Table Of ContentThe Experience of
Examining the PhD
This book provides an authoritative overview of the criteria and standards of the
doctorate across a wide range of international settings, with a particular focus
on the practices of examining.
Presenting case studies and research from 13 universities in 13 countries
across Africa, Asia, North and South America, Australia, and Europe, the book
is based on in-depth interviews and comparative analyses of the PhD examining
experience. It reveals the variations and similarities in different academic tra-
ditions and investigates the extent to which there are comparable expectations
and standards across countries. It suggests that criteria and standards – both
written and unwritten – are broadly similar, but shows that there is a need for
much more explicitly formulated criteria and standards for an internationalised
approach to doctoral assessment.
Following on from the 2019 book The Doctorate as Experience in Europe and
Beyond, this book will be of great interest to current and potential doctoral
examiners, researchers of higher education, and university administrators.
Michael Byram is Professor Emeritus of Education, Durham University, England.
Maria Stoicheva is Jean Monnet Chair and Professor of Political Science,
Department of European Studies, Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski, Bulgaria.
Routledge Research in Higher Education
Queerness as Doing in Higher Education
Narrating the Insider/Outsider Paradox as LGBTQ+ Scholars and Practitioners
Jesus Cisneros, T.J. Jourian, Ryan A. Miller and Antonio Duran
Supporting Student and Faculty Wellbeing in Graduate Education
Teaching, Learning, Policy, and Praxis
Snežana Obradović-Ratković, Mirjana Bajovic, Ayse Pinar Sen, Vera Woloshyn,
Michael Savage
Optimising the Third Space in Higher Education
Case Studies of Intercultural and Cross-Boundary Collaboration
Natalia Veles
How Organisational Change Influences Academic Work
The Academic Predicament Model for a Conducive Work Environment
Sureetha De Silva, Donna Pendergast and Christopher Klopper
University Autonomy Decline
Causes, Responses, and Implications for Academic Freedom
Kirsten Roberts Lyer, Ilyas Saliba and Janika Spannagel
The Experience of Examining the PhD
An International Comparative Study of Processes and Standards of Doctoral
Examination
Edited by Michael Byram and Maria Stoicheva
Internationalising Higher Education and the Role of Virtual Exchange
Robert O’Dowd
A Conversation Analytic Approach to Doctoral Supervision
Feedback, Advice and Guidance
Binh Thanh Ta
For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/Routledge-
Research-in-Higher-Education/book-series/RRHE
The Experience of
Examining the PhD
An International Comparative Study
of Processes and Standards of Doctoral
Examination
Edited by
Michael Byram and Maria Stoicheva
Cover image: © Getty Images
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group,
an informa business
© 2023 selection and editorial matter, Michael Byram and
Maria Stoicheva; individual chapters, the contributors
The right of Michael Byram and Maria Stoicheva to be identified
as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their
individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77
and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Byram, Michael, editor. | Stoicheva, Maria, editor.
Title: The experience of examining the Ph.D. : an international comparative
study of processes and standards of doctoral examination / edited by
Michael Byram and Maria Stoicheva.
Description: New York : Routledge, 2023. | Series: Routledge research in
higher education | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2022035496 (print) | LCCN 2022035497 (ebook) | ISBN
9781032156972 (Hardcover) | ISBN 9781032164366 (Paperback) | ISBN
9781003248569 (eBook)
Subjects: LCSH: Universities and colleges--Graduate
work--Examinations--Cross-cultural studies. | Comparative
education--Cross-cultural studies.
Classification: LCC LB2371 .E93 2023 (print) | LCC LB2371 (ebook) | DDC
378.1/55--dc23/eng/20221011
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022035496
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022035497
ISBN: 9781032156972 (hbk)
ISBN: 9781032164366 (pbk)
ISBN: 9781003248569 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003248569
Typeset in Galliard
by KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd.
