dr. DR
Saturday, June 30, 2012 at 1:33PM 
This is what a dissertation defense ceremony looks like in Utrecht, Holland, where it is conducted pretty much the same way as it was in the 1100's. I was honored by an illustrious panel of professors who flew in from across Europe to challenge my critique of corporatism as a media environment. It was at once loving and adversarial, and a conversation for which I am truly a richer person and deeper thinker.
Thanks especially to Prof.dr. Frank Kessler, Prof.dr. Joost Raessens, and Dr. Mirko Schaefer, who were my proponents, as well as my worthy opponents, Prof.dr. William Uricchio (MIT-Utrecht University), Prof.dr. Frans Mayra (University of Tampere, Finland), Prof.dr. Ben Schouten (University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands), Prof.dr. Jeroen Jansz (Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands) and Prof.dr. Christoph Bieber (University of Duisburg-Essen Germany).
If anyone is considering a Masters or PhD in new media studies, digital culture, or games and playability, you probably won't find a better or more beautiful place to study than The Center for the Study of Digital Culture, Games and Play at Utrecht University.
photo via Twitter by http://www.zo-ii.com/
Reader Comments (8)
I'm sure it's very genteel, but it still looks terrifying, as if you (or your thesis, at least) are actually on trial...
Is your dissertation online somewhere? It has to be a very interesting reading...
Douglas Rushkoff, you have been a bona fide Learned Man to me for at least 15 years now, and after Life, Inc? That was doctorate enough for my tastes...and far better writing than most.
I'm glad you got something from your experiences in Utrecht, but as far as I'm concerned you had nothing to prove to me...and many of my friends who value your work and voice.
Tweets about your dissertation have made me very curious about the dissertation as well; so if it becomes available online I would be very grateful.
I'm sure it will be. Utrecht will put it in their library and online database.
Congratulations!
Congratulations and good luck for the future.
Congratulations!
The Dutch foundation promoting Scratch - www.scratchweb.nl - uses your "Program or be programmed" as a thank you gift. Warming them up for the 362 pages of http://igitur-archive.library.uu.nl/dissertations/2012-0712-200619/rushkoff.pdf :-)
Keep up the good work.