The future role of the public defense in doctoral education

How do the doctoral examination committee navigate their crucial role in safeguarding the academic standards? We will take a historical and international perspective on the PhD public defense, and examine how the committee members interpret, negotiate and construct the examination objectives during the assessment of a doctoral thesis. We will discuss how traditions, norms, and contemporary pressures influence the committee deliberations and decisions, and the increasing importance of oral defense in an era of rapidly evolving generative AI. The seminar is aimed at doctoral supervisors, potential committee members and those interested in assessing doctoral dissertations.

Welcome!
Maja Elmgren and Nicusor Timneanu, TUR