To do:

  • The supervisor first polls the candidate members on willingness and availability to attend the PhD ceremony and fills out the Hora Finita tab ‘PhD examining committee’ (‘oppositie’) (titles and names, affiliation, discipline, email addresses)
  • Both the Office of Doctorate Affairs Amsterdam UMC (Bureau Promotiezaken) and the Dean, assess the composition of the committee
  • After approval a letter with relevant data will be sent to all the members of the committee from Hora Finita

Necessary documents:

Not applicable

Tips:

Day of the defence

Check for practical information the VU Amsterdam website (in English & in Dutch)

The official language allowed to be used during the ceremony is Dutch, English, French or German. Another language is possible if the VU Amsterdam Rector Magnificus gives permission

Information about how to generate media attention for your PhD thesis and conferral can be found on the Amsterdam website (in Dutch) and on the VU website (in Dutch)

Dress code

  • Professors wear gown and beret with dark clothing / shirt with dark tie, dark (socks and shoes) underneath. That means, among other things, no jeans, no shorts, no T-shirts, no sweaters, no colored pumps, no sneakers
  • Co-supervisors and opponents who are not professors wear dark, occasion-appropriate clothing / tenue de ville / shirt with jacket and dark tie. That means, among other things, no jeans, no shorts, no T-shirts, no sweaters, no colored pumps, no sneakers
  • During the PhD ceremony, the PhD candidate and the two ceremonial assistents (paranimfen) wear full dress suit or other clothing suitable for the occasion (tenue de ville). Appropriate clothing can also be understood to mean appropriate traditional clothing from the country of the PhD candidate. The PhD candidate conforms to the judgment of the beadle

Laudatio

Due to the tight schedule of the ceremonies, a laudatio by the (co)supervisor of max. 4 minutes is allowed

Please find current policy on defence ceremonies on the VU-website; links below

Invitation: Workshop 'Finishing my PhD trajectory'

Interesting for PhD candidates whose manuscript is about to be assessed

Ellen Dijkstra (Amsterdam UMC Doctoral School) will inform you on practical matters in the run-up to, during and after your defence. For instance on how to prepare for the defence and the Laymen's talk, where to find information on media attention for your thesis, on reimbursments to which you might be entitled, the structure of the ceremony. In terms of information this workshop will be complementary to the 'Meet the Beadle' meeting (below). You are very welcome to join one of these online meetings; to sign up, please send an email to e.dijkstra@amsterdamumc.nl:

  • Thursday 23 January 2025, 14.00-15.00
  • Tuesday 18 February 2025, 11.00-12.00
  • Thursday 20 March 2025, 14.00-15.00
  • Tuesday 15 April 2025, 11.00-12.00

    Invitation: Meet the Beadle

    The VU beadles Ellis Verkerk and Eef Bergs (Beadle’s Office) and VU PhD policy advisor Fernie Maas (Institutional Affairs) organize ‘Meet the Beadle’ sessions. You are very much invited to join them. During the session, Ellis Verkerk and Eef Bergs will explain all about the PhD ceremony and take you to the sites that will be relevant: the Aula and Auditorium, the promovendus room and the Forum room. Explore the Aula and Auditorium and experience how it feels to be on the stage! You will also learn about the technical equipment. And of course: plenty of opportunity to ask your questions to the Beadles. An excellent way to prepare for your defence!

    • Wednesday 5 February 2025
    • Wednesday 23 April 2025
    • Wednesday 3 September 2025
    • Wednesday 5 November 2025

    The meetings start 16.00 and take place in the Aula VU Main Building and the Auditorium

    If you want to join one of these sessions, or in case of questions or comments, please contact Fernie Maas (f.g.t.maas@vu.nl)

    Note: places are limited. Registrations are accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis. The session is open to all VU PhD candidates, particularly PhD candidates who are approaching their defence date

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    Note: Please be aware to update your email address in Hora Finita, at the moment this changes. For example when you are no longer an Amsterdam UMC employee. If we don't have a current email address, we won't be able to reach you

    Downloads:

    Information on the VU website:

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