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Appendix VII. PhD defence ceremony and deliberation protocol

  1. Before the dignitaries enter the room where the ceremony will be held, the PhD candidate will stand in front of the podium, accompanied by two attendants (‘paranymphs’).
  2. The members of the Doctoral Examination Board will enter the room.
  3. When the members of the Doctoral Examination Board are standing in their respective places in the corona, the PhD candidate will move to stand behind the lectern.
  4. The chair of the Doctoral Examination Board will then open the session with the words:
    In accordance with the customs of this university, I will open this academic ceremony with a prayer:
    Spiritus Sancti gratia illuminet sensus et corda nostra (May the grace of the Holy Spirit illuminate our senses and our hearts).

    Please be seated.
    I welcome you to the public defence of the thesis of ....
    My name is ...., and I am here today as the representative of the Rector Magnificus.
  5. After the members of the Doctoral Examination Board take their seats, the Rector says:
    I now turn the floor over to the PhD candidate.
  6. The PhD candidate reads out the following opening words:
    With the permission of the Doctorate Board, and in order to obtain the degree of Doctor at Radboud University Nijmegen, I would like to defend in public my doctoral thesis, entitled................
  7. The PhD candidate will then present a summary, lasting no more than ten minutes, of the contents of their thesis. He or she concludes the summary with the words:
    Having presented this summary of my thesis, I return the floor to you, Rector.
  8. The Rector then thanks the candidate, gives a short explanation of how a PhD track eventually leads to the public defence, and then turns the floor over to the opponents in turn to present their questions. The respective invitations begin with a short introduction of the person concerned, for the benefit of the public, followed by the sentence:

    I now turn the floor over to Professor .....
    or
    I now turn the floor over to .....
  9. The (acting) chair of the Doctorate Board will then let the opponents speak. The PhD candidate will give a response after each opposition. In their response, the PhD candidate will address the opposing professors and other opponents with ‘my learned opponent’ or ‘my esteemed opponent’ respectively. The PhD supervisor will be addressed as ‘learned supervisor’. The PhD candidate is addressed as ‘esteemed PhD candidate’.
  10. The PhD candidate will give a response after each opposition.
  11. The Rector will ensure that the opponents do not exceed the time allocated to them.
  12. One hour after the beginning of the public ceremony, the secretary of the Doctorate Board enters the hall to announce the end of the defence and says:
    Hora Est
  13. The chair will immediately follow this with the words:
    The defence is hereby concluded. I will return the floor to the PhD candidate for the final time.
  14. The PhD candidate then replies:
    Having defended my doctoral thesis to the best of my ability, I thank the Rector, and you, my esteemed supervisor(s) and co-supervisor(s), and all who have honoured this ceremony by their presence.
  15. After the concluding formula is spoken by the PhD candidate, the chair will suspend the proceedings of the public defence with the words:
    The Doctoral Examination Board will retreat for its deliberations.
  16. The (acting) chair will then conclude the ceremony. The PhD candidate will remain standing behind the lectern until the Doctoral Examination Board has left the room.
  17. The PhD candidate ensures that he or she is standing in front of the podium when the Doctoral Examination Board returns from its deliberation. When the members of the Doctoral Examination Board and other professors are standing in their respective places in the corona, the PhD candidate will move to stand behind the lectern.
  18. The Doctoral Examination Board will remain standing in the corona after their return from deliberation.
  19. The (acting) chair of the Doctoral Examination Board will announce the decision taken by the Doctoral Examination Board on behalf of the Doctorate Board in regard to awarding the doctorate by uttering the following sentence:
    On behalf of the Doctorate Board of Radboud University, we have decided to award you the degree of Doctor. I hereby ask the supervisor Professor ..................... to carry out the task assigned to him or her.
  20. The PhD supervisor, who is still standing, will then pronounce the following formula
    In the name of the Lord. With the power entrusted by law to the Doctorate Board, I hereby confer upon you .......... (name), born in ................ (place of birth), the title of Doctor (or where applicable, ... for an exceptional achievement the title of cum laude) from Radboud University Nijmegen, to which are attached all the associated legal and customary rights and duties with respect to academia and society.

    As proof thereof I present you with this doctoral diploma, signed by the chair and the doctoral thesis supervisor(s) and co-supervisor(s).
  21. The PhD supervisor will then present the diploma to the PhD candidate. The presentation will take place in the middle of the podium.
  22. The new Doctor will receive the doctoral diploma, and will return to stand behind the lectern.
  23. After the presentation, the Doctoral Examination Board will sit down, and the PhD (co-)supervisor will address the new Doctor while standing (the laudatio).
  24. After the laudatio, the (acting) chair of the Doctoral Examination Board will congratulate the new Doctor on behalf of the Doctorate Board.
  25. The chair will then ask everyone to stand, and concludes the ceremony with a prayer:
    Gratias tibi agimus, omnipotens Deus, pro omnibus beneficiis tuis. Qui vivis et regnas per omnia saecula saeculorum.
    (Almighty God, who lives and reigns throughout all ages, we thank you for all your benefactions).
  26. With the secretary of the Doctorate Board leading, the professors and experts with a doctorate leave the room with the new Doctor. The order of the procession is as follows: secretary, new Doctor, chair, PhD supervisor, co-supervisor, other board members.
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