doctoral technical study programmes at the technical university...

Side 1

| Doctoral technical study programmes at Technical University of Liberec

TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF LIBEREC | Studentska 1402/2 | 461 17 Liberec 1| CZECH REPUBLIC| http://cxi.tul.cz/en/rd-projects/Norway_Grants.html|

Project: Collaboration in the execution of doctoral study programmes focusing on engineering, materials and mechatronics

This project | Reg. No. NF-CZ07-ICP-2-089-2014 | is supported by the EEA and Norway Grants | CZ07 - Scholarship Programme and Bilateral Scholarship Programme

Programme



Programme

TU

L

ww

w.tu

l.cz

Doctoral technical study programmes at the

Technical University of Liberec (Manual for starting a doctoral study programme)

Side 2





Programme

Doctoral study programmes at the Technical University of Liberec (Manual for starting a doctoral study programme)

Contents

1. Introduction 2. Doctoral study programmes at the

Technical University of Liberec 3. Note: Possibility to link the

doctoral study programmes at both universities from project

1. Introduction

The aim of this document is to provide students interested in doctoral studies at the Technical University of Liberec in the fields of engineering, materials and mechatronics with a clear manual on what must be completed if they decide to start and want to successfully complete a doctoral study programme. The contents of this document focus on the individual stages that need to be completed from the beginning to the end of a doctoral study programme, starting with the admission procedure, enrolment into the programme, selection of supervisor and the supervising department, as well as the fulfilment of study obligations, monitoring and evaluation of the studies, doctoral examinations, defence of dissertation work and obtaining an academic title. The following documents were used during the preparation of this manual dealing with an overview of the possibilities of doctoral studies at the Technical University of Liberec:

1. Full text of Act 111/1998 Coll., on universities and on the changes and amendments to other Acts (the Higher Education Act), dated November 2010.

2. Full text of the Statute of the Technical University of Liberec, dated 26th of March 2015.

Side 3





Programme

3. Study and Examination Regulations of the Technical University of Liberec, dated 11th of June 2012.

4. Set of procedures for studying in doctoral programmes at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Technical University of Liberec, dated 30th of August 2012.

5. Directive of the Dean of FT TUL No. 1/2016 - Organization of studies in the textile engineering doctoral programme, textile technology and engineering study programme, valid as of 1st of January 2016.

6. List of accredited study programmes of TUL, as of the 12th of September 2015.

7. Fees associated with studying at the Technical University of Liberec, dated 3rd of March 2015.

The document was prepared in the framework of the project “Collaboration in the execution of doctoral study programmes focusing on engineering, materials and mechatronics” Reg. No. NF-CZ07-ICP-2-089-2014 is supported by the EEA and Norway Grants, CZ07 - Scholarship Programme and Bilateral Scholarship Programme.

2. Doctoral study programmes at TUL

Aim of the study programme The aim of the doctoral study programme is to provide graduates with the highest possible academic degree (with the academic title of ‘Doctor’, abbreviated to ‘Ph.D.’, which is placed after the name), who will then be qualified to perform creative scientific and professional activities. The doctoral study programme is aimed at scientific research and independent creative activities in research and development. Students of the doctoral study programme (hereinafter referred to as ‘doctoral students’) must prove that they can apply scientific methods, they have deep knowledge in the given field and they can bring new knowledge through the performance of scientific and science and research projects in their dissertation work. Admission to the programme The prerequisite for admission to the doctoral study programme is the successful completion of a Master’s study programme in technical or natural sciences. Admission can be applied for by Master’s graduates as well as students who will have completed a programme by the date of the admission interview. A condition for the admission of foreigners to study in Czech is proven knowledge of the Czech language. A condition for admission to study in English is proven knowledge of the English language and fulfilment of other

