DOCTORAL THESIS DEFENCE PARTY 

At Restaurant Nallikari You can have a memorable promotion party with an exquisite sea view. We have designed festive three course menus with perfect wine matches.

We plan the party together with You and after that You can relax and enjoy that special day. We take care of the specific etiquette that this event has.

Ota yhteyttä ja varaa suunnittelupalaveri.

myynti@ravintolanallikari.fi
044 515 1710

Arranging a doctoral thesis defence party (Karonkka)

It is tradition that the doctoral candidate arranges a party to honour the opponent(s) on the evening of the thesis defence day. The party usually starts between 6 and 8 pm, depending on the schedule of the doctoral candidate and opponent(s). The venue is usually a restaurant, but arranging the party at home, or elsewhere, is also possible.

Arrangements need to be made for the party: invitations, the venue, catering and possibly some entertainment. Depending on the venue and the programme, decorations, lighting, a sound system, a band or orchestra, etc. may also be needed. The speeches to be given at the party (such as a thank you speech to the opponent) should be prepared in advance.

If the venue is a restaurant, the personnel will assist in the selection of the menu. You should ask for offers from several different venues to make sure that the quality of the catering and the price will not be a surprise. The menu usually consists of an appetizer, a main course, a dessert and coffee/tea. The party usually starts with a toast of welcome, which may be sparkling wine, regular wine or a cocktail, for example. Wine and iced water are usually served during the meal. A non-alcoholic option should always be available. Special diets should also be taken into account. Do not forget table placement cards (and maps), if they are needed.

The doctoral candidate traditionally pays for the thesis defence party. However, the doctoral candidate may also pay only for the dinner of the opponent and custos, in which case the other guests will pay for their meals, in whole or in part, in the form of an admission card. Usually other people will join the party after the official programme, or the party continues at another venue. The guests are usually expected to pay for their own drinks at the after-party.

Invitations
The opponent(s) and the custos are naturally guests at the party, with the opponent being the guest of honour. Other people to be invited include the supervisors of the thesis and any co-authors of the publications included therein. It is also polite to invite the reviewers, the follow-up group (or its chairperson) and any other people who have clearly contributed to the doctoral thesis, such as members of the research team and support persons. The guest list usually also includes the doctoral candidate’s spouse, parents and closest friends.

Karonkkaan ei yleensä mennä arkipuvussa.

Hat table
An agreement with the custos and opponent on taking doctoral hats to the party should be made. The academic tradition is that there is a separate table at the party which is reserved for doctoral hats. The guests should also be notified about the need to take their doctoral hats with them to the party. Taking the doctoral hats to the party is not mandatory, however.

Seating arrangement
The doctoral candidate will be seated in the middle of the table on the side of their choice. The doctoral candidate never sits at the head of the table. The opponent gets the seat of honour to the right of the doctoral candidate or, if there are two opponents, this is the seat of the senior opponent. The custos of the doctoral thesis defence is seated to the left of the doctoral candidate. If there are two opponents, however, the junior opponent gets this seat and the custos is seated to the right of the senior opponent. The doctoral candidate’s relatives and friends are usually seated on the opposite side of the table with the doctoral candidate’s spouse directly opposite the candidate. 

Lähde; UEF/research