Defence in Action: Viva Practicum

The CRT in AI Defence in Action: Viva Practicum was held or CRT in AI PhD Candidate in their final year, Kislay Raj, who used their time wisely to prep in advance of their impending Viva date. Huge thanks to our actors, Dr Eric Ferreira dos Santos, Dr. Cian Hughes, and PhD Candidate Mohsin Jabbar, who set the bar high for a rigorous mock defence. It was great to have Praveen Acharya, Vivek Bulani and Hoang Le Lai present to witness and support with additional questions. This was our fifth time running this event to support PhD students and help reduce anxieties about the unexpected aspects of the viva process.

Lessons learned: start preparing early and avoid leaving your practice to the last minute. Rehearse your presentation multiple times, take feedback seriously, and actively integrate it into your narrative. Ensure your visuals are clear, concise, and appropriately labelled so they support rather than distract from your message. Be ready to articulate the limitations of your work and to outline realistic future directions and planned follow-on studies.

Huge thanks to Vicky Flanagan, who led the charge and arranged the logistics, and to the PhD students who attended the Cohort dinner.