When a higher doctoral dissertation is accepted for defence, the author and the chairman of the assessment committee agree on time and place for the oral defence. The chairman coordinates with the Dean and the officially appointed opponents (typically the two external members of the assessment committee).
No later than 4 weeks before the defence, the author sends 6 copies of the printed higher doctoral dissertation to the Dean’s Office that ensures to send copies to the official opponents and effects legal deposit for libraries. The Dean’s Office and ST Communication will announce the defence including information on where to find the higher doctoral dissertation prior to the defence.
The oral defence is public and led by the Department Head. The candidate can initiate the oral defence with a lecture of maximum half an hour. In general, each official opponent is given no more than 1½ hours. As soon as possible after the oral defence the official opponents will make a final written report to the Academic Council at Nat or Tech on whether the defence has been satisfactory. If the final written report is positive, the Academic Council at Nat or Tech will confer the higher doctoral degree (dr.scient/dr.techn.).