Maastricht University FSE PhD Defense Training workshop slides

UM Phd defence training chang sun 23-10-2025 [email protected] For MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY FSE PHD STUDENTS PHD DEFENCE - You are presenting yourself as a scholar in the discipline and an authority on your subject. - You will be expected to cogently and clearly explain your work and how it fits with other research and scholarship in your field - You can see defence as a conversation - asking and answering questions, agreement and disagreement, etc Outline 1. 1. Who are you and what is your expectation from this workshop? 2. Procedure and format of PhD defence at UM 3. Structure defence presentation 4. Strategy to answer questions from the committee 1. You and your expectation When to start? Get Thesis Approval Schedule defence date with phd office Prepare your defence Print your thesis Prepare reception Invitation Find your paranymphs… This workshop: prepare you for the day! Presentation 15 mins Procedure and format Defence(QA) 45 mins Sharp 2. Procedure and format Procedure and format From PhD office → Who will be in your defence? You. Promotors: primary supervisors Opponents (Assessment Committee): internal and external Pro-rector: A representative from the university (FSE, in our case) Paranymphs: your two supporters Audience: family, friends, colleagues, and anyone who is interested in your topic Beadle: who announce the start and end of the defence, assigned by PhD office Only one has no preparation work. 3. 15-min Presentation 15 mins Presentation Practical points: - 15 mins sharp please - No specific guideline or template - Match with your thesis cover (optional) -Layman style - No long text/paragraphs - Visualization is always good (figures, diagrams, etc) 15 mins Presentation Content (You are free to have your own style and structure) Highlight the innovation and scientific contribution! - The problems that led to your research and their significance - Your methods for solving the problem - Your major findings - The implications, significance, or applications of your findings -Next step (Optional) Each point takes around 3 mins. Impress laymen Impress the experts The key is practice, practice, and practice. 15 mins Presentation FQA: How can I condense my 4-year research into a 15-minute presentation? → Storyline Do I have to follow the order of my thesis chapters for my presentation slides? → No How to show my technical innovation in a layman talk? → Focus on impact Will opponents ask questions based on my presentation? → Maybe Questions? 4. 45-min Defence Preparation: Know your committee Who are they? → You should definitely know :) What are their areas of interest as they relate to your work? Do they have any particular areas of concern after reading your thesis? What part of your thesis may attract their attentions? During the defence - receiving the questions Listen carefully. Let’s them finish the questions. Do not interrupt the opponents. Take a pen and paper with you on the stage. The questions can be very long. Ask clarification if you do not understand or follow the question, You can repeat the question in your own words to confirm if you understand the question correctly. Note: opponents normally prepare more questions than they can ask (5-10). If there is still time left, someone from opponents will come up with some questions. During the defence - answering the questions Language: “ Dear esteemed opponent, thank you for your question….” “ Thank you, highly esteemed opponent, for raising this point ….” “ Dear esteemed opponent, Professor [Name], thank you for your compliments and insightful comments ….” To full professor During the defence - answering the questions When you are able to answer the questions: Take your time to answer the questions. You can explain and elaborate but be confident and certain. Justify the answers well and always refer to your thesis and PhD projects. You can initiate the discussion with the opponent and ask opponents to elaborate or justify their questions. Small tip: estimate how much time do you want to spend on each question During the defence - answering the questions When you need more time to answer: You can take your time and look at the notes or your thesis “I need a minute to gather my thoughts …” Repeat or rephrase the question Thank you.