Differences between the two regulations

• Article 7 new PhD Regulation: The Faculty Doctoral Commission appoints the supervisory committee as soon as the doctoral candidate has been admitted to the PhD program.

• Article 11 new PhD Regulation :Doctoral candidates are required to enrol for both the Ph.D and doctoral research training every year, until the latter has been completed in full. If the doctoral candidate fails to re-enrol within the stated timeframe, then they are considered to have abandoned their thesis and must begin the full admissions procedure again, including payment of full enrolment fees. In exceptional circumstances and on the substantiated recommendation of the supervisory committee, the Faculty Doctoral Commission may suspend the thesis for a limited period. In case of accession, the Charter signed by the doctoral candidate, the Thesis supervisor and the President of the Support Committee is attached to the application file.

• Article 13 - § 3 new PhD Regulation :When writing of the thesis has taken more than four years – or six years if the doctoral candidate is on a full-time assistant contract – re-enrolment is only authorized with the duly justified approval of the supervisory committee and the explicit agreement of the Faculty Doctoral Commission.

• Article 14 new PhD Regulation : during the doctoral training, the success of the intermediate evaluation is validated with 20 ECTS.

• Article 22 - § 2 new PhD Regulation: The public defence must be held two to six weeks after the private defence.

• Article 23 - § 1 new PhD Regulation : the participation of at least two thirds of all thesis jury members, including the supervisor and at least one member from outside the ULB is required for the private defence.

• Article 23 - § 5 new PhD Regulation: Should the jury determine that the thesis demonstrate serious deficiencies, it authorises an extension, of maximum six months, to allow the doctoral candidate to carry out the work required to make significant changes to the thesis. The thesis jury must make explicit these changes, and inform the doctoral candidate immediately, and again in writing within eight days, with a copy being sent to the dean. Within fifteen days, the dean must set a new date for the public defence, which is final. The thesis is rejected if the doctoral candidate fails to meet the thesis jury’s requirements.

• Article 23 - § 6 new PhD Regulation: « Dans le cas où le jury de thèse estime qu’un travail excédant six mois est nécessaire à l’amélioration de la thèse, il décide qu’une nouvelle défense privée doit être organisée. Cette décision dûment motivée doit être transmise, séance tenante, au candidat, et par écrit dans les huit jours, avec copie au doyen ».

• Article 24 - § 1 new PhD Regulation: The public defence takes place with the participation of at least half of all thesis jury members, including the supervisor.

• Article 24 - § 2 new PhD Regulation: The public defence may not take over 2 hours.