Phd Defenses Roughly The World: A Phd Viva From Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland

Today, I am hosting the sense of Erin Dyer Saxon inward the "Defenses roughly the world" series. Erin is an Assistant Professor together with Director of the Center for Peace Studies together with Conflict Resolution at Endicott College, Beverly, MA (USA). She read for her PhD at Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), together with sat her viva inward Dec 2011. Erin’s doctoral research was comparative research on mediation practices inward the the States together with Palestine, including champaign research inward Bethlehem, West Bank. In particular, Erin’s research interests focus on transformative mediation, Palestinian sulha, civilisation together with conflict resolution, nonviolence, together with the nature of dispute resolution processes inward conflict areas.

I had the practiced fortune of having a genuinely potent together with positive human relationship amongst my doctoral supervisor. I had already developed a research proposal together with timetable when I applied for the degree, together with my supervisor used this template to conduct me through the stages of developing my work. I started writing on twenty-four hours one, together with my supervisor began providing feedback presently thereafter. As the fourth dimension wore on that role of the procedure was never daunting, together with I learned early that the PhD is non merely lone work; a PhD is a conversation that starts long earlier the viva.

Before the defense
After the commencement yr of the degree, I had an internal defence amongst 2 examiners from our department (the Irish Gaelic School of Ecumenics). The role of this “transfer viva” is to consider the proposal for the research flat together with to testify a pocket-sized trunk of work. In my case, I had developed my research proposal next an intense literature review, together with submitted a chapter that I had prepared for the examiners. The examiners enquire virtually the literature review, the methodology for the champaign research, together with the goals for the thesis. When successfully completed, the pupil transfers from existence pupil on the M.Litt (research Masters) register, to formally existence a PhD candidate.

Planning the viva
Before submitting the thesis inward draft course of pedagogy to the Graduate Studies Office, I was able to make my opinions for the brand upward of the commission together with prospective dates. My supervisor submitted the requests for the internal together with external examiners, together with I was fortunate that afterward submitting on Oct 1, my viva was scheduled for the morning time of Dec 20. I combed through my thesis to detect whatever typographical errors together with major points that I wanted to make, together with then that on Dec 20, I had a color-coded main document to operate from.

The twenty-four hours of the viva

My defence was rattling intimate and, thankfully, a unopen affair. It was not opened upward to the public, faculty, other candidates, etc. My commission was made upward of my internal examiner familiar amongst Palestinian civilisation together with a specialist on ecumenics, peacebuilding, together with religion, together with my external examiner who was a specialist on international conflict resolution. Another internal faculty fellow member chaired the viva but was non role of the assessment. My supervisor was acquaint for moral back upward but did non render whatever commentary.

The viva itself
My examiners had met earlier nosotros arrived to utter over their questions together with expected results based on the impress copy. When I entered the room, the chair provided an overview of the coming together together with what to expect. My supervisor together with I had already been through this a calendar week earlier my viva inward a “mock viva” together with then I felt calm together with prepared for this moment. I was asked to render a summary of my thesis. After this stage, the examiners asked me a make of questions on my thesis together with my findings. Despite having a thesis amongst color-coded post-its to conduct me, I did non demand to cite to the document once. The questions the examiners asked had piddling to do amongst an declaration on a random page together with everything to do amongst the novel noesis I had to share. The viva was, truly, an enjoyable together with gratifying experience where I could converse amongst highly respected scholars on my research together with its implications. Whatever stress I had going into the viva, I was propelled through it yesteryear a deep sense of community together with inquiry.

Accepted equally it stands
When the examiners questions were finished, my supervisor together with I were asked to hold out out the room together with then that the examiners could confer amongst i another. We hadn’t fifty-fifty made our cups of tea earlier nosotros were called dorsum in! My examiners congratulated me: "We are pleased to recommend that your thesis is accepted equally it stands." This meant that I did non demand to brand whatever amendments to my thesis to submit it equally a in conclusion saltation re-create to the Graduate Studies Office – the examiners were satisfied amongst the production that I defended that day. This upshot took me yesteryear surprise – but my supervisor had clearly anticipated it! The committee, my supervisor, together with I enjoyed freshly corked champagne earlier heading to a celebratory lunch. Here, I was called Dr. Erin Dyer for the commencement fourth dimension together with no longer considered a student, but a colleague.