The Graduate School of Economic and Management Sciences (GEM) is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year.

Home of a full-time residential doctoral programme, GEM was established as part of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences' research strategy. In 2014, the first full-time PhD students started work on their 3-year research projects. The initiative was further expanded in 2015 with the Graduate School for Staff in Economic and Management Sciences (STEM).

GEM offers financial aid coupled with a partially structured support programme and helps students with the substance of their studies in order to obtain a PhD over three years. STEM provides a similar support programme which gives faculty staff an opportunity to work part-time on their PhDs over four to five years.

GEM has recently welcomed a new intake of students and now has 30 full-time students from 14 countries, while 22 members of staff are registered for STEM.

Although most of the full-time students are from elsewhere in Africa, the School has hosted students from China, Austria, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Germany.

The successes of the programme has attracted new local and international donors including the Millennium Trust and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

“The programme offers bursaries for full-time study for three years, which contribute significantly to its success," said Dr Jaco Franken, Manager of the School. “However, it also means there is a continued need for funding."

• Carousel photo: Full-time and part-time PhD students of the Graduate School of Economic and Management Sciences were welcomed by the School at a function at Middelvlei Estate, Stellenboch.
• Right: Dr Jaco Franken, Manager of GEM, and the Dean, Prof Johan Malan, addressed PhD students at the welcoming function at Middelvlei.