The University of Twente has updated its Doctoral Regulations. The new Doctoral Regulations, which have been adopted by the Doctorate Board, aim to strengthen the supervision of PhD candidates, clarify the assessment procedure and modernise the Doctoral defence and ceremony. The changes are intended to contribute to a more transparent and improved quality PhD programme.
Solid and clear supervision
An important part of the new regulations is the supervisory team, which consists of one promotor and a maximum of three co-promotors. From the start of the process, the promotor is formally ultimately responsible for the supervision.
Another new feature is the daily supervisor: one of the members of the supervisory team who acts as the first point of contact for the PhD candidate. This is in line with the recommendations from Gezonde Promotiepraktijk 2.0 (Healthy PhD Practice 2.0). In addition, the roles of promotor and co-promotor are more clearly defined, so that responsibilities and expectations are better established.
Manuscript and defence committees
The new regulations distinguish between the manuscript committee and the defence committee.
- The manuscript committee assesses the draft thesis and consists of four to five members.
- The doctoral degree committee consists of the same members, supplemented by a chair, the supervisory team and, if necessary, special opponents.
The composition requirements are simpler and focused on balance and diversity, without strict criteria such as the number of professors. This reduces the administrative burden and is more in line with international academic practice.
More transparent assessment
To support the assessment of the doctoral thesis, new documents are being introduced:
- an author's declaration, in which the PhD candidate describes their own contribution to the thesis;
- a research data management statement, which provides insight into how research data is stored and accessed.
In addition, a rubric has been added with five assessment criteria to help the committee assess the doctoral thesis in a consistent and transparent manner.
End of the Cum laude designation
The designation “with distinction” (cum laude) will disappear from the new Doctoral Regulations. This distinction was intended as recognition for exceptional academic quality, but in practice, it has proven not to be based on objective criteria and to systematically disadvantage female doctoral candidates. For this reason, it has been decided to abolish the designation.
Doctoral defence and ceremony
The PhD ceremony will be slightly different. From now on, the layman's talk will be part of the defence, which will last a total of one hour. All members of the opposition committee, including external members, will wear a gown and cap during the ceremony.
As of 1 January
The Doctoral Regulations will come into effect on 1 January 2026, with the simultaneous withdrawal of the Doctoral Regulations of June 2023. A transitional provision applies to a number of sections and is included in the regulations.
In addition to the Doctoral Regulations, the new Charter for Doctoral Candidates will also come into force on 1 January 2026. The regulations have been revised to clarify and simplify procedures, integrating the Doctoral Education Guidelines and adjusting the exit qualifications and the portfolio approach. The intention is to formally adopt the new Charter for Doctoral Candidates in December 2025.
