Small Defense (MMEE)

According to the PhD Student Standard, the obligation of the fourth year is to successfully complete a small dissertation defense. The student submits a complete dissertation to the department and study assistant in electronic form and the supervisor submits a report on the control of the originality of the thesis using the Validator program (https://validator.vse.cz/index.php). In case of requirements of the department, the student also submits a paper version. The complete dissertation is submitted at least four weeks before the scheduled date of the small defense.

Small defense is usually attended by the staff of the department (academic staff and doctoral students), the relevant supervisor (only in exceptional cases by a representative appointed by the supervisor), opponents and representatives of the faculty with advanced knowledge of research methodology. Small defenses are organized by the relevant department, incl. finding a suitable date, and informing the participants.

In a small defense, there are usually two opponents: at least one should be an expert in research methodology and at least one expert in the research area. It is enough for opponents to have a Ph.D. However, it is possible to recommend that these experts be associate professors or professors, who will then participate in the big defense as opponents. Opponents are proposed by the head of the department in cooperation with the supervisor and approved by the guarantor of the study program.

A small defense is basically a final rehearsal for the final defense, so the completed thesis is presented. The aim of the small defense is to evaluate whether the dissertation meets the requirements for this type of works, including originality check of the submitted work. The small defense also assesses the student’s ability to present the results of the dissertation, the fulfillment of the objectives, the justification of scientific methods used and must be able to convincingly document the contribution of the doctoral student.

The committee at the small defense then provides report (for the template, see below) where they state whether your work is recommended for the actual defense (after having incorporated recommended amendments) or that your work needs further reviewing and you will need to re-attend the small defense. If the work is returned for revision, the resit of the small defense can be done in a few months later at the earliest, as your amendments to the dissertation are essential for it, requiring a large-scale revision.

Further organizational matters

• Opponents and other academic staff addressed by the supervisor (or the head of the department) comment in writing on the doctoral student’s thesis and submit their comments and questions to the doctoral student at least one week in advance (the deadline for submitting comments may be individually adjusted by the department).
• The minutes (report – see below for the template) are usually prepared by the supervisor in cooperation with the faculty representative and approved by the head of the department. The signed record is then handed over to the dean through the study department, a copy is handed over to the doctoral student. Part of the minutes from the small defense is, among other things, a statement as to whether the submitted work is dissertable, what further adjustments are necessary and the opponents’ proposals for a large defense.
• Newly, you will also find the result of a small defense as a course in InSIS, only defended / not defended. If the student has not defended, he must go on a small defense again.

Contact person

Department of Strategy – doc. Ing. Aleš Kubíček, Ph.D. (ales.kubicek@vse.cz)
Department of Human Resources – Ing. Marek Stříteský, Ph.D. (marek.stritesky@vse.cz)
Department of Logistics – doc. Ing. Petr Kolař, Ph.D. (petr.kolar@vse.cz)
Department of Management – doc. Ing. Petr Houdek, Ph.D. (petr.houdek@vse.cz)
Department of Arts Management – Mgr. Jan Hanzlík, Ph.D. (jan.hanzlik@vse.cz)
Department of Psychology and Sociology of Management – doc. PhDr. Daniela Pauknerová, Ph.D. (daniela.pauknerova@vse.cz)
Department of Marketing – doc. Ing. Jan Koudelka, CSc. (jan.koudelka@vse.cz)
Department of Business – prof. Ing. Mgr. Martin Lukeš, Ph.D. (martin.lukes@vse.cz)
Department of Managerial Economics – doc. Ing. Tomáš Pavelka, Ph.D. (tomas.pavelka@vse.cz)

MO/MMEE/19.01.2024/10:00/KMPS/RB334/Judith Schmitt /doc. Pauknerová (Reviewers: doc. Marko Orel, Ph.D., Marit Christensen, NTNU), VV-doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Ing. Štěpán Bahník, Ph.D.

MO/MMEE/06.10.2023/09:00/KMAE/RB459/Shahab Sharfaei/doc. Hudík (Reviewers: doc. Ing. Ondřej Dvouletý, Ph.D., MSc.,Ing. Robin Maialeh, Ph.D.)-MS-Teams