Side 4





Programme

conditions as determined by the Dean. Other conditions for assessing the knowledge and skills of the applicant, the deadline for submission of the application, the list of required documents and list of fields of study and the possible subjects, including the themes and the names of supervisors who will issue them, shall be announced by the Dean four months in advance. Initiation of the admission procedure will be publicly announced by the Dean of the given faculty. The criteria for determining the required eligibility, entry requirements for applicants for admission to the doctoral study programme and its method of verification shall be approved by the Academic Senate based on a proposal of the Dean. Key personnel in the field are also invited to apply for admission, as they possess the prerequisites for achieving the objectives of the doctoral study programme through the outstanding results of their work and publishing activity. Admission procedure The admission procedure begins with the submission of an application to the study department of the chosen faculty of TUL and payment of the administration fee. Candidates fulfilling the conditions for admission shall be invited to a personal interview before the Commission, whereby they must demonstrate the necessary competence. Candidates shall receive an invitation for an interview as well as further important information at least 7 days before the date of the interview. Foreign students who are

unable to attend a personal interview before the Commission are required to provide further documentation for the admission procedure. The Commission shall submit a proposal to the Dean of the relevant faculty to admit a student to the doctoral study programme. The Commission shall decide on the admission based on a proposal of the Dean. A decision on the results of admission, including the grounds for admission, shall be received by the candidate in writing by a hand delivered letter. Candidates may request a review of the admission decision by the Dean. In which case, a request shall be submitted within 30 days of receipt of the decision. Enrolment The admission decision entitles the applicant to enrol in the study programme. Nostrificiation is required for foreign applicants prior to enrolment. Candidates must enrol by the date set by the faculty. Enrolment will be held at the faculty. A candidate shall become a student on the day of enrolment. Students shall enrol each subsequent academic year, usually by the 31st of October of the relevant academic year. Students have the right to re-enrol if the time has elapsed for which their study was interrupted. Form of study Doctoral study programmes can be either full-time or combined. Doctoral study programmes are subject to an individual study plan (‘ISP’), which is

Side 5





Programme

updated by the annual study plan (‘ASP’), under the guidance of a supervisor. Study plans include systematic preparation for academic work (mainly involving individual studies and consultations, lectures, courses and seminars, laboratory projects and exercises, domestic and foreign professional internships). Study requirements may be specified by directives of the Dean of the given faculty. Wider professional preparation includes teaching practice and expert publication activity. Doctoral students participate in the activities of the supervising department to the extent determined by the ISP and ASP. Doctoral students may be awarded a scholarship according to the internal regulations of the scholarship rules of the given faculty of TUL.

Study duration The usual duration of study is four years. The study part is completed by sitting the state doctoral examination (‘SDE’). Doctoral students may apply for an interruption of their studies. The time and conditions for interruptions are given in the Study and Examination Regulations of TUL. Interruption of studies shall be approved by the Dean of the given faculty, who shall establish the terms and length of the interruption in their decision. In the event that a student does not meet all of the necessary conditions, their study shall be terminated in reference to the Study and Examination Regulations of TUL. The date of termination shall be the

day when the decision on the termination of study comes into effect. In the event that a student does not submit a request for defending their dissertation work within 6 years from enrolment, the Dean may suspend or terminate their study. Supervising department The supervising department of the doctoral study programme at the faculty shall be the department where the various disciplines and subjects are studied. The amount of time spent at other institutions (universities, research institutes and other scientific institutes) ensuring the vocational, educational, financial, organizational and staffing aspects of the study shall be determined by bilateral agreement between the faculty and the relevant departments. Supervisor The supervisor is the dominant person in the preparation system and has several important competencies, including the following:

a) to propose the themes of the dissertation work,

b) to participate in the organization of the studies, to propose an educational programme in cooperation with the student (ISP, ASP, individual subjects, their guarantors and consultants) and submit it to the Doctoral Studies Board or the Dean (depending on the faculty) for review and approval,

Side 6





Programme

c) to participate in the evaluation of the studies (participates in examinations, submits annual evaluations)

d) depending on the faculty, to submit to the Dean a proposal of subjects for the state doctoral examination or to inform the Commission for the State Doctoral Examination of the about the contents of the expert examination with regard to the scientific discourse of the state doctoral examination,

e) depending on the faculty, to submit a proposal to the Doctoral Studies Board or the Dean of the faculty for the nomination of reviewers of the dissertation work.

