Notification for the thesis defence

Proposal for opponent: The opponent is to be a docent, professor or equivalent and come from a higher education institution other than Lund University. Attendance via a digital link is acceptable for the opponent.

Proposal for chair of the thesis defence: The chair must have relevant expertise within the subject of the thesis. The chair must be someone of senior rank who feels comfortable in the role of chair, and who can maintain a high academic standard during the thesis defence. There is, however, no requirement for the chair to be a senior lecturer/professor/docent. It is possible for a member of the examining committee to act as chair. The principal supervisor or assistant supervisor cannot be the chair.

Proposal for examining committee members: Three ordinary members are to be proposed, of whom at least one is to be external i.e. not from Lund University. Two substitutes are also to be proposed. If possible, one of the ordinary members of the examining committee is to have acted as reviewer in the half-time review. All members are to be associate professors (docent) or professors, and to have been asked to take part and to have accepted at the time of the application for the thesis defence. As far as possible, both women and men should be represented in the evaluation committee. The examining committee can also comprise five ordinary members.

If committee members find out at short notice that they are unable to attend, the substitutes take their places. If the opponent finds out at short notice that they are unable to attend, the examining committee members can jointly take on this role. Attendance via a digital link is acceptable for the opponent and one of the ordinary members.

A list of all the articles included in the thesis. The list is to include information on co-authors, where the articles have been published or accepted, and if they have been submitted to a journal or are still in manuscript form. All the papers included in the thesis are to be attached and a preliminary review is to be made by the examining committee.

A statement relating to the main content of the thesis and its newsworthiness. In the case of a compilation thesis the statement is to explain the papers’ interrelationship and detail the PhD student’s own contribution to each article. However, the most important aspect is to detail the PhD student’s contribution to each article in terms of planning, follow-up, practical work, manuscript writing and use of initiative. It is to be stated whether the papers have been or will be used in a thesis other than the thesis in question. It is also to indicate if any of the supervisors is an editor of the journals in which the PhD student has been published. 

1. Preliminary thesis title and date/time of the thesis defence.
2. A list of completed and passed PhD courses.
3. Conflict of interest certification digital signed in the thesis notification, which certifies that there are no connections or relations involving conflict of interest with the proposed opponent and the examination board.

• The notification of the public defence is created using a special form, which is then sent as a link to the faculty office no later than three months before the public defense. The faculty office then ensures that the notification is reviewed by the deputy head at the doctoral student's department.
• The PhD Studies Office ensures that the nominated examination committee and opponent are free of any conflict of interest, that the required number of credits in the PhD programme is fulfilled, and that the defence is registered according to the regulated procedure.
• The Vice dean appoints the opponent, the chairperson of the public defence, and the members and deputies of the examination committee.
• The examination committee conducts a preliminary review and approve (or, where appropriate, disapprove) of the public defence of the thesis.

Preliminary assessment

The Vice dean appoints the examination committee and is responsible for sending the dissertation notification, thesis summery and including papers to the members of the committee for preliminary review. The review includes an assessment of whether a PhD thesis is of such quality that it can be presented at a public defence. An approved preliminary assessment does not mean a favourable preliminary decision and is not a guarantee of an approved public defence. An examiner must decide whether the PhD thesis is examinable or advise against a public defence. In case of doubt, the examiners shall consult. Reasons must be given for advising against the defence.

The PhD Studies Office sends the decision on the appointment of the opponent and examination committee members, to the PhD student, the department concerned, the supervisors, the chairperson of the public defence, as well as to the opponent and examination committee members themselves. The opponent is sent the submitted interim work and an opponent's certificate on which they must notify the PhD Studies Office if they accept the assignment. All members of the examination committee are sent the completed thesis components, and the ordinary members are in addition sent information about conducting the preliminary assessment.