The Graduate School for Economic
and Management Sciences has just welcomed a new cohort of PhD students on
campus. It is the school’s third intake and comprises 10 students from Ghana,
Cameroon, Malawi, Uganda, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
The Graduate School, which stands under
the leadership of Dr Jaco Franken, was established some two years ago to enable
prospective PhD students to study full-time and complete their degrees in three
years with the support of generous bursaries. Students are monitored and
receive regular progress reports.
According to Prof Stan du Plessis,
Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, it forms an integral
part of the faculty’s plan to deliver more PhD graduates. “The school makes it
easier for people to tackle their PhD degrees in the faculty’s fields of study.
It will result in a dramatic increase in the number of doctoral graduates.”
The first cohort of 10 PhD
students started their doctoral journeys in 2014, while a second cohort was
welcomed in January 2015. With the intake of 2016, the Graduate School has
reached its target of 30 full-time PhD students.
The initiative was expanded in
2015 to offer academic personnel of the Faculty of Economic and Management
Sciences an opportunity to complete their doctoral studies in four to five
years of part-time study.
“Our aim is to remove all possible
barriers to doctoral research and to streamline the process. It is very hard to
combine doctoral studies with a full-time job. Thanks to the bursaries, the
doctoral candidates can afford to focus on their studies,” Dr Franken explained.
In September 2015 the school relocated
to new premises in the A.I. Perold Building, where a dedicated work-station was
allocated to every student. Students also receive a laptop, administrative
support and academic guidance in the form of workshops on writing skills,
project management and research methodology.
The Graduate School attracts
people from all over the world, with students coming from among other places
Austria, China and various African countries.
Anna Orthofer, a PhD student from Austria
and alumna of the University of Vienna as well as the Johns Hopkins University
in Washington, worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company for
two years before registering for a PhD at Stellenbosch University.
Her research focuses on the distribution
of wealth.
“For an international student like
me, one of the main benefits of being part of a PhD programme is that I can
concentrate fully on my research, knowing that the administrative issues are
taken care of. In addition, it made it much easier to get to know people from
the beginning. Writing a PhD is lonely enough of an exercise, so it helps to at
least share an office with the rest of the students.”
Laurie Binge spent five years
working as an economist for a consultancy firm before becoming a student again.
“The Graduate School has been
helpful in terms of funding, obviously, and in terms of skills development
through various workshops. It also introduces you to a network of PhD
researchers, with whom you meet frequently to discuss your research.”
Anderson Gondwe worked at an
investment bank in Malawi before deciding to do his doctorate.
His research interests include
labour economics, poverty and inequality analysis, education, and development
economics.
“I think the whole idea brings order
to the system and makes life easier for everybody. On a larger scale this
programme should see the number of PhDs rise. Without it, I would be still be
working in the bank. I never thought of doing a PhD until this opportunity came
along.”
- Photo: A new cohort of PhD students was welcomed recently at a function at
Middelvlei, Stellenbosch. Nicola van der Westhuizen (RSA), Abel Gwaindepi (Zimbabwe),
Christie Swanepoel (RSA), Jude Mugarura (Uganda), Chengetai Dare (Zimbabwe),
Benjamin Batinge (Ghana) and Anna Orthofer (Austria) were among the guests.