Registering a doctoral thesis defence or licentiate seminar

All information for doctoral students is available on the faculty's external website (science.lu.se)

In addition to the doctoral student and their supervisor, an external reviewer, at least three members of the examining committee, including at least one substitute member, and a chairperson must also participate in the public defence.

Qualifications for the examining committee and external reviewer

Members of the examining committee, the external reviewer and the substitute member must have attained at least the academic degree of reader (docent) if they are employed at a Swedish higher education institution, or have equivalent competence if they are employed at a foreign higher education institution or in industry. If a candidate does not have the title of reader, it must be clearly stated in their CV that equivalent competence has been assessed. Equivalent competence applies, for example, when a candidate has undergone examination for habilitation, university lecturer, tenure or equivalent. Equivalent competence also applies in cases where it is not a traditional academic career path, for example, employment in industry, hospitals, specialists in advanced research infrastructure or similar.

Read more about the regulations for the opponent and the examining committee in the Management regulations for the public defence of doctoral theses at the Faculty of Science.

Rules on conflict of interest

A conflict of interest is deemed to exist if:

• The supervisor or doctoral student has collaborated scientifically or co-produced scientific work with the external reviewer or a member of the examining committee during the past five years.
• There has been extensive collaboration between the supervisor and the external reviewer or committee member, even if this took place more than five years ago. If collaboration has taken place, this must be reported when registering for the public defence and reasons must be given as to why disqualification should not be considered to exist.
• A supervisor-doctoral student relationship (or vice versa) has existed between the supervisor and the external reviewer or a member of the examining committe, regardless of how long ago this was.

• Collect statements of motivation and brief CVs with publication lists from the external reviewer, members of the examining committee and their members of the examining committee and substitute members
• Collect the doctoral student's description of their contribution to the thesis
• Send a short information document to those who have been asked to serve on the committee
  • Ask them to fill in the form digitally and return the document to you
  • Save the information document at the department

Information regarding the assignment as a member of an examining committee or external reviewer at the Faculty of Science (PDF, 266 kB, opens in a new tab)

The starting point is that public defences at Lund University should take place with all participants present in a room provided by the University, but digital participation may occur if there are reasons for doing so.

The doctoral student and the chair person of the defence must always be present in person. At least one of the doctoral student's supervisors and two members of the examining committee shall also be present, unless there are special reasons not to do so. Other members of the examining committe, other supervisors and the external reviewer may participate digitally.

The public defence must be notified no later than eight weeks before the date of the public defence. Please note that summer and winter breaks are not included in these eight weeks. Only department representatives or heads of department (at the Department of Physics: only heads of department) are authorised to submit notifications.

1. Click on ‘Log in’ in the top right-hand corner to log in to the defence system and use your Lucat ID without ‘@lu.se’ (fukurser.lth.se).
2. Check that the date of the public defence has been booked.
3. Click on ‘Notification’ and fill in all fields.
4. Mark any participants who will be participating digitally and fill in a reason why in the free text box.
5. Upload the following attachments:
   1. A brief CV including a list of publications for the external reviewer, members of the examining committee and substitute members
   2. The doctoral student's description of their contribution to the thesis
6. Click on ‘Apply and email’ to submit the application
7. Print out the application and sign it with a blue ink pen. Send the document to Constance Holmbäck, Kansli N, HS 39

As a department representative, you must prepare the following information before registering a licentiate seminar:

• Time and place of the licentiate seminar
• External reviewer
• Examiner
• Chair of the seminar

Qualifications for the external reviewer

The external reviewer must hold a doctoral degree and may not be employed at the Faculty of Science at Lund University unless there are special reasons for this.

If you are a department representative or head of department, you must sign and submit the application for the licentiate seminar no later than five weeks before the seminar takes place. Please note that the summer and winter breaks for processing are not included in the five weeks.

Send the application to Constance Holmbäck, Kansli N, HS:39.

Form: Application for licentiate seminar (Word, 115 kB, opens in a new tab)