Stellenbosch University
Welcome to Stellenbosch University
Sixth Postgraduate Supervision Conference hosted by Centre for Higher and Adult Education
Author: Pia Nänny
Published: 04/04/2017

More than 150 delegates from 11 countries attended the sixth Postgraduate Supervision Conference hosted by the Centre for Higher and Adult Education (CHAE), situated within the Faculty of Education at Stellenbosch University (SU), from 28-31 March.

The theme of the conference was 'Postgraduate supervision: Spaces, journeys and new horizons' and discussions were focused on the spaces, journeys and ultimate destinations of postgraduate students and their supervision.

Delegates were welcomed by Prof Eugene Cloete, Vice-rector: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies at SU.

"The topic of this conference is very close to my heart as I am responsible for postgraduate studies at Stellenbosch University. In South Africa, the success rate at PhD level is only about 50%. This is very worrying. At our own university – Stellenbosch University – the retention rate is 65% – which is not that good either, in my opinion.

"We need to understand why this is the case, and that is why this conference is so important."

Prof Cloete mentioned challenges such as the high opportunity costs of candidates not completing their PhDs, the lack of supervisory capacity and the slow through-put rate.

To complete a postgraduate degree is not easy and tenacity as well as a well-structured relationship between student and supervisor are important ingredients for success, he added.

"With this conference you are adding a lot of value to the postgraduate environment and I am looking forward to the outcome of this meeting," Prof Cloete concluded.

The keynote speakers at the conference were Associate Professor Nick Hopwood from Sydney University of Technology, Dr Suzanne Ortega, President of the Council of Graduate Schools in the USA, Prof Kirsi Pyhältö from the University of Helsinki and Dr Amaleya Goneos-Malka, Postgraduate Research Fellow at the University of Pretoria.

The conference, which started on Wednesday 29 March, was preceded on Tuesday 28 March by a meeting of Deans of Postgraduate Studies (or their equivalent) to discuss issues of mutual concern related to international and national trends and challenges for postgraduate schools and offices.

Prof Liezel Frick, Director of the Centre for Higher and Adult Education (CHAE), said the conference was an important opportunity for researchers to share their research on postgraduate supervision with their peers.

"It is also a capacity-building opportunity for novice supervisors, but in the end we all learn from each other."

Emeritus Prof Eli Bitzer, conference organiser, added that the long-standing nature of the conference confirmed that the Centre has firmly established itself as a leading entity on postgraduate pedagogy and supervision as well as research education – in South Africa and internationally.