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Part 2: PhD in Sustainable African Futures

The Doctoral Programme in African Sustainable Futures is an innovative doctoral program that can be taken on a part-time (3 years) or full-time (up to 6 years) basis. It will be delivered primarily online under co-supervision by leaders in their fields at UoE and Wits. Fellows will meet with their supervisors for an advanced training session in person in Edinburgh in December 2026. Each Fellow will also be expected to undertake a partially subsidised research placement with a workplace partner selected by the Programme team during the course of the PhD.

Programme Structure
Programme Structure (full-time- 3 year up to 4 years maximum)
January, 2025 –December 2025 (Year 1)   Orientation & Regular online co-supervision Students will be expected to lead and/or participate in regular online seminars across the lifespan of the program.
 
May, 2025 In person sustainability school at University of Edinburgh
January 2026- December 2026 (Year 2) Regular online co-supervision & partially funded internship with selected industry partner
January – December, 2027 (Year 3) Regular online co-supervision & in person sustainability school at Wits
July 2028 Graduation

 

Programme Structure (part-time – 5 years up to 6 years maximum)
January, 2025 –December 2025  (Year 1) Orientation & Regular online co-supervision Students will be expected to lead and/or participate in regular online seminars across the lifespan of the program.
May, 2025 In person sustainability school at University of Edinburgh
January 2026- December 2026 (Year 2) Regular online co-supervision & partially funded internship with selected industry partner
January – December, 2027 (Year 3) Regular online co-supervision & in person sustainability school at Wits
January – December 2027 (Year 4) Regular online co-supervision (PT)
January, 2028 – December, 2029 (Year 5) Regular online co-supervision (PT)
January, 2030 – December, 2030 (Year 6)  Regular online co-supervision (PT)
July 2031 Graduation

 

Funding

The WESAF Doctoral Programme is developed in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation https://mastercardfdn.org/our-strategy/young-africa-works/

Costs covered during the PhD programme are:

  • Tuition fees
  • Participation in two sustainability schools (in person) (one in Edinburgh (2025) one in Johannesburg (2027)), including visa applications for South Africa entry, vaccinations as required, accommodation and subsistence while in Johannesburg, return flights and internal travel.
  • Research placements of between 1 and 6 months will be arranged for Fellows at some point in the second or in the third year of the PhD. A stipend to cover costs for the placement with external industry (or appropriate workplace) partner. 

Mastercard Foundation WESAF Award are granted for 3 years for full time study and six years for part time study for the PhD. Annual reporting on progress will be mandatory.

Application process for the PhD Programme

Eligibility

Only candidates that have a merit or overall mark of B+ (65%) or better in MScR in Sustainable African Futures are eligible to apply for the PhD programme. Candidates invited to apply for this programme must submit:

  • An application form online + details of two prospective PhD supervisors (1 Wits + 1 UoE)???
  • A 3–5-page concept paper outlining the proposed PhD project???

Referee reports will be independently sourced from the names provided on the application form. This application is only valid if all the required documents are timeously submitted via the Wits portal on the link provided. The portal will close at 24:00 GMT on the last application day. Applications submitted via other channels will not be accepted. Incomplete applications cannot be considered. The PhD application process is detailed in Figure 1.

Figure 1: WESAF PhD Application process

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