Quest International University was the sole Malaysian institution represented at the Quality in Postgraduate Research (QPR) Conference in Adelaide, Australia —the world’s leading forum on doctoral education. The conference brings together the scholars, institutional leaders, and policy shapers who define the direction of doctoral education globally, drawing delegates from more than 60 countries.
Professor Vijay Kumar , Dean of the Centre for Postgraduate Studies (CPGS), presented The Right to Know: Rethinking Pre-Viva Release of Examiner Reports in Doctoral Examination — a study drawing on the experiences of doctoral candidates and examiners across 6 countries, examining whether doctoral candidates should have access to examiner reports before their viva.
The research challenges long-held assumptions about fairness, transparency, and epistemic justice in doctoral examination.
Central to the research is the argument that pre-viva access to examiner reports enables authentic candidate preparation and brings meaningful closure to the examination process — rather than leaving candidates to enter the viva without understanding the terrain they will face. The study proposes that the viva should be a
genuine scholarly dialogue, not a high-stakes encounter shaped by information asymmetry between examiner and candidate.
It also foregrounds the role of the viva convenor as a duty-of-care position, placing student wellbeing and a student-centred examination experience at the heart of doctoral assessment practice.
The presentation sparked a substantive scholarly discussion, opening new conversations with doctoral educators across multiple systems and reflecting growing worldwide interest in examination reform.
The QPR presentation is the latest in a series of international milestones for QIU, which now holds the largest cohort of UKCGE Recognised Supervisors of any Malaysian institution — a testament to the university’s sustained commitment to doctoral education excellence.
