International PHD Exchange Programmes

Sciences Po promotes the integration of doctoral and post-doctoral students into international research networks. For this reason, exchange agreements signed with more than 400 partner universities around the world include opportunities for Sciences Po doctoral students to participate. 
For more information, see the page Go on exchange to one of our partner universities.

Reciprocally, doctoral students from our partner universities can study at Sciences Po as part of an exchange programme.
For more information, see the page "Coming to Sciences Po on exchange" and contact your home university.
 

EUROPE

Section #oxpo

Visitor Scheme to Oxford for Sciences Po doctoral students

The deadline for applications is 11 March 2024 (12:00 GMT)

Doctoral students at the Ecole de la Recherche are invited to apply to OxPo up to six months in Oxford. Please check visa requirements (see the OxPo exchange webpage for further links and information).

Under this OxPo scheme, visiting doctoral students:

  • are expected to be in Oxford for a maximum of two academic terms (please see dates of Oxford terms). 
  • are affiliated as Academic Visitors to one of the four partner Departments: Oxford Centre for European History, Politics and International Relations, Social Policy and Intervention, and Sociology
  • have access to the Bodleian Library and a shared working space in one of the departments
  • are invited to join other academic seminars in their host department and at the University
  • are encouraged to present their research in one of the many University seminars
  • can propose Working Papers, which will be posted online
  • submit a short report of activities including a list of publications and forthcoming publications, seminar contributions, etc. Reports are examined by the Scientific Management Committee and edited versions of the reports can be posted to help future candidates plan their visit.

There is no specific funding for this scheme. Students are advised to apply for a bourse de mobilité at the Ecole de la Recherche and/or with other possible funders. Please mention your funding on the application form.

In Oxford, OxPo doctoral students are affiliated to a Department and have the status of Visiting Scholars. OxPo does not provide a College affiliation. Doctoral students are encouraged to contact the Maison Française d’Oxford to enquire about accommodation since the programme does not include a college affiliation. It offers social and academic activities with an extensive scientific and cultural programme.

More information

Young doctor from the Sciences Po School of Research

The deadline for applications is 11 March 2024 (12:00 GMT)

OxPo selects one young scholar who has recently defended a PhD at the Ecole de la Recherche at Sciences Po, to spend one full academic year in Oxford as a Visiting Fellow, subject to visa requirements (see the OxPo exchange webpage for further links and information).

Under this OxPo scheme, the OxPo Postdoctoral Fellow:

  • is affiliated as an Academic Visitor to one of the four partner Departments: Oxford Centre for European History, Politics and International Relations, Social Policy and Intervention, or Sociology
  • receives a grant from the Sciences Po Alumni Charity Trust UK (about £12,000, subject to confirmation)
  • is expected to be in Oxford for the three academic terms (Michaelmas, Hilary, and Trinity)
  • has access to the Bodleian Library and a shared working space in one of the departments
  • is invited to join other academic seminars in their host department and at the University
  • is encouraged to present their research in one of the many University seminars
  • contributes to the organisation of OxPo related activities and events and is in particular encouraged to organise a conference or a seminar at the Maison Française d'Oxford, during Trinity Term,on their research area
  • can apply for affiliation to the Maison Française d’Oxford where small flats may be available for rent. The Maison Française d'Oxford offers social and academic activities with an extensive scientific and cultural programme. For information, please contact the Director
  • can propose Working Papers, which will be posted online
  • submit a short report of activities including a list of publications and forthcoming publications, seminar contributions, etc at: oxpo@politics.ox.ac.uk. Reports are examined by the Scientific Management Committee and edited versions of the reports can be posted to help future candidates plan their visit.

More information

Section #campo

The deadline for applications is 3 November 2023 (UK Time).

CamPo is a research partnership between the University of Cambridge and Sciences Po offering an exchange programme for all social science PhD students within the six schools of Cambridge University and PhD students within all of Sciences Po’s research centres.

Applications are now open for students to spend a period of time studying in their non-home institution during the calendar year 2024.