The Dean may appoint a supervisor for a particular field or subject from the professors, associate professors and other prominent experts of the university or another scientific workplace. In particularly exceptional cases, the Dean may appoint an unhabilitated employee or someone from another institution to be a supervisor after discussion with and approval by the Scientific Council. Based on the supervisor’s proposal, the Dean may appoint a supervisor (specialist) for a specific field of study. Based on a decision of the Dean, a supervisor may be changed during the study at their own request or at the request of the student. Study plans The studies are organized according to individual study plan (ISP), whose

fulfilment is subject to regular (at least annual) evaluation, which will then be approved by the Doctoral Studies Board according to the Study and Examination Regulations of TUL. Depending on the faculty, detailed provisions are elaborated on the organization, study process, study evaluation, state doctoral examination process and the defence of the dissertation work, which are determined by the Dean. Studies at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, for example, take place according to the ISP (individual study plan) and ASP (annual study plan), which the supervisor proposes in agreement with the student and submits to the Doctoral Studies Board and then to the Dean of the relevant faculty.

The ISP, defining the objectives of the technical and scientific preparation and the methods of their achievement, is compiled for the entire period of study and has two parts: the minor and major programme. The ISP and its content must conform to the framework criteria established for the subject studied. These are mainly the following:

a) subject and theme of dissertation work,

b) study part (framework study plan, which defines the objectives and structure of the study part; the content, form and means can be chosen according to the subject)

c) professional and educational activities of the student in preparation for the supervising department, the amount of time

Side 7





Programme

spent on the main activities at the department,

d) international internship or work placement

e) stages and timetable of the studies. The ASP is compiled by the supervisor for one academic year in line with the objectives of the ISP. The ASP shall include a study timetable and the stages of the expert activity of the doctoral student (especially work deadlines and examinations). The ASP also includes specifications of other activities of the doctoral student (participation in projects, teaching at the department, participation in conferences, courses and seminars, completing internships, publication activity, etc.). The ASP usually includes the dates of the main summer holiday (a total of eight weeks - the length of the summer holiday should not be reduced by other activities for a period of less than four consecutive weeks). Content of the studies The study programme is usually subdivided into the fields of study. The studies are carried out in accordance with the study plan, which states the time sequence and content of the subjects, the form of their study and the method of verifying the knowledge gained. The first part of the studies (i.e. the minor programme), which usually takes one to two years to complete, contains subjects from a broader scientific basis of technical disciplines relating to the given field of study. This programme may include language training.

The second part of the study (i.e. the major programme) is industry oriented and is consistent with the subject and theme of the dissertation work. The subjects that are included in the ISP must contain the following characteristics (i.e. a subject registration sheet):

a) name of the subject (incl. English version), identification code (abbreviation),

b) abstract (incl. English version), c) inclusion in the study plan (study

year - end date), d) name of the guarantor (lecturer)

and department, e) brief content (lectures,

consultations, laboratory projects), f) recommended study literature, g) conditions for completion -

completion with an examination in front of a commission.

Professional and educational activities Students participate in professional and educational activities according to the ISP and the APS, or after consultation with the head of the supervising department. Students may participate in teaching, especially as a teaching assistant in laboratories related to the theme of their work. Educational activities are discussed in advance. Doctoral students may be invited to participate in scientific and technical seminars and important meetings held at the department. Interruption of studies The Dean may interrupt the studies at the request of the doctoral student. In exceptional cases, the Dean may decide to

Side 8





Programme

interrupt a student’s studies without their request. The total duration of an interruption should be no longer than two years. At the time of interruption the relevant person is no longer considered to be a student. After the expiry of the period for which the study was interrupted, the relevant person has the right to re-enrol. Students may ask for confirmation of the facts related to the interruption of their studies. On the basis of submitted documents the Dean shall then issue a confirmation of the grounds for the interruption. The period of interruption shall not be included in the total duration of study. Withdrawal from studies A student who intends to withdrawal from their studies shall be obligated to notify the Dean in writing. The Dean shall acknowledge their decision. The date of termination of the studies according to the Study and Examination Regulations of TUL shall be the day when a written statement on withdrawal shall be delivered to the faculty where the student is enrolled. Expulsion The Dean shall expel a student:

a) in the event of a disciplinary offense pursuant to Article 65(1)(c) of the Act and Article 1(2)(c) of the internal regulation entitled ‘Disciplinary Code for Students of the Faculty of Engineering of the Technical University of Liberec’, or

b) pursuant to Article 67 of the Act.

