In her address, Prof Susan Coetzee van Rooy, acting deputy-vice chancellor for operations on the campus in Vanderbijlpark, applauded the doctoral graduates for their perseverance and determination to add to the growing South African knowledge economy.
She furthermore stated that internationally, the importance of doctoral degrees have increased in value. The heightened attention has not been predominantly concerned with the traditional role of a PhD, namely to produce academics, but the innovative acquisition of new knowledge and high-level skills.
According to Prof Coetzee van Rooy, South Africa has seen an increase in the production of more doctoral graduates as from 2008. It is however pertinent that scholars and institutions of higher learning take note the need to increase PhD production by a factor of about five over the next 10 to 20 years.
“This forecast, as made by the Department of Science and Technology, aims to position South Africa as a knowledge-based economy poised strategically between developed and developing countries,” explained Prof Coetzee van Rooy. The National Development Plan echoes this strategic imperative and sets a target of 100 doctoral graduates per one million of the population by 2030. Currently the rate is set at 28 PhDs per one million of the population.
The following graduates obtained their PhD qualifications during the ceremony:
Faculty of Humanities
- John Bester, Public Management and Governance
- Carla Bezuidenhout, Psychology
- Sadiyya Haffejee, Psychology
- James Onyango Juma, Psychology
- Bruce Mark Kisitu, Public Management and Governance
- Rose Kwatampora, Public Management and Governance
- Hazel Buyiswa Petula Matiwane, Learner Support
- Irene Muller, Development and Management
- Jean-Louis Ndoutoume Mendene, Education Management
- Piet Phillip Nhlanhla, Sociology
- Natasha Elfbiede Ravyse, Linguistics and Literary Theory
- Victoria Bukelwa Segami, Psychology
- Leoni van der Vaart, Industrial Psychology
- Marietjie Willemse, Psychology
Faculty of Economic Sciences and Information Technology
- Zandri Dickason, Economic and Management Sciences
- Hannah Mayamiko Dunga, Economics
- Rufaro Garidzirai, Economics
- Matthys Johannes Swanepoel, Management Accountancy
