One evening, frustrated, he called his older sister, Giulia, a lawyer in Milan.
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.) legislazione universitaria pdf
He did. Three times. Each time, they handed him a printout of a different PDF— Regolamento Dottorato 2019.pdf , Legge 240/2010.pdf , Decreto Ministeriale 226/2021.pdf . Each PDF was long, dense, and full of cross-references. Marco felt like Sisyphus rolling a boulder of bureaucracy. One evening, frustrated, he called his older sister,
. Article 12, paragraph 3 said: “La frequenza è valutata dal Collegio dei Docenti secondo criteri di effettiva partecipazione alle attività formative.” (Attendance is evaluated by the Faculty Board according to criteria of effective participation in training activities.) Nowhere did it say “physical presence on campus.” That was an interpretation the administrative office had invented. 12, comma 3
(the Gelmini Law). They searched for “dottorato di ricerca.” Article 4 stated: “Le università disciplinano l’attività di formazione dei dottorandi… nel rispetto dei principi di flessibilità e mobilità internazionale.” (Universities regulate doctoral training… respecting principles of flexibility and international mobility.)
. Article 8, paragraph 2: “I periodi di formazione all’estero sono equiparati a tutti gli effetti alla frequenza presso la sede del corso.” (Training periods abroad are equivalent in all respects to attendance at the course’s home location.)
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.