The date of termination of the studies pursuant to Article 56(2)(e) of the Act shall be the date when the decision on expulsion shall come into effect. On this day the student shall cease to be a student of TUL. Termination of studies Studies in a doctoral study programme at the faculty shall be terminated and the student shall cease to be a student of TUL under the following circumstances:

a) due completion of the studies by graduation in the respective doctoral study programme (Article 55(1) of the Act),

b) by exceeding the allowable period of study,

c) if a student fails to meet the requirements of the study programme pursuant to this regulation,

d) failure to enrol (or re-enrol after an interruption of studies) and failure to apologize for absence within five days,

e) failure to attend the state doctoral examination and failure to apologize for absence,

f) by withdrawing from the studies, g) by expulsion.

After graduating, students will receive an examination certificate or graduation papers pursuant to Article 57 of the Act.

Side 9





Programme

The date of termination according to paragraph 1 point a) shall be the day of the state doctoral examination (required at the end of the study) and the defence of dissertation work. The date of termination according to paragraph 1 points b), c), d), e) and g) shall be the day the decision on the termination of studies shall come into effect. A student may request that the Dean reviews the decision within 30 days from the date on which the decision according to paragraph 1 points b), c), d), e) and g) was delivered. Monitoring and assessment of studies Compliance with the study and other obligations arising from the ISP shall be continuously monitored in the form of:

a) examinations b) annual assessment, c) aggregate balance before the

SDE. Examinations Fulfilment of the study obligations shall be demonstrated by the doctoral student sitting examinations (the number and type of which shall be given in the ISP), which examine their level of knowledge and/or their ability to apply it. The method of classification varies depending on the faculty. The results of examinations including their classification are recorded in a study or examination report. The Faculty of Textiles gives examination results with either a ‘pass’ or ‘fail’, the Faculty of Engineering uses a grading

system with the grades ‘excellent’, ‘very good’, ‘good’ or ‘fail’. Examinations may be repeated once. If a student fails to successfully pass the examination the second time then they shall have failed to fulfil the requirements of the study programme pursuant to Article 56(1)(b) of the Act, and the studies shall be terminated pursuant to Article 68 of the Act. The form of examination shall be set by the subject guarantor after consultation with the supervisor (usually a combination of written and oral examination). Depending on type, the examinations may be divided into the following:

a) subject, which verifies knowledge of an individual subject; this examination relates in particular to the first part of the studies - the examination is conducted by a teacher in the presence of a supervisor or another assessor,

b) summary, which verifies comprehensive knowledge of the processes and phenomena, a group of subjects or ability to practical apply the acquired knowledge; a summary examination is appropriate for the second part of the studies - the examination is conducted by a teacher and a supervisor,

c) state doctoral (global, after the end of the study) – the examination is conducted by the Commission for SDE.

Side 10





Programme

Annual assessment An annual assessment is submitted by the supervisor to the Dean once per year within a set deadline (no later than the 31st of October of the given academic year). The subject of assessment shall be the results of examinations and the fulfilment of the ISP and ASP. Part of the evaluation shall be a brief written report on the doctoral student and their activity during the period under review and an evaluation of the supervisor with conclusions for further study (a form initialled by the doctoral student, the supervisor and the head of the supervising department shall be submitted to the study department). In the event that the study requirements are not met and there is evidence of considerable neglect of professional work, the supervisor may submit a proposal to the Dean to reduce the scholarship or terminate the studies. A proposal may also be made by the Head of the Supervising Department or the Chairperson of the Doctoral Studies Board, who inform the supervisor of the submission of such a proposal.

Aggregate balance ‘D’ Aggregate balance ‘D’ is used at the Faculty of Engineering to comprehensively control the academic performance of students of a doctoral study programme before the SDE, once they have completed the study part of the doctoral study programme. During the balancing of results, fulfilment of the study plan is assessed and the list of completed courses is checked. If a student successfully passes this balance, they

have the right to submit an application for the SDE. If a student is not successful during the balancing, they will be notified of the conditions for further action. Doctoral studies board The Dean of the relevant faculty shall establish an advisory board for the individual fields of study of the doctoral study programme, which will be called the Doctoral Studies Board. The competence of the Doctoral Studies Board shall be determined by the Dean and will include:

a) coordination of the study plans in the framework of the individual fields,

b) draft framework requirements for the SDE in the framework of the field and draft requirements for verification of the required knowledge,

c) proposals for the composition of the commission for SDE and the defence of dissertation work.

