With the start of the academic year 2021/2022, the extraordinary procedures that regulated the telematic processing for the submission and defence of doctoral theses adopted during the most acute stage of the pandemic and extended until the end of the academic year 2020/2021 will come to an end. However, all available means that guarantee security and the organisational plans of our University, including the prevention measures for COVID-19 (https://www.us.es/covid-19) will continue to be applied.
Consequently, as of 1 October 2021, the provisions in the Regulations on PhD Studies of the University of Seville (NEDUS) will once again be fully applicable, specifically with regard to the organisation of the processes relating to the composition and appointment of PhD thesis examination boards and defence and assessment (articles 84 to 89 of the NEDUS):
- the defence of the PhD thesis must take place in a public session on the premises of the University of Seville.
- only in exceptional circumstances, if certain members of the examination board cannot be present, the defence of the thesis may be carried out by videoconference, with the prior authorisation of the EIDUS Executive Committee, although only two of the members of the examination board will be allowed to participate remotely. In any case, the Chair and the Secretary of the examination board must be present at the place where the defence is being held.
- only in the case of force majeure, the EIDUS Executive Committee may authorise the PhD student to proceed with the presentation and defence of the thesis by videoconference.
An application for the defence of the thesis by videoconference must be submitted sufficiently in advance to the EIDUS, at the request of the PhD student, by the thesis supervisor, who will collect the report from the programme’s academic committee.