simboxon

Well obviously bamafan is trolling... nevermind. Thanks for all the advice, it's helpful to hear non US perspectives. I've made an appointment with the head of the doctoral school in EuroUni next Thursday to discuss, and with UKUni in the 1st week of May. I think that an open hand is probably best, and hope that EuroUni will let me work as 'associate researcher' or student or whatever. I've also decided to submit where I get the money, no need to rock that boat. This decision was made largely on the back of this discussion. That being said, a couple of responses: @wtncffts: I think good schools take graduate students to do good research, to train future academics, and to contribute to academia. Universities serve a public function - the operating concern certainly should not be relative reputations etc. @Jung&Free: I would not be "taking the money and leaving scot free" I would be putting in the work, for three years. The choice is merely about which institution I would end up wearing a silly dress for and getting a piece of paper from. @Andean Pat: It's not theft! I would do the work, and, as mentioned previously, the money is not even coming from the uni (it's governmental). Money for research is for that, for research. Otherwise we would have to pay it back were we not to complete the PhD. OK, well. Thanks again folks.

That's a bit snippy... I mainly meant that the differences between US schools and EU schools might explain why I'm hearing different things from the replies on this thread and people I've asked for advice in the flesh. After all, you stay at the institution for 5-6 years versus our 3(+), you tend to have to teach and work as research assistants, we do not, US PhDs almost all want academic jobs, EU PhDs do not. The list goes on. I really am interested in feedback/comments, including all the ones made (though I found the homogeneity of the feedback surprising). Indeed, the consensus has made me reconsider parts of my plan (I don't think I'll withdraw from the funded program, but rather from the unfunded program at the end). However, I was wondering if it was really such a bad idea, or whether cultural differences also explained part of the reaction. @Kimolas, I did say that one of the lecturers recommended this approach...

@Andean, I think a Euro-PhD is a bit different from a US-PhD. I can commute to the UK from just about anywhere in Europe with an airport and a library as my only responsibility is to meet with my supervisor once a month. I'm also, frankly a bit surprised at how moralistic everyone is! I understand Zabius's point that I'm withholding a place from another candidate, but other than that I really don't see the harm. Didn't you Americans coin the phrase 'business, not personal'? TakeruK's comments about full disclosure are aimed solely at intellectual integrity - and indeed, my major concern initially was was plagiarism! Anyway, I feel that maybe the whole idea and process of doing a PhD in the States is maybe too different to really make a good comparison. Do any Europeans have ideas/feedback?

Thanks for all the replies! So... there seems to be a pretty good consensus that it's a really terrible idea, that it's probably illegal, and that I might get sued. Let me put the situation in a bit more context to see if any of you change their mind. 1) I have powerful, personal reasons to be in this other, European country (think family and relationship), and a UK PhD is really not going to be very useful in getting a job there. 2) The funding is external, that is, the UK university won't be out of pocket. I also think (I've read the conditions pretty carefully) that the funding is offered with the only condition that I enrol for three years in the UK program. On my plan I would do that. 3) I have since met someone who does this! They are using a big scandinavian PhD scholarship to do an Oxbridge PhD simultaneously (in a different topic, but the same field). 4) A teacher at the European university actually recommended I use this strategy... So, any fresh thoughts? If it is not illegal, why is it unethical? Surely academic honesty doesn't require 'full disclosure', and many academics work simultaneously at different institutions...

Hi folks, I am in the spring cycle admissions, and I am applying to European PhD programmes. I have been accepted to a UK top 10 university with an excellent funding package, and to my first choice university on the continent. I prefer my first choice, but they have not given me funding. My supervisor at the UK university however has said that he would have no problem with me living on the continent (in the city where my first choice Uni is) and 'commuting in' for supervisions and relevant seminars - probably once or twice a month. I have no teaching obligations. My question then is this: what do people think of the possibility of accepting BOTH offers? Taking the money from the UK, and the extra supervision, plus being registered and supervised by my first choice Uni. I know that I cannot submit two PhDs at the end - that would be plagiarism - but maybe I could just withdraw from the UK Uni and submit at my first choice. I realise that my supervisor at UK Uni is unlikely to be very impressed with my withdrawing, and the faculty there unlikely to be happy either, but perhaps I could just be a bit discreet about the set-up until the end. In any case, the supervisor in the UK uni is not really a specialist in my field (one of the reasons I'm not enthused about that offer), so I doubt that he could 'damage' my reputation when I do eventually withdraw. What do people think? Am I crazy for considering this? Is it immoral? Imprudent? Illegal? A brilliant coup? All the best, Political Scientist