Should I accept invitation to be an external examiner for a PhD? I have been invited to be an external examiner for a Ph.D. in electronic engineering at a UK University.

I work in the Electronics industry in a research role, regularly competing for external research funding with academics and sometimes collaborating with them too (including 2 or 3 of the academics in the department from which I have received the invitation).

I have not studied for a Ph.D., but feel I keep up to date with research on the topics in question.  I review papers for IEEE journals and have some professional recognition.

The Ph.D. has been sponsored by my employer and I believe that a colleague has been the industrial supervisor.  I have not met the candidate.  I don't feel that any of this creates a conflict of interest.

Am I qualified to take this role?  How much work will it involve?
Since you do not have a PhD degree, you should check to see if the university's regulations will allow you to serve. The University of Nottingham's regulations state:


  However, it will be appropriate in some cases for Schools to nominate individuals from other suitable environments provided that those individuals are experts in the field of the student's topic of research and hold a professional status which is equivalent to a University Professor, Reader, Lecturer or teacher.


You should check if your experience allows you to serve as a reader. You wouldn't want to get involved and then find out it doesn't count for procedural reasons.

Otherwise, if you'd like to do it, there's no reason why you shouldn't!