Cultivating future leaders: the Wits postgraduate advantage

TimesLIVE

9 hours ago

The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) offers a range of postgraduate programmes in five faculties, all of which have a strong emphasis on research and interdisciplinary learning. Its programmes are designed to equip students with skills relevant to the global job market, fostering critical thinking, creativity and adaptability.
Students are drawn to Wits because it is synonymous with teaching, research and scientific excellence, alongside its long-standing commitment to social justice and building an inclusive society.
Given Wits's consistently high rankings and recognition by top employers and universities from across the world, we believe that our approaches are effective in producing world-class intellectuals, innovators and entrepreneurs.
Professor Brett Bowman, head of Postgraduate Strategy at Wits
Professor Brett Bowman, head of Postgraduate Strategy at Wits, says: 'Given our consistently high rankings and recognition by top employers and universities from across the world, we believe that our approaches are effective in producing world-class intellectuals, innovators and entrepreneurs.
'It's important to nurture globally competitive postgraduate students in a knowledge-based economy. Well-trained postgraduates are essential for forming the next generation of researchers, creating new knowledge, directing evidence-based policy, fostering entrepreneurship and driving industry innovation.'
Global partnerships
The university currently offers several joint degree programmes in collaboration with top institutions around the world. Two exemplars include the Wits-Edinburgh Sustainable African Futures Doctoral Programme and the School of Oriental and African Studies-Wits joint PhD in Applied Development Economics. The former is a joint doctoral programme offered by the University of Edinburgh and Wits in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation to equip fellows (primarily academics already holding tenured positions) to complete interdisciplinary doctoral research in areas related to sustainability in Africa. The latter programme explicitly anchors economic analysis in African realities.
Other leading courses respond directly to global challenges, including master's degrees in Inequality Studies, e-Science, Science Communication and Urban Studies. Wits's postgraduate programmes have all been designed considering the latest global developments. The leading Wits Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery Institute, for example, was established to advance the development of artificial intelligence and machine learning capacity from our vantage point in the Global South.
Student support
In addition to providing postgraduate students, many of whom are international, with world-class research training, Wits also provides strong academic and wellbeing support.
'The university offers a comprehensive support structure for PhD students,' says Bowman.
For example, Wits has developed the Wits Graduate Online Learning and Development (GOLD) programme, an online, AI-driven platform that tailors research support courses to each student's specific needs; the Wits Doctoral Academy, which fosters interdisciplinary engagement and provides a structured pathway for PhD progression; the Graduate Research Management System, which allows staff and students to track project progress in real time; and the Wits Postgraduate Merit Award, which provides funding to high-achieving students. Donor funding is available for talented students in bespoke programmes.
The numerous student support services, such as residence life and a disability rights unit, among others, are complemented by the Counselling and Careers Unit, which provides support and guidance for postgraduate students. A campus health and wellness service supports health and wellbeing.
Incubating innovation
Wits's supportive environment enables students to conduct groundbreaking research that addresses society's most pressing challenges. Some of these students include:
Caitlin Wheeler (PhD, Human Genetics) is conducting research using single-cell mRNA sequencing to uncover the causes of autoimmune liver disease.
Kruti Naik (PhD, Pharmacy and Pharmacology) is developing painless, dissolvable microneedles to deliver vaccines for diseases like TB and HPV through the eye.
Molefe Molefe (PhD, Computer Science) is studying how to use generative AI and computer vision to drive innovation in virtual fashion try-ons and medical AI.
Thabiso Katlego Teffo (PhD) is researching the potential impact of climate change on vital medicinal plants.