Central events

Thesis Defense Training

Date
15. Oct 2026 - 16. Oct 2026
Location
Presence, University Campus
Organizer
Academic Skills Training
Speaker(s)
Dr. Anja Berninger
Event type
Workshop
Event Language(s)
English
  • Target group:
    advanced doctoral candidates
  • Date/Time:
    15. & 16.10.2026, both days from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Total seats:
    12
  • Deadline of registration:
    27.09.2026


Area of competence: Presentation and communication

Description

In their thesis defense, doctoral candidates have to present a summary of their research to a board of examiners and then answer critical questions. This course is designed to prepare the participants optimally for this situation. 
In the first part of the course the participants receive practical tips for their thesis defense presentation: how to structure the presentation, how to build a sound argument, what language to use, etc. The second part of the course addresses problems that can occur during the discussion. We look at various types of difficult questions and discuss strategies that the participants can use to respond to them. In the third part, participants get the chance to practice their presentation and to receive feedback from the group and from the trainer. This can be done either in German or English, depending on individual needs and the group’s composition.

To participate in the course, doctoral candidates don't need to have their thesis defense presentation prepared yet, and they don't need to be in the final weeks leading up to the defense. Because general structures and forms of argumentation are addressed, the course can also be helpful for participants who are still in the writing phase. 

Main topics

  • the opening of the thesis defense presentation
  • how to structure the thesis defense presentation
  • arguing well
  • handling difficult questions
  • presentations from participants and mock defense


A compact course to prepare for the defence will take place on 2 December 2026 (in German).

About the coach

Dr. Anja Berninger

Dr Anja Berninger is a trainer at the Institut für Argumentationskompetenz. She studied philosophy, musicology and psychology in Bonn, Nanjing (China) and Berlin. After completing her MA, she worked as a management consultant for the Boston Consulting Group (Berlin). She received her PhD from the University of Stuttgart in 2015 with a thesis on current emotion theory. The dissertation was awarded the Dissertation Prize of the Association of Friends of the University of Stuttgart. She has several years of teaching experience in academia and completed a one-year training course at the Writers’ Studio in Vienna to become a process-oriented writing coach.

Registration
You can find the registration form here.

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Contact

Franziska Frank
Franziska Frank
Employee, a.o. Competence-Oriented Personnel Development for Academics
(President's Office and Staff Unit University Development)
C02 – administration building / C02.01.59
+49 361 737-5008
akademische-qualifizierung@uni-erfurt.de
Office hours
on appointment
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