Members of the Doctoral Studies Board shall be appointed by the Dean from prominent teaching and research staff of the university as well as from other universities and scientific institutes. The Chairman of the Doctoral Studies Board shall be elected from among its members. Meetings of the Doctoral Studies Board shall be convened by the Chairman of the Doctoral Studies Board as necessary, but at least once during the academic year.

Side 11





Programme

Commissions of the doctoral study programme Commission for the admission of students. The Chairperson and other members of the Commission for the field of study shall be appointed by the Dean of the Faculty from prominent experts in the field. The future supervisor shall also be a member of the board, whose approval is a prerequisite for admission of the applicant for the listed subject. The Commission shall have at least four members, including the Chairperson. Commission for the state doctoral examination. The Chairperson of the Commission and another two permanent members are appointed by the Dean after consultation with the Scientific Council of the Faculty. Other members of the commission are appointed by the Dean on an ad hoc basis, so that the commission is made up of at least five members, including the Chairperson. The supervisor participates in the SDE. Several commissions may be established for a single field of study. Professors, associate professors and specialists approved by the Scientific Council shall have the right to hold state examinations. Commission for the Defence of Dissertation Work. The Chairperson of the Commission and another two permanent members are appointed by the Dean after consultation with the Scientific Council of the Faculty. Other members of the commission are

appointed by the Dean on an ad hoc basis (other commission members are always reviewers or other specialists), so that the commission is made up of at least seven members, including the Chairperson. Several commissions may be established for a single field of study. Permanent parts of the commission for the state doctoral examination and the Commission for the Defence of Dissertation Work may be combined for the given field or subject. Pursuant to Article 53(3) of the Act, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports may appoint additional members from leading experts in the field. State doctoral examination Graduates of the study part of the individual study plan shall demonstrate their general technical and specialist education by passing a SDE. The SDE process may vary depending on the individual faculties. Subjects, examination dates and other conditions of the SDE shall be determined by the Dean after consultation with the supervisor and the Chairman of the Commission for SDE. The SDE is usually an oral examination and is conducted in the form of a professional discussion related to the study theme or contains two subjects (a subject in the field and other subjects of forming a wider scientific basis). Students will usually prepare a written essay on their results obtained in the framework of the theme of their dissertation work, which will be about 20 pages long.

Side 12





Programme

After meeting the conditions of the summary balance, doctoral students submit a request to sit the SDE through the study department. Based on a decision of the Doctoral Studies Board the Dean shall decide to hold the SDE, set the date for the examination and inform the student at least one month before the date of the examination. The SDE is usually held within 90 days. In the event that the doctoral student does not meet the established conditions, the Dean shall reject the request. The SDE is open to the public and takes place before a Commission. The duration of the SDE is determined by the Chairperson of the Commission, and generally will not exceed 1.5 hours. The Commission discusses the results of the SDE in a closed session. The overall result is either a ‘pass’ or ‘fail’. According to the Study and Examination Regulations of TUL, a majority of affirmative votes from all of the members of the Commission is required in order to obtain a pass. If the doctoral student fails the SDE, the Commission shall determine the conditions and the date for re-sitting. The SDE may be repeated only once, and no earlier than three months from the date of the failed test but no later than two years from the date of the failed test. In the event that a student fails to successfully pass the examination after a second attempt, they shall fail to meet the requirements of the study programme pursuant to Article 56(1)(b) of the Act, and their studies are terminated; decision

making in such cases shall be governed by Article 68 of the Act. Minutes shall be drawn up of the SDE process and its result and they shall be signed by all present members of the commission. The Chairperson shall publicly announce the result to the doctoral student after the meeting. Dissertation work Dissertation work is the result of a specific scientific or research project, which the doctoral student selects after agreement with the supervisor and which was approved by the Doctoral Studies Board. The work must contain the original results of their independent research. The content and formal aspects of the dissertation work shall correspond to the practices of publishing scientific results in the given field; the general criteria may be altered (see Article 21 of the Study and Examination Regulations of TUL).