PhD students whose research would benefit from spending a period of time in the other institution are encouraged to apply to this scheme. Visiting students should arrange their stay so that it coincides with the teaching terms in Cambridge and Paris.

  • In Cambridge, visiting CamPo PhD students will be affiliated with a host department and provided with desk space (whenever possible and usually in a shared open space), a library card and access to Cambridge online resources. Students will be assigned a member of the faculty as their institutional point of contact. Visiting CamPo PhD students will be encouraged to play a full part in the academic life of the host department, through participation in seminars and interaction with the POLIS faculty. For your information, please check term dates for the University of Cambridge.
  • In Sciences Po, visiting CamPo PhD students will be affiliated with one of the Sciences Po research  centres and with the École de la Recherche. They will have access to desk space in one of the research centres (whenever possible and usually in a shared open space), a library card and access to Sciences Po online resources. Students will be assigned a member of the faculty as their institutional point of contact at Science Po. Please, check the Sciences Po student handbook where you will find semesters date and other relevant information.

Funding and resources

The CamPo exchange offers a fee-waiver between Cambridge and Sciences Po. There is no dedicated funding for exchange participants. Participants are advised to contact their institution (College and Department, École de la Recherche and Centres) to enquire about travel funds available to PhD students. Conditions apply to qualify for Campo exchange scheme support, in particular in relation to the length of stay which is up to 3 month.

As visiting students, CamPo PhD students will have access to all the institutional support provided at Sciences Po or in Cambridge: at Cambridge, they will be affiliated with a college and, subject to availability, they will be able to rent accommodation through the university/college.

Application process

The deadline for applications is 3 November 2023 (UK Time).

Interested PhD students should seek support from an academic sponsor in the Department they wish to visit.

If the Department is prepared to support your exchange in principle, please submit your application via our online application form (Campo PhD EXCHANGE call 2024), ensuring the following details are provided:

  • Your CV (maximum of 2 pages);
  • A short outline of your PhD project (maximum of 2 pages);
  • A letter of recommendation from your supervisor

Please, note the letter of recommendation should be statement directed at supporting your application, doesn’t need to be a personal one.

Within a month of returning to their home institutions, exchange visitors will be required to provide a short report (2 pages max) about their stay.

For general enquiries about the programme, please contact campo@admin.cam.ac.uk.

CamPo Call for proposals 2024 - Schemes Notes (PDF, 147Ko)

 

Section #LSE

Presentation

Sciences Po - LSE PhD exchange programme” is a partnership between LSE and Sciences Po offering an exchange programme for all social science PhD students within the research centers of LSE and Sciences Po.

The main objectives of the programme are :

  • To offer LSE and Sciences Po PhD students additional research resources (archival and advisory) and to introduce them to the academic culture, professional contacts and employment opportunities of another country.
     
  • To offer LSE and Sciences Po PhD students an opportunity to visit the other institution and to work informally with one or more advisors on their PhD thesis research and/or on related publications and presentations, and to attend conferences and workshops both at the host institution and within the wider regional/national academic community.

Financial support

No academic-related fees will be payable by exchange students to the host institution for e.g. tuition, entrance, examinations, library, email. This does not preclude the host institution from imposing a nominal fee for e.g. health insurance. Students  remain responsible for any applicable fees at their home institution.

Sciences Po provides financial support in the form of a flat rate bursary of €2,500 euros to each student. The bursary is intended to contribute to the expenses of participating students, including those relating to travel, accommodation, living, educational materials and/or other education-related costs. Students are expected to make their own arrangements for housing.

Application process

The deadline for applications is April 10, 2024

Eligibility and duration

  • Students registered for PhD studies at either institution who have successfully completed at least one year of their studies, including any compulsory Masters level courses, are eligible for this Scheme. Where applicable, students should normally have been upgraded to full doctoral student status.
     
  • Each exchange is limited to a minimum of 2 months and a maximum of 3 months.

Academic status

  • Students remain registered as PhD students with their home institution. Overall supervision remains the responsibility of the supervisor(s) at the student’s home institution.
     
