South Africa: The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and the University of Edinburgh (UoE) in Great Britain have announced a collaboration to launch a doctoral training center on sustainable development in Africa

The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa and the University of Edinburgh (UoE) in Great Britain have announced a collaboration to launch a doctoral training center on sustainable development in Africa. The center will allow African students to obtain a master’s degree in sustainability research, and the possibility of pursuing a doctorate jointly supervised by the two universities.

“Developing research capacity focused on global challenges is essential for Africa and for the world. This program in partnership with the University of the Witwatersrand will provide cutting-edge training to talented researchers from across the continent and act as a catalyst for African researchers to be at the forefront of solving some of our most pressing challenges. deep,” said Professor James Smith, Professor of African and Development Studies and Vice-Principal International at the University of Edinburgh.

On the side of the African university, it is the same enthusiasm, Ruksana Osman, vice-chancellor of the institution, hopes that this project will stimulate a change on the continent. “Wits University is pleased to be part of this incredible partnership which will go a long way in advancing teaching, learning and knowledge creation on the continent. We look forward to working with our partners to bring real change to society through this unique program,” he said.

This project is part of a wider partnership between the University of Edinburgh and the Mastercard Foundation as part of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. Last January, the partners announced the availability of 850 higher education scholarships for African students in the field of sustainable development.

African universities had been targeted for the implementation of this partnership. These included the University of the Witwatersrand and Makerere University, Uganda.

The start of training is scheduled for September 2023. A call for applications will soon be launched for the recruitment of learners with particular emphasis on female applicants, forcibly displaced persons and the disabled. Selected students will receive full support which includes a fully funded scholarship to take one of the many postgraduate courses offered at Wits. They will also be connected to a network of peers and experts, enabling them to drive positive and sustainable transformation across Africa.

In addition to the University Scholarship scheme, the partnership between the University of Edinburgh and the Mastercard Foundation will take into account another component, namely: the establishment of a digital education network to help educational institutions African higher education institutions to develop online degree offerings.