Dissertation work usually includes:

a)the subject of the dissertation and the current state of the issue,

b) the objectives of the work, content and methods used,

c)an overview of the obtained results, d) an evaluation of the results and

new knowledge, the personal contribution of the doctoral student,

e) conclusions for development of the field (summary),

f) a one-page summary in Czech and a world language,

g) a list of references and used sources,

Side 13





Programme

h) a list of original work of the doctoral student related to the theme of the dissertation.

i) a declaration of intellectual property or copyright, which is given by a special declaration at the beginning of the dissertation work.

j) an electronic version of the dissertation work as an attachment.

Dissertation work elaborated as part of a research project performed by a large working team shall contain mandatory documents and a statement from the project manager that the student is the author of the work to be presented and acknowledgement of the student’s percentage share of the project. The extent of the text part of the dissertation work may be determined by the Doctoral Studies Board. The dissertation work may be submitted in Czech or English. The dissertation work must be available at least four weeks from the date its defence is publicly announced. Permission to defend dissertation work A request for permission to defend dissertation work shall be submitted by the doctoral student to the Dean, after completing the ISP and after successfully passing the SDE. The request shall contain the following appendices:

a) a statement on the study and confirmation of the result of the SDE,

b) 4 copies of the dissertation work, c) a list of publications of the

doctoral student,

d) at least 10 copies of the thesis of the dissertation work,

e) CV, f) the supervisor’s opinion of the

dissertation.

The thesis includes the basic ideas and concepts contained in the dissertation work (usually A5 format, up to 20 pages), as well an abstract and keywords, etc. It allows a wider range of professionals to become acquainted with the results and submit questions and comments before the dissertation work is defended. Information about the appearance (graphic design of the cover page, format and any attachments) will be provided by the study department. In the event that the doctoral student meets the requirements and submits their dissertation work including the required attachments, the Dean shall decide on further action or discuss with the Chairperson of the Commission for the Defence of Dissertation Work and the Chairperson of the Doctoral Studies Board on further action - in particular the appointment of reviewers and other members of the commission in relation to the subject of the dissertation work, and shall specify the date for the defence of the dissertation work. In the event that the Dean determines that the foregoing conditions have not been met or that the dissertation work or the required attachments thereto do not comply with the foregoing requirements, they shall interrupt the proceedings and invite the candidate to remove any and all deficiencies within a specified period of

Side 14





Programme

time. Likewise, the candidate may request the proceedings to be interrupted until the non-public meeting of the commission. In the event that the Commission for the Defence of Dissertation Work determines during the proceedings that the dissertation work has fundamental flaws of a professional nature, it shall recommend that the candidate withdraws the dissertation work and interrupt the proceedings. In the event that the candidate disagrees with the recommendation of the Commission for the Defence of Dissertation Work, the proceedings shall continue. Reviewers and their assessments The Dean shall nominate the reviewers of the dissertation work based on a proposal from the supervisor and after consultation with the Doctoral Studies Board and the Chairperson of the commission for the defence of dissertation work. The dissertation work shall be examined by at least two reviewers, who are renowned experts in the relevant field (at least two of whom must be professors or associate professors who are not in permanent employment at the Technical University of Liberec). The reviewers shall be members of the Commission for the Defence of Dissertation Work. The reviewer shall be obliged to submit a written assessment to the Chairman of the Commission for the Defence of Dissertation Work and return the dissertation work within one month after receipt or notify the Chairman of the Commission within 15 days from the date

of the provision that the report could not be elaborated. The reviewer shall include the following in the assessment:

a) the relevance of the theme and the fulfilment of objectives,

b) the selected methods used, c) the results of the dissertation work

and the importance of the scientific field,

d) whether the dissertation work meets the specified conditions,

e) whether they recommend the dissertation work to be defended or not.

