Target group
Doctoral candidates who will soon be handing in their PhD thesis (or have just submitted it).

Objectives
The seminar aims at preparing students for the viva defense by honing presentation skills so as to effectively argue points convincingly and think on one’s feet during the question and answers session.

Description
The workshop provides information about the formal procedure, the requirements, the social setting of a Ph.D. examination and the do’s and don’ts of a PhD examination. In this seminar we will use video recording as a tool to enable the participants to capitalize on their strengths and to improve their performance. This workshop places particular emphasis on preparing strategically one’s position in the lead up to the viva defense and dealing with the questions & answers session in the second part of the viva defense. On the first day, participants attend the workshop all together as a single group. On the second day, the participants join the trainer for a series of one-to-one sessions characterised by a dedicated tailor-made approach.

Contents in brief
- Selecting a committee: what should I take into account?
- The do’s and don’ts in oral Ph.D. examinations.
- How do I stay my ground during the questions and answers session (Q&A)?
- How do I deal with stage fright?
- How do I structure the preparation phase most effectively?

Methodology
- Video recording.
- One to one coaching.
- Working with a partner.
- Plenum discussion.
- A mix of theory and practice.