Contents
List of figures viii
List of tables ix
List of editors and contributors x
Preface xv
1 Introduction 1
MICHAEL BYRAM AND MARIA STOICHEVA
PART I
Transversal studies 19
2 Standards and criteria: Is there a case for international
comparability? 21
MICHAEL BYRAM
3 The experience of examiners and examining 34
JULIET LUM, ALICE CHIK, AND MARIA STOICHEVA
4 The final oral examination 45
MANUELA WAGNER, MELINA PORTO, AND NIKOLINA TSVETKOVA
5 The role of languages in doctoral examination 55
PRUE HOLMES, MARIA HELENA ARAÚJO E SÁ, AND SUSANA PINTO
PART II
Case studies of universities 67
Africa
6 Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique 69
JORGE JAIME DOS SANTOS FRINGE AND HILÁRIA JOAQUIM MATAVELE
vi Contents
7 Makerere University, Uganda 81
CONSOLATA KABONESA, RUTH NSIBIRANO, AND EUZOBIA MUGISHA BAINE
Asia
8 Beijing Language and Culture University, China 105
LIHONG WANG
9 A Japanese University 120
FUMIKO TAKAHASHI AND KAZUAKI IWABUCHI
10 Thammasat University, Thailand 134
DUMRONG ADUNYARITTIGUN, SANEH THONGRIN,
KAMONRAT SRIHARUKSA, AND PRANEE SEENAK
South America
11 Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina 149
MELINA PORTO AND SILVANA JULIETA BARBONI
12 The University of São Paulo, Brazil 161
KAI ENNO LEHMANN
The West
13 University of Aveiro, Portugal 175
MARIA HELENA ARAÚJO E SÁ, NILZA COSTA, DIANA OLIVEIRA,
AND SUSANA PINTO
14 University of Connecticut, USA 193
EDITH J. BARRETT AND MANUELA WAGNER
15 Durham University, England, United Kingdom 206
PRUE HOLMES AND DIMITRA KOKOTSAKI
16 Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland 223
NATASZA STYCZYŃSKA AND MARCIN ZUBEK
17 Macquarie University, Australia 234
JULIET LUM AND ALICE CHIK
Contents vii
18 Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski, Bulgaria 250
MARIA STOICHEVA, NIKOLINA TSVETKOVA, AND MICHAEL BYRAM
Afterword 264
Index 266
Figures
9.1 Overview of the steps in the doctoral programme 121
10.1 Overview of steps in the doctoral programme at Thammasat
University 135
13.1 Number of doctorates at the UA from 2004/05 to 2018/19 176
13.2 Number of doctorates at the University of Aveiro (Portugal)
by discipline area from 2004/05 to 2018/19 178
17.1 Flowchart 239
17.2 Australian Qualifications Framework Council, Australian
Qualifications Framework second edition January 2013 243
Tables
2.1 Ratios of outbound and inbound students 22
6.1 Participants’ characteristics 71
7.1 Proportion of graduate students 82
7.2 Approved guidelines PhD thesis examiners 85
7.3 Summary of participants 89
7.4 Characteristics of the participants 90
8.1 Postgraduate students 106
8.2 Characteristics of participants 109
9.1 The number of students and PhD awardees by field 121
9.2 Profile of the interviewees 123
10.1 Participants’ background information 137
11.1 The doctorate at the School of Humanities and Sciences
of Education in 2019 150
11.2 Profiles of interviewees 153
12.1 Profiles of the interviewees 163
13.1 Interviewees’ profiles 177
14.1 Number of students and doctoral degrees conferred,
University of Connecticut 194
14.2 Profile of the interviewees 196
15.1 Awarding of PhDs 207
15.2 Profile of the interviewees 210
16.1 Profile of the interviewees 226
17.1 Macquarie University students 234
17.2 Profile of the interviewees 235
17.3 Characteristics of the interviewees 236
18.1 Profiles of the interviewees 253