  • Students are registered as research exchange students in the relevant academic unit of the host institution during their visit.

Students are requested to submit an application dossier consisting of the following documents:

  1. Up-to-date curriculum vitae including their student number, visa status, country of citizenship, place and date of birth (maximum 4 pages);
     
  2. Short letter of support/reference from supervisor;
     
  3. Copy of most recent PhD progress report (if applicable);
     
  4. Evidence of English Language Ability; and
     
  5. Statement of Academic Purpose explaining their progress towards completion of their research; Why a visit to the host partner institution would benefit you and what you intend to do here; A timetable for your work during the visit; indicating the scholar(s) with whom you hope to work with.

Students have sufficient English Language ability if they satisfy one of the following criteria:

  • A copy of a degree certificate for a degree (taught in English) from a UK university; or
     
  • A language certificate from one of the following accrediting bodies confirming that a candidate meets our English language requirements as set out below:
Law programmes – all programmes in the Law Department, including MPhil/PhD LawOverallReadingListeningWritingSpeaking
IELTS (Academic) (including IELTS online)**7.57.07.07.06.5
LSE Language Centre Presessional programme (5 or 10 week)7570707065
Cambridge English Scale*191185185185176
TOEFL iBT (including Home and Paper Editions)10925242722
Trinity ISE (revised test)Level IIIDistinctionDistinctionDistinctionMerit

Please send your application to : julijana.lecherf@sciencespo.fr

If you have any questions related to your stay at LSE, please contact : Rachel Davies-English, Inbound Study Abroad and Student Recruitment Officer.

USA

Section #alliance

Application process

The aim of the venture is to pursue innovation in Education and Research between the four institutions by sharing knowledge, practices and resources. A laboratory for innovation, Alliance has become furthermore a major academic platform for transatlantic debate on global issues. Created in 2002, Alliance is an innovative academic joint-venture between Columbia University and three major French institutions: the École PolytechniqueSciences Po, and Panthéon-Sorbonne University.

The Alliance Call for Doctoral Mobility is intended to support and finance transatlantic research projects of the highest quality, in all disciplines, from doctoral students affiliated to one of the four partner institutions.

Doctoral students are encouraged to pursue their research abroad for a period of one to three months under the supervision of a host faculty member: students from the three French institutions can complete a research period at Columbia University while students from Columbia can complete a research period at the École Polytechnique, Sciences Po, or Panthéon-Sorbonne University.

Each project will be funded with a maximum limit of $5,000.

More information : 

In consequence, the Doctoral School and the Centre for the Americas at Sciences Po have established an American PhD grant programme. This programme offers research exchange opportunities at major social science research centres in several North-American universities. In turn, Sciences Po hosts American PhD students from these universities.For more information on these exchanges, please contact your home university.

Research exchanges do not lead to a separate degree or diploma. The agreements with our partner universities grant research students access to a wide range of courses at various Graduate Schools, and they can also attend seminars and workshops with permission from the professors concerned. It is therefore imperative that students consult the list of courses offered and contact the professors before they arrive on campus.

Partner universities for this programme

View the details of PhD exchange agreements (PDF, 121 Kb).

Application process (Chicago, Harvard, Northwestern, Princeton, Yale)

Grant amount: approximately 12 000 euros per year.
If you wish to participate in this program , Sciences Po must officially nominate you. There will be a pre-selection by Sciences Po and then an official selection by the partner university. 

  • A cover letter in English explaining the reasons for the research exchange and the choice of the American partner university
  • A CV in English
  • A research proposal in English (maximum 5 pages)
  • Two letters of recommendation in English, including one from the thesis supervisor
  • The results of the TOEFL/IELTS (or proof of English proficiency)
  • A tentative budget for your stay in the US
     

Contacts

At the Center for the Americas: Sylvain Quatravaux, International Affairs Manager for USA (Graduate) - sylvain.quatravaux@sciencespo.fr
At the School of research: Julijana Lecherf,  Administrative Officer Visiting PhD students  - julijana.lecherf@sciencespo.fr