The Graduate School for Economic and Management Sciences recently welcomed a new cohort of PhD students on campus. It is the School's fourth intake and comprises nine students from Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Tanzania, Namibia and South Africa.

The Graduate School enables 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.

"Our aim is to remove all possible barriers to doctoral research and to streamline the process," said Dr Jaco Franken, Manager of the School.

The initiative was subsequently expanded 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.

Photo:  A new cohort of PhD students was welcomed at a function at Middelvlei, Stellenbosch. In the back row (f.l.t.r.) are Thabang Molise (Lesotho); Heinrich Nel (RSA); Leon Matsuro (Zimbabwe) and Paul Wabiga (Uganda). In the front row are Dr Jaco Franken, Manager of the PhD School; Hassan Kimbugwe (Uganda); Neema Towo (Tanzania) and Helvi Petrus (Namibia).