- Please make sure you are in contact with the PhD administration regarding the planning of your digital defence.
- Prior to your defence you should familiarise yourself with Zoom as a tool, if you have not already done so. You will only be able to communicate with your opponents through Zoom during the defence.
- If you need to use a blackboard during your defence, we recommend using a tablet/iPad with a pen as a virtual board, and share that screen in Zoom. This is the recommended solution even if there is a blackboard in the room where the defence will be, as it will be easier for your opponents to see what you write on a digital board. You may be able borrow a tablet/iPad from the University, if needed. Contact your unit to see if this is possible for you.
- Together with the PhD coordinator at your department and the PhD coordinators at your faculty, find a suitable date and time when you and your opponents are available. The coordinators will then assign a chair of the defence and a technician to facilitate your defence.
- Two days before the defence, you will have a practice defence in the room where the defence will take place, together with a technician, the chair of your defence and the chair of the committee. The opponents will also take part in the practice session, through Zoom. You should use the same equipment (camera, microphone) and location (lecture room) for this test meeting as you will do during the defence.
- For the actual defence you should show up in the defence lecture room no later than 30 minutes before the defence will start, to ensure that everything works properly, that you can share your slides in Zoom, etc.
- The technician will be the host of the Zoom defence. During the defence, remember to share your screen to show slides or other digital material. The technician will be silent during most of the defence, and is not there to take over responsibilities of the other participants, but to ensure that the technical aspect of the defence is managed properly.
- You must either record your trial lecture prior to the defence, or set up a time for a live video conference with your opponents and the chair of the defence, so that the trial lecture can be evaluated by the opponents in advance. More information about digital trial lectures.
- At the beginning of the defence you will walk into the room in procession with the chair of the defence and the chair of the committee.
- Anyone who wishes to attend your defence can do so by signing up prior to the defence. They must have been granted a seat in the lecture room in order to attend. Due to space limitations there will be a maximum number of audience members allowed. As the candidate you will have eight seats at your disposal to give to anyone you wish, such as supervisors, family, friends and colleagues. These people will still need to sign up (to track any possible infection), but are guaranteed a seat in the room.
- For those who wish to watch your defence remotely, it will be streamed live and available from the defence announcement website. It will also be possible to ask questions in writing from this website (ex auditorio).
- When either the first or the second of the opponents is satisfied the chair of the defence will invite everyone in the audience to serve as an opponent ex auditorio. Anyone following the defence digitally will be able to submit questions in writing, and these will be read out by the chair of the committee.
- When all questions are answered you will leave the room in procession with the chair of the committee and the chair of the defence. The chair of the defence and the chair of the committee will leave for a private meeting with the opponents in Zoom, where the committee can discuss your work. Once the committee has agreed on your fate, you can all return to the defence lecture room, and the chair of the defence will announce the result. The defence is now over.
- If technical issues occur that simply cannot be resolved right away, the chair of the defence will pause the defence until the issues can be solved. If it still cannot be solved, the defence may need to be called off and rescheduled.
- Keep in mind that any party or dinner following the defence is a private event, and you are responsible for following the current regulations and recommendations given by Norwegian health authorities.
- If you have any questions regarding your defence, please contact your faculty administration.
The responsibilities of the candidate during a partially digital defence
Read more about the procedure during a partially digital defence, and your responsibilities as a ph.d. candidate.
Published Sep. 7, 2020 4:58 PM
- Last modified June 27, 2024 2:30 PM