[The Proposition] ‘Limited freedom in proposition compilation renders the added value for a PhD thesis obsolete.’

PhD candidates explain the most thought-provoking proposition in their thesis. This time it’s Daniel Monino Lopez, who obtained a PhD in Plant Breeding on 14 April.

‘While my PhD thesis was approved immediately upon submission, my proposition list was rejected four times by the Academic Board. I went through a frustrating time modifying my original propositions to make them meet the criteria. When the list finally got approved, I felt a great relief.

I understand and value the importance of having a proposition section in the PhD thesis. As a pre-scientist, you should be able to think critically and demonstrate that you can engage in scholarly debates. However, do these restrictive criteria end up being counterproductive?

I wanted to include a societally related proposition regarding sustainability, but I couldn’t, because I’ve been told the proposition was too closely related to my thesis topic on plant breeding. I also had to discard one proposition which was always in my mind, because someone had already proposed the same idea earlier than me.

In my opinion, your propositions are your thoughts that came along with four years of hard work, and they will always remain an integral part of your book. As such, shouldn’t you have the freedom to express your true opinion? I felt that the restrictive criteria constrained me. After several rounds of changes, my propositions are no longer feel like “my” propositions anymore.’

Also read:

The Proposition: ‘A response depends more on who asks than on the question itself.’

The Proposition: ‘Equal representation of women in scientific leadership roles is essential for driving comprehensive and innovative research.’

[The Proposition]‘Authentic speaking breaks through polarity’