His defense had been rejected twice by the university’s Doctoral Committee. The reason: a vague clause in the university’s internal regulations— “Il titolo di dottore di ricerca non può essere conferito se la frequenza non rispetta le modalità previste dall’art. 12, comma 3.” (The PhD title cannot be awarded if attendance does not respect the methods outlined in art. 12, paragraph 3.)
Marco had a serious problem. Two years ago, he had spent four months at a laboratory in Lyon, France. The university claimed that time abroad did not count as “effective attendance.” But Marco knew that European doctoral programs encouraged mobility. legislazione universitaria pdf
The next morning, he went to the administrative office. He did not raise his voice. He laid three printed PDFs on the counter. His defense had been rejected twice by the
Marco explained: his university claimed that Article 12, paragraph 3 of their internal PhD regulations required physical presence on campus for at least 10 months per year. 12, paragraph 3