The assessment should be brief and should contain an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the dissertation work. A doctoral student has the right to be informed of the reviewer’s assessment of the dissertation work four weeks before the date of its defence. Defence of dissertation work After successfully passing the SDE, a student may submit a request to defend their dissertation work to the Dean, which shall be accompanied by an expression of the supervisor either recommending the defence of the dissertation work or not. The Commission for the Defence of Dissertation Work shall be appointed by the Dean based on a proposal from the Doctoral Studies Board. The Commission for Defence of Dissertation Work shall have at least seven members and shall be composed of a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and other prominent

Side 15





Programme

academics and researchers working at TUL, the faculty, other universities and scientific institutions, and possibly also other prominent experts. At least two members of the commission must be professors or doctors of science. The supervisor shall not be a member of the commission for the defence of the dissertation work. The location and date of defence shall be posted on the bulletin board of the faculty or TUL. All members of the commission for the defence of the dissertation work, supervisors and students shall be invited to the defence. With the invitation everyone will receive the expert opinion and a thesis. The defence of the dissertation work shall be chaired by the Chairperson and in their absence the Vice-Chairperson of the Commission for the Defence of Dissertation Work. A condition for the defence of the dissertation work is the participation of the Chairperson or the Vice-Chairperson, at least one expert reviewer, and at least two thirds of the total members of the commission for the defence of dissertation work. The defence of dissertation work shall be publicly accessible and takes place the form of a scientific debate between the applicant, the reviewers, other commission members and other participants in the defence of the dissertation work. Participation of the reviewers during the defence of the dissertation work is essential. If one of the reviewers cannot be present due to exceptional

circumstances, but they submitted a positive assessment, the defence may take place provided that there are at least two reviewers. The defence shall be chaired by the Chairperson of the Commission for the Defence of Dissertation Work. The defence of dissertation work normally takes place as follows:

a) the Chairperson acquaints the attendees with the theme and gives a brief biography of the candidate,

b) the candidate gives a brief explanation of the content of the dissertation work,

c) the reviewers given the most important points of their assessment (in the case of an absent reviewer, the assessment is read out in full),

d) the candidate gives their opinion on the assessments, particularly on objections and questions of the reviewers,

e) the Chairperson acquaints the attendees with other assessments and opinions and begins the debate, which is open to all present. During the debate it is possible to verify the accuracy of the findings of the dissertation work.

A closed session attended by all of the commission members is held after the end of the defence. The Commission evaluates the level of the submitted work and the ability of the candidate to defend their results and opinions. The members of the

Side 16





Programme

commission conduct a secret ballot on the proposal to award the academic title. The proposal to award the academic title requires an absolute majority of all of the members of the commission. In the event that the result of the vote is a ‘fail’ then the commission holds a public vote in the closed session on the justification of their decision and decides upon further action to be taken. The candidate shall be notified of their decision in writing. Minutes are taken of the state doctoral examination and defence of the dissertation work, which are signed by all present members of the commission. Academic title The Dean shall assess the completeness of the candidate’s documents, in particular with regard to the conditions stipulated by law, the statute of the given faculty of TUL and this regulation and shall grant the title of ‘doctor’ (‘Ph.D.’). The Dean shall inform the members of the Scientific Council of this decision. Study in accredited fields takes place pursuant to Article 47 of the Act and the Statute of the Technical University of Liberec.

3. Note: Possibility to link the doctoral study programmes at both universities from project It is possible to link the doctoral study programmes at Technical University of Liberec and the University of Stavanger due to the statutes of both universities and their specialization.

This manual will allow those interested in doctoral studies at the Technical University of Liberec to familiarize themselves with all of the steps necessary to be taken in connection with the submission of an application, selecting a field of study, theme of work, the supervisor, as well as the progress of the studies, student obligations and the right to defend dissertation work. At present, the only doctoral studies provided in English are by the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Faculty of Textiles in the above-mentioned fields. The Faculty of Mechatronics, Informatics and Interdisciplinary Studies does not currently have an accredited doctoral programme in English; however, it is able to effectively participate in teaching at other workplaces. It is at the discretion of the project coordinators at both the cooperating universities, whether in terms of future collaboration it is better to link the existing doctoral studies in Liberec and Stavanger or to try to create new ones, which will be built based on the common needs and objectives of both universities.

doctoral technical study programmes at the technical university...

Documents