Venue
The administrative staff (PhD Coordinator/Faculty) reserves a suitable room that accommodates a public audience for trial lecture and disputation. Flowers at the podium mark the occasion. These are given to the doctoral candidate as a greeting from the academic community. If the disputation is to be streamed, necessary technical equipment/personnel are arranged.
Dress code
Business attire is expected of both the doctoral candidate and the members of the assessment committee. The leader of the disputation, the Dean, or the person designated as their representative, wears the Dean’s robe during the disputation.
Chair of the Defence
The Chair of the defence instructs the doctoral candidate and the assessment committee on the procedures related to the trial lecture and the public defence, as well as their roles in this context. The Chair of defence decides whether, in special cases, deviations from the general procedures should occur. Additionally, the Chair of defence sets the time frame for the opponents’ presentations in consultation with them.
Procession
During the disputation, it is expected that the audience has taken their seats and will rise when the doctoral candidate enters the room with their entourage. The committee members sit in reserved seats in the front row. The Chair of defence takes their place in front of the lectern, facing the audience where the room allows. The faculty determines the order of the procession – typically, at the entrance to the disputation, the Chair of the defence goes first, followed by the doctoral candidate and the committee members (administrator, first opponent, and second opponent). After the disputation concludes, the Chair of defence and the doctoral candidate switch places, so that the doctoral candidate exits first.
The faculty also decides whether there should be a procession for the trial lecture.
Conducting the disputation
Once the trial lecture has been held and approved, the doctoral candidate proceeds to defend their thesis in a public disputation. The disputation takes place in the language of the thesis, unless otherwise approved.
Tips for the doctoral candidate
In your preparations for the public defence, you should familiarize yourself thoroughly with the assessment committee's approach, and possibly discuss with your supervisor other topics that the opponents might consider following up in the public defence. Your defence during the disputation should be listening and active, and you should show the ability to reflect on critical comments. You should contribute to a positive atmosphere during the defence, and present your defence as clearly and precisely as possible. The Chair of defence begins with a brief formal introduction of the doctoral candidate and gives a brief account of the submission and assessment of the thesis and trial lecture. The Chair of the defence also gives notice when any opponents ex. auditorium must register. The Chair of the defence decides whether there will be a break during the disputation (this is clarified in advance and written into the program for the day). The candidate then explains the purpose and results of the scientific investigation. Time allocated: 30 minutes.
The first opponent starts the discussion and the candidate is given the opportunity to defend the dissertation. Members of the audience be given the opportunity to oppose ex. auditorium. The faculty decides whether these will be given the floor before or after the second opponent. The Chair of the defence can also open the floor to short questions from the audience and answers from the doctoral candidate. (First opponent time: 45-60 min, second opponent time: 25-30 min).
The Chair of the defence should intervene if opponents significantly exceed the time frame or do not give the doctoral candidate the opportunity to speak, further if the use of language clearly exceeds reasonable academic propriety and if the audience disrupts the debate.
After the opposition has concluded, the doctoral candidate gets the floor briefly to thank the opponents for the discussion, and the university for the opportunity to present themselves for the doctoral examination. The Chair of the defence then declares the disputation to be over, traditionally with a standard wording such as: "This concludes the disputation ceremony"/ "Disputatio peracta est" and gives notice that a proposal will be sent to the faculty.
The Chair of defence ensures that the committee signs the necessary documents and that these, along with any input from opponents, are delivered to the faculty. If the defence is not approved, a new defence can be submitted within a reasonable time. As far as possible, the new defence must be assessed by the original assessment committee.
Standard course for the defence
- The Chair of defence, doctoral candidate and committee enter the defence room in a procession
- The Chair of defence opens the ceremony and assigns the doctoral candidate and committee to their places
- The candidate gives a brief account of the problem and main findings in the dissertation. Maximum 30 minutes according to PhD regulations
- The first opponent presents his/her opposition and the candidate his/her defence
- Break (the members of the audience who want to comment ex auditorium must register during the break.)
- Procession into the venue following the same order as from the start
- Second opponent presents his/her opposition and the candidate his/her defence
- Opponents ex auditorium are given the opportunity to comment. In a brief conclusion, the doctoral candidate thanks the University for having had the opportunity to present his/her work for the doctoral examination, and the committee for the work it has done
- Chair of the defence concludes the public defence
- Procession out of the room, with the doctoral candidate first
- The PhD program/Faculty invites to a reception in honor of the doctoral candidate and the defence
- The assessment committee arrives at the reception and submits their recommendation as to whether the defence should be approved. The recommendation must be justified if the defence is not recommended for approval