Thesis Defense Training

A workshop offered by the Bonn Graduate Center

The last big milestone in a doctorate is the oral defence of the dissertation, which brings particular challenges in communication. This workshop is aimed at doctoral candidates, who want to engage in intensive preparation for their disputation.

Online Workshop

Monday, February 17, 2025
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Tuesday, February 18, 2025
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Trainer

Alexander Roggenkamp

Language

English

Location

Online

Target Group

Doctoral students

Track(s)

Research

Certificate

16 units are applicable within the Doctorate plus certificate

Eine Wissenschaftlerin und ein Wissenschaftler arbeiten hinter einer Glasfassade und mischen Chemikalien mit Großgeräten.

Description

This workshop is aimed at doctoral candidates, who want to engage in intensive preparation for their disputation. Based on the individual experiences of the participants, presentation techniques and defence strategies are developed in the workshop. This includes appropriately interpreting scientific study results during the course of the disputation as well as adequately reacting to possibly critical questions in response.

Strategies for convincing argumentative as well as rhetorical positioning during the disputation are conveyed. The doctoral students actively implement these in the most important part of the workshop - the disputation simulations. lf required, managing stage fright and nervousness can also be addressed.

Content

Getting an overview what to expect for your thesis defence
Knowing typical questions which may occur in your thesis defence
Getting an individual feedback concerning your rhetorical performance
Training to show your scientific expertise in an appropriate way
Being able to implement different communicative strategies that allow you to react to difficult questions in a calm and professional way