Disputation Training

The Berlin University Alliance (BUA) is an alliance of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Together, they are pursuing the goal of creating and shaping an integrated research space in Berlin. This alliance aims to establish Berlin as a leading international science location. All workshops and events offered by the Graduate Studies Support Program are funded by the BUA and therefore free of charge.

Participation

Doctoral researchers (all disciplines) of the Berlin University Alliance who will soon be handling in their doctoral thesis or have just submitted it.

Before booking a workshop, please make sure that you can attend for the entire duration. Please check our terms and conditions.

Objectives

This workshop aims at preparing doctoral candidates for their disputation by honing their presentation skills so as to be able to argue points convincingly and think on their feet during the question and answer segment of the doctoral defense. The workshop provides information about the formal procedures and requirements as well as the social setting and the do’s and don’ts of a doctoral examination. It places particular emphasis on strategically preparing one’s position in the lead-up to the defense and dealing with the Q&A session.

Content

The workshop provides information about the formal procedure, the requirements, the social setting of a PhD examination and the do’s and don’ts of a viva defense. 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 to acquire a set of core skills and competences that they will later practice. On the second day, the participants join the trainer for a one-to-one session characterised by a dedicated tailor-made approach to practice what they have previously learnt. Specific attention is also given to the online dimension.

• 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 Q&A?

• How do I deal with stage fright?

• How do I structure the preparation phase most effectively?