This information comes from the Graduate School webpage on “Defence of the PhD thesis”
The oral PhD defence at the SDU Faculty of Health Sciences consists of:
- A lecture of 30-45 minute by the PhD student to present their work
- Examination of the student by two specialist adjudicators (maximum 1 hour in total)
- Questions from the audience may also be allowed, but the oral defence must not last longer than two hours in total.
If the assessment committee and the PhD student are Scandinavian, the defence is normally conducted in Danish/Scandinavian. In all other cases, it is conducted in English.
The final recommendation is made immediately after the defence examination and any questions from the audience. The result is announced to the student prior to the official conclusion of the defence.
It is common for the PhD student to host a reception immediately after the defence—the Faculty does not finance these receptions.
Ko te manu e kai ana i te miro, nōna te ngahere; Ko te manu e kai ana i te mātauranga, nōna te Ao
The literal translation of this Māori proverb is: “The forest belongs to the bird who feasts on the miro berry; the world belongs to the bird who feasts on education.”