Defense Toolkit: Preparing for the PhD Defense

There is no denying that a PhD thesis defense is of critical importance. Therefore, preparing for dissertation defense should be like summarizing your work and responding all associated questions.
The defense is an integral part of the examination and often linked with insecurities and stage fright. It looks like an iceberg on the way to the doctoral degree. To melt the iceberg, you should show your ability to argue and present your achievements and the results of your research convincingly.
This workshop aims at preparing you for your defense. It offers training of individual coping strategies to gain more security. You will be guided through formal frameworks and equipped with preparation strategies for the talk and presentation. Practicing simulated scenarios of Q&A-sessions will sensitize you for responding strategies and train your thinking on your feet.

Contents

• Awareness-rising for formalities and deadlines
• Formal procedures and regulations
• Do’s and Don’ts in oral Ph.D. examinations
• Training units for preparation of the talk and the defense
• Coping strategies with unexpected or difficult questions

Please prepare a “5-minutes-talk” of your topic for the training session!