Increase in numbers of postgraduate students worldwide represent an opportunity and necessity for nurturing and recognising the diversity of culturally inflected research topics, methodologies and expression. However, there are tensions in the definitions, encouragement and recognition of diversity in theses, and in balances of power in supervisor, student and examiner relationships involved in doctoral achievement. We consider such tensions and opportunities using small-scale qualitative research with experienced examiners. We explore ways in which examiners perceive they take culturally aware approaches to responding to, enabling and rewarding the quality of culturally inflected doctoral theses.