Opponents and leading organization. Usually the head advises someone to pick an opponent. But if you are in the process of writing the work was quite active, speaking at conferences, you already know yourself professionals in your area and then you can nominate themselves opponents and discuss them with his supervisor. I advise you to choose such opponents, who read the work. Now a lot of cases where the applicant itself, will not shyly hid his eyes, says the review. This is very bad. I've assumed no reviews did not write and you do not advise it, find opponents who read the work. Will read and something good to offer.
The same leading organizations. Postgraduate international students always necessarily passes through the lead agency, but it is not necessary so that the thesis brought to the library, but should be reported on a seminar in leading the organization. This is my call to my graduate students, so they went to a leading organization and presented at the workshop not to unsubscribe and to listen to people, ask questions, offer something. This, above all, the most useful candidate for a degree. Protection. Typically, the performance of dissertation on the protection given to 20 minutes. Decent stay within 16-17 minutes in different boards in different ways, so we must say their work with a clock in his hands. I played several hundred times, and even now, when I need to make some important remarks, I chunks of his speech pronounces aloud with a clock in his hands. It was loud, but not himself. I like it very much helps to structure the text and understand that I did not finish his speech. Polish their performance should be not less than 5-7 times.
Speech should be based on the principle: to hell with the details. For 17 minutes you will never, under any circumstances, no further details will not be able to tell. Even if there are some results that you personally are very expensive, because you have something of their own made it - not for the Council. This is for a scientific seminar, when you have half an hour to discuss with their closest colleagues who understand the subject, but on the speech in defense of this should not be. It is necessary to present the main results, anticipating their detailed explanations. I help when I say aloud lecture. Very often it happens that the speaker says something and uses concepts that have not been identified. That's a terrible thing. Everything you say, everything has to be explained, but do not touch the common things that everyone knows.