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THE FRENCH and Italian rectors' conferences have agreed on a research doctorate recognised by both countries and jointly regulated and funded.

The two countries will contribute the equivalent of Pounds 166,000 to finance 50 graduate students, 25 each. The students will receive Pounds 3,300 on top of their doctorate grant. An Italo-French commission will decide on subject priority.

The agreement follows a meeting last year between Italian university minister Luigi Berlinguer and his French counterpart Claude All gre, in which they agreed to launch a programme of joint PhDs, described by Professor Berlinguer as "a first step towards a 'European' academic title".