUR is highlighted, which has been the platform to integrate several universities, with researchers of proven track record and national and international relevance in this doctorate. This network brings together 28 universities with common goals in teaching and research, and has become a strong point as demonstrated by the fact that it is considered a generator of talent and entrepreneurship within the National and Comprehensive Plan for Tourism 2012-2015 of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism (p. 29).
In addition to the collaboration with REDINTUR, there are other agreements on specialized training in tourism and research, which are based on relationships established by professors and researchers with institutions of recognized prestige in tourism. These agreements support three key aspects of the program:
– They are the means to guarantee the completion of research stays that will be useful to the students of the doctoral program.
– They guarantee the presence of foreign experts to prepare thesis reports and their participation in thesis committees.
– They allow for the provision of experts to teach specialized seminars on the subject.
Listed below are the agreements entered into in line with the lines of research of the doctoral programme:
Student exchange between universities.
To establish the basis for the exchange of undergraduate, master's and doctoral students between both universities.
Encourage the exchange of researchers and teachers, especially in those academic areas of mutual interest.
To establish the conditions of collaboration between the parties for the organization of participation, enrollment and doctoral studies of tenured professors of the Central University of Ecuador in the Interuniversity Doctoral Program in Tourism.
Promote development and collaboration in e-learning by supporting institutions, other networks and individuals, publications, information services and European projects
Work in groups on topics such as higher education policies, lobbying, e-learning, membership, virtual mobility and open educational resources (OER).
Establishment of a space for collaboration between both entities in different areas and modalities.
To establish the criteria under which both universities will carry out activities of mutual interest for the exchange of graduate students and collaboration in research activities.
Establishment of a framework for action in the development of doctoral programs at CSIC Institutes, in order to strengthen the training of doctoral students.
Agreement to establish the public procedure for joint supervision of theses:
Double Master's degree in Tourism. For students who choose the research path, joint supervision agreements may be signed for the development of doctoral theses.
Analysis of current events, system of national accounts and monographic reports on current issues.
Update of the PAK or digitalisation toolkit for the management of small and medium-sized companies in the sector.
Facilitate the mobility of teachers and students and the exchange of knowledge between both universities.
Development of annual scientific and cultural exchange programs that include postgraduate programs.
Furthermore, the five lines of research of this PhD programme also present very interesting possibilities for developing co-direction with a view to interdisciplinary doctoral theses, with a variety of collaboration options that are not common in more restrictive programmes limited to specific disciplines. This possibility of co-direction between people from different lines of research will be encouraged whenever feasible.
The proposal of the Doctoral Thesis tribunal will be governed by article 25 of the Regulations of Official Doctoral Studies of the University of La Laguna, and must be made up of three full members: a president, a secretary and a member, as well as two substitutes. Of the full members, one must belong to the University of La Laguna and the other two must be external to it and, in any case, with a civil service or contractual relationship with other universities or research organizations. The processing of the Doctoral Thesis is included in article 26 of the aforementioned regulation, indicating the details of the role of the Tutor (if applicable), Director, Academic Committee and Doctoral School in the process of processing the Doctoral Thesis. The defense of the Doctoral Thesis is included in article 27, which describes the act of defense, and it is necessary to take into account RD 534/2013, of July 12, which modifies RD 99/2011. According to this rule, the tribunal will issue a report and the overall grade awarded to the thesis according to the following scale: Fail, pass, notable and outstanding. The tribunal may award the mention of cum laude if the overall grade is outstanding and a positive secret vote is cast in this sense by unanimity. The University will enable the precise mechanisms for the materialization of the final award of said mention, guaranteeing that the counting of votes for said award is carried out in a session different from that corresponding to the defense of the doctoral thesis. All of the above is included in the Resolution of February 25, 2014, which provides for the publication of the amendment to the Regulations on Official Doctoral Studies at the University of La Laguna to adapt it to Royal Decree 534/2013, of July 13.
As regards the International Mention, article 28 of the aforementioned regulation promotes and establishes the conditions for the title of Doctor to include the recognition of "International Doctor". It provides for the stay outside of Spain and the role of international experts both for the prior information of the thesis and for their presence in the evaluation committee of the same. In this case too, the university has developed the procedure for request for the International Mention.