In the Netherlands, PhD candidates defend their dissertations during a traditional public ceremony. Although the event’s festive character should be valued, PhD candidates need to be exposed to more public criticism, according to some foreign professors at TU Delft.
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‘Frightening and thoroughly intimidating,’ is how Professor Marisa Carmona, born and raised in Chili, describes her PhD examination. She vividly remembers her dissertation defence in 1993, as a formal occasion dominated by the traditionally dressed examination committee. Carmona, who works at the faculty of Architecture, found it frustrating to have to explain so many ‘irrelevant’ issues, but believes her dissatisfaction is not unusual: ‘Many of my colleagues refuse to discuss their PhD exams’.
Carmona’s PhD defence took place in Delft and, besides being in English, was very much a typical Dutch ceremony. Family, friends and colleagues had gathered in one of the Aula’s formal halls and saw the pedel (master of ceremony) lead the defence committee into the room. After an hour of questions and answers, chaired by the rector magnificus, the pedel announced ‘hora est’ and the procession % rector, advisor and four other committee members % retreated for private consultation.
Nervously awaiting their return, Carmona certainly looked the part, wearing a beautiful old hat and a robe she’d made especially for the occasion. Approximately fifteen minutes later she was told she had passed and immediately received her certificate. The official ceremony was followed by a cup of coffee and immense relief.
Bill Melody, professor at the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, believes the Dutch Ph.D. defence is ‘a ceremony, not an examination’ and this ‘demonstration of competence’ does not measure up to the ordeal North American students must endure. In the U.S.A. and his native Canada, a defence is a public event that takes place in a seminar room or lecture hall, where, following a thirty-minute introduction, members of the exam committee, colleagues and friends are invited to ask questions. This ‘public’ defence, however, is followed by a private defence behind closed doors, when examiners air their detailed criticisms of the dissertation during a rigorous examination, which can last anywhere from an hour to a day.
An ‘unblemished’ pass is rare; usually a candidate passes subject to certain revisions. In the worst case, a candidate must schedule a second defence, which is unthinkable in the Netherlands, where candidates probably wouldn’t even fail ‘if they were dumbstruck’. Moreover, the questions that will be asked are sometimes even given to the students in advance.
Melody would be ‘mortally embarrassed’ if one of his North American students needed a second defence, because ‘to be allowed to defend is the most important quality criterion. A bad dissertation reflects very badly on the student’s supervisor’.
Once a student has made the necessary changes and collected the relevant signatures, officially passing a North American PhD exam is, in terms of pomp and ceremony, a non-event. However, the yearly formal graduation ceremony compensates for the lack of festivities surrounding the PhD defence. Thousands of students graduate during this ceremony. Wearing ceremonial gowns, PhD graduates are called up on stage to accept their degrees. Melody: ‘The Dutch ceremony is definitely more personal’ the combination of ceremony and examination is a reflection of the different philosophies.’
Local pub
Professor Paddy French decided to apply for a PhD course at Southampton University because, as a MSc in Electronics, his best career prospects were in the bomb building industry, which didn’t appeal to him. Half way through his PhD course, he had to defend a mini-thesis, which was given by his supervisor and one internaldepartment examiner. However, this examiner was not supposed to know the candidate too well, but in French’s case, they were well acquainted: ‘Before the defence he said to me, ‘for what I’m about to do’ please don’t take it personally”. The mini-defence lasted one hour and was extremely tough, but his internal examiner was pleased, explaining that the real defence couldn’t possibly be more difficult.
French’s final defence was a private occasion lacking all ceremony and merely involving three examiners, who asked ‘very reasonable’ questions for one hour. French celebrated by buying his friends Guinness at the local pub.
Graduation ceremonies in the UK are similar to those in the United States. French smiles as he recalls wearing a suit and a fancy blue and purple toga, despite the hot June sunshine and his reputation as a ‘scruffy sod’ who loathed pompous display: ‘Like the other PhD graduates, I was invited on the stage to have the vice-chancellor wrap his hands around mine’. His certificate arrived in the post a few days later.
According to Professor Giampiero Berrogi, from Italy, who works at the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, other European PhD defences are similar, although Dutch examination committees are larger. Swiss and German committees are usually comprised of one promoter and one or two additional readers, and the process isn’t as ceremonious.
Berrogi believes that the best aspects of the European and US systems should be combined: ‘Somewhere in the defence process here, more scholarly challenges are needed’. The PhD candidate should be exposed to more public criticism, but the event shouldn’t lose its festive character. Melody shares this view, but advises students to ‘decide on your subject first, find out who the experts in the field are, and then select a university that links you to the pioneers at the frontier.’ PhD defence systems vary throughout the world, but they should never influence a PhD candidate’s choice of institution.
