u/Forward-Garage5062

Hi everyone,

I have a question about PhD completion requirements for positions at KAIST (South Korea), especially postdoc/research positions.

I am in the final stage of my PhD from IISc Bangalore. I have been offered a postdoc position at KAIST. They require a final PhD degree certificate by the time I join by September. I have submitted my thesis and waiting for my defence to be done by the end of September. Once my phd defense is done I can get provisional degree certificate stating that all the requirements and formalities for phd degree is completed. Since I am expecting to complete my thesis defence after this year's convocation, I can only get my final Phd degree certificate by next year convocation 2027.

For applications related to KAIST (either direct postdoc positions or projects hosted at KAIST), I would like to know:

When they ask for proof of PhD completion, will KAIST (or Korean institutions in general) accept a provisional PhD degree or an official completion certificate from my university stating that all PhD requirements have been fulfilled and the degree will be awarded?

Has anyone successfully joined a postdoc at KAIST (or another Korean university) using documents like a provisional degree, thesis submission certificate, defense completion letter, or a similar document instead of the final degree certificate?

Were there any issues later with HR, contracts, or visa processing because the final PhD diploma was not yet issued at the time of application/start

Hi everyone,

I recently received a postdoctoral offer at KAIST under the InnoCORE program, starting in July 2026. The lab has now asked me to prepare appointment and visa documents, including my PhD diploma.

My situation is that I am currently in the final stage of my PhD, and my defense is expected soon, but I may not have the final degree certificate ready by the appointment start date.

My question is:

Has anyone experienced or heard of an InnoCORE/KAIST postdoc appointment being given to someone who has not yet received the final PhD certificate?

Do they accept a thesis submission certificate, provisional degree certificate, defense confirmation letter, or a similar document instead?

Any advice or personal experience would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.