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Graduate School welcomes new PhD students
Author: Pia Nänny
Published: 28/01/2016
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.