In the Netherlands, PhD candidates defend their dissertations during a traditional public ceremony. Although the event’s festive character should be valued, PhD candidates need to be exposed to more public criticism, according to some foreign professors at TU Delft.
‘Frightening and thoroughly intimidating,’ is how Professor Marisa Carmona, born and raised in Chili, describes her PhD examination. She vividly remembers her dissertation defence in 1993, as a formal occasion dominated by the traditionally dressed examination committee. Carmona, who works at the faculty of Architecture, found it frustrating to have to explain so many ‘irrelevant’ issues, but believes her dissatisfaction is not unusual: ‘Many of my colleagues refuse to discuss their PhD exams’.
Carmona’s PhD defence took place in Delft and, besides being in English, was very much a typical Dutch ceremony. Family, friends and colleagues had gathered in one of the Aula’s formal halls and saw the pedel (master of ceremony) lead the defence committee into the room. After an hour of questions and answers, chaired by the rector magnificus, the pedel announced ‘hora est’ and the procession % rector, advisor and four other committee members % retreated for private consultation.
Nervously awaiting their return, Carmona certainly looked the part, wearing a beautiful old hat and a robe she’d made especially for the occasion. Approximately fifteen minutes later she was told she had passed and immediately received her certificate. The official ceremony was followed by a cup of coffee and immense relief.
Bill Melody, professor at the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, believes the Dutch Ph.D. defence is ‘a ceremony, not an examination’ and this ‘demonstration of competence’ does not measure up to the ordeal North American students must endure. In the U.S.A. and his native Canada, a defence is a public event that takes place in a seminar room or lecture hall, where, following a thirty-minute introduction, members of the exam committee, colleagues and friends are invited to ask questions. This ‘public’ defence, however, is followed by a private defence behind closed doors, when examiners air their detailed criticisms of the dissertation during a rigorous examination, which can last anywhere from an hour to a day.
An ‘unblemished’ pass is rare; usually a candidate passes subject to certain revisions. In the worst case, a candidate must schedule a second defence, which is unthinkable in the Netherlands, where candidates probably wouldn’t even fail ‘if they were dumbstruck’. Moreover, the questions that will be asked are sometimes even given to the students in advance.
Melody would be ‘mortally embarrassed’ if one of his North American students needed a second defence, because ‘to be allowed to defend is the most important quality criterion. A bad dissertation reflects very badly on the student’s supervisor’.
Once a student has made the necessary changes and collected the relevant signatures, officially passing a North American PhD exam is, in terms of pomp and ceremony, a non-event. However, the yearly formal graduation ceremony compensates for the lack of festivities surrounding the PhD defence. Thousands of students graduate during this ceremony. Wearing ceremonial gowns, PhD graduates are called up on stage to accept their degrees. Melody: ‘The Dutch ceremony is definitely more personal’ the combination of ceremony and examination is a reflection of the different philosophies.’
Local pub
Professor Paddy French decided to apply for a PhD course at Southampton University because, as a MSc in Electronics, his best career prospects were in the bomb building industry, which didn’t appeal to him. Half way through his PhD course, he had to defend a mini-thesis, which was given by his supervisor and one internaldepartment examiner. However, this examiner was not supposed to know the candidate too well, but in French’s case, they were well acquainted: ‘Before the defence he said to me, ‘for what I’m about to do’ please don’t take it personally”. The mini-defence lasted one hour and was extremely tough, but his internal examiner was pleased, explaining that the real defence couldn’t possibly be more difficult.
French’s final defence was a private occasion lacking all ceremony and merely involving three examiners, who asked ‘very reasonable’ questions for one hour. French celebrated by buying his friends Guinness at the local pub.
Graduation ceremonies in the UK are similar to those in the United States. French smiles as he recalls wearing a suit and a fancy blue and purple toga, despite the hot June sunshine and his reputation as a ‘scruffy sod’ who loathed pompous display: ‘Like the other PhD graduates, I was invited on the stage to have the vice-chancellor wrap his hands around mine’. His certificate arrived in the post a few days later.
According to Professor Giampiero Berrogi, from Italy, who works at the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, other European PhD defences are similar, although Dutch examination committees are larger. Swiss and German committees are usually comprised of one promoter and one or two additional readers, and the process isn’t as ceremonious.
Berrogi believes that the best aspects of the European and US systems should be combined: ‘Somewhere in the defence process here, more scholarly challenges are needed’. The PhD candidate should be exposed to more public criticism, but the event shouldn’t lose its festive character. Melody shares this view, but advises students to ‘decide on your subject first, find out who the experts in the field are, and then select a university that links you to the pioneers at the frontier.’ PhD defence systems vary throughout the world, but they should never influence a PhD candidate’s choice of institution.
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