Thesis Defense

Before the Defense

Authorization to defend is granted by EDST, upon recommendation of the thesis supervisor, if and only if all the following conditions are met:

At least one first-author article is published or accepted for publication in an indexed international journal (Q1 or Q2).
The list of 40 scientific training credits has been validated by EDST.

A- Formation of the Defense Jury: Three Months Before the Defense Date

The composition of the jury and the selection of reviewers must comply with the rules below and be submitted for approval to the Scientific Council of the doctoral school.
The doctoral student and their thesis supervisor must submit, both in paper and by email, the proposed jury to EDST for validation by the Scientific Council.
Only after the jury is validated by the school can the supervisor or the student send the manuscript to the reviewers.

Jury Composition Rules:

The jury consists of 6 to 8 members.
At least half of the members are external to the candidate’s registered institution.
At least half of the jury members are professors or equivalent.
The two reviewers (HDR or professors) must be external to the Lebanese University and the partner university, and must have no scientific (publications, etc.) or professional/personal ties with the supervisors or the doctoral student.
The thesis supervisors are members of the jury but do not participate in the decision.
The President is chosen by the jury members during the defense; they must be a professor or equivalent and cannot be a thesis supervisor or reviewer.
The thesis supervisor sets the defense date with the jury members.

B- Sending the Manuscript to Reviewers: Two Months Before the Defense

After the jury composition is approved and signed by the EDST Dean, the doctoral student sends the manuscript to the reviewers, approximately two months before the defense.

C- Defense File: 15 Days Before the Defense

Upon receiving the dated and signed reports from the reviewers, the defense file is sent by email to the doctoral student and the thesis supervisor.
This file must be submitted to the President of the defense jury. It includes, in particular, the jury’s opinion, the minutes, the proxy for signature in case of videoconference, and the defense report, which must be signed by all jury members and returned to the Doctoral School within 15 days.
The jury may request corrections to the thesis manuscript, which must be completed within 3 months following the defense.