Postgrads slam lack of clarity on PhD rules

Dutch universities found to have differing criteria for awarding doctorates, prompting calls for more consistency

PhD students across the Netherlands have expressed alarm over the findings of a study, which revealed that most Dutch universities have no clear rules on how to assess a doctoral defence.

The PNN, a network of Dutch PhD candidates, looked at the PhD regulations of all higher education institutions in the country. It found that only seven out of the 15 institutions examined provided specific criteria on how a PhD candidate’s defence should be evaluated.