- Our Graduation
On November 1st 2006 we will both defend our thesis's in front of a committee of Leiden University, in Leiden of course. Because our professor, Jacques Neefjes, is extraordinary professor in Leiden, we also have to go to that university to defend our thesis. In The Netherlands we first must have permission to print our thesis, before we actually defend it at the university in a 45 minutes lasting defense interrogation which ends with the 'Hora Est!', spoken by the pedel. The committee will then leave the room for a short consideration of the defense. We hope to be granted our PhD titles after that. Tom will start his defense at 13.45h and Alexander his at 15.00h both CET of course.- 03 Aug '06 | More information coming up.
- To the Pedel
On June 10th, Mek and Tosj visited the Pedel of Leiden University in Leiden of course. We had sent our paperwork to a referee before, and both referee's agreed that our thesis's were ready for defense. So armed with the letter of the referee and our promoter we went to see the pedel. The pedel helped us pick a day on which we could defend both our thesis's, which turned out to be november 1st, as we mentioned above. We also visited the Lokhorstkerk (Lokhorstchurch) were we will have to defend our thesis's, because the academic buildings at the Rapenburg are being renovated. The Lokhorstkerk is actually bigger than the senatroom, which is pleasant for us, because we have two families coming to the defenses. We are planning a quick coffee break between the two defenses, because there is a thirty minutes break between our defenses. | Photo Gallery >>- Getting our outfit
- The defense itself is a traditional ceremony with lot's of small and big traditional items. The dress-code for us and our paranimfen is 'white tie' for example. As this isn't exactly our daily dresscode we headed to town to rent our penguin suits... | Photo Gallery >>
- The Books
Our thesis's were delivered on wednesday October 4th, they both look exactly as we wanted them to be. On first appearance they look very different from the outside, but we have used some similar fonts and in a way they are quite similar (especially on the back, check it out by clicking on the covers). - More work
After of course first admiring the result, the big folding work started and of course the give-away of the first booklets to our boss and paranimfs. Take a look at the pictures. | Photo Gallery >>
- The Thesis Defense
- During our defence we will be placed in our fancy suits in front of the spectators with our backs to them. The committee will face the audience and consists besides the president of at least seven other members of which the majority has to be a professor. The Rector Magnificus is the president of the committee and allows all the committee members to ask questions to the candidate. After the ceremony, the committee members are the first people allowed to congratulate the candidate, which are followed by family, colleagues and friends.
- Lokhorstkerk, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Party!
- After the official ceremony it's Party-Time! First we go for a nice diner with some invited people, and then the real stuff. We have visited several locations in Amsterdam (with beer testing) in our search for a suitable place to celebrate this achievement. We have been looking on the Nieuwmarkt and around Dam square and have found our spot just around the corner of Dam square.
- It's Dr. Mek and Dr. Tosj now!
We did it! It was a rush, but it went great! With help of our paranimfen Wilbert and Lennert we managed to defend our theses with success, resulting in the oh so wanted blue canisters containing the PhD diploma. After that the party started, which was just absolutely phenomenal. We want to thank everyone who made the 1st of November such a special day, one to never forget! THANKS! Take a look at the pictures (with a big thanks to Nico Ong for taking the pictures). | Photo Gallery >>-
- Our thesis is printed by Ponsen & Looijen | More info >>
A pedel (beadle of collegiate universities in the United Kingdom (for example Cambridge, and Oxford) is a person that performs varying duties and often represents the college to outsiders through wearing a uniform and providing information. In Dutch universities, the pedel helps PhD students and professors with the formal sides of the thesis defense or the inaugural speech respectively.
