Deadline: 31 August 2021
Apply: https://buff.ly/3bUqI9b
The Wits-TUB-UNILAG Urban Lab programme supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) seeks to improve graduate education in urban fields across Sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of seven SDG Graduate Schools funded by the DAAD worldwide. The lead partners, the Habitat Unit at Technische Universität Berlin and the School of Architecture and Planning at Wits University in Johannesburg and the University of Lagos, collaborate in the offering of an urban-oriented graduate training and capacity building programme at Wits University that seeks to effectively address the challenges and needs of modern urban studies.
REQUIREMENTS
The programme is interdisciplinary, but we place a special emphasis on a portfolio that is inter- and transdisciplinary, cutting across the fields of development planning, housing, sustainable urban development, urban management, and urban design. Candidates in architecture and urban planning as well as in the humanities, cultural studies, urban geography, or social sciences with a focus on urban studies and planning as well as candidates in related fields such as landscape architecture are also welcome to apply.
Only South African citizens and citizens of other African countries can apply.
Applicants must hold a master’s degree that is equivalent to a master’s degree (NQF level 9) in the South African Qualification System (SAQA).
They must also meet the PhD admission requirements of the School, which include proven ability of excellent academic writing in English, and an academic transcript at masters level with marks averaging at least at 70%.
The programme language is English. Proficiency in any other language necessary for their proposed geographic location of their fieldwork is recommended.
There is no age limit applying to the scholarships for study purposes. However, at the time of the application, no more than 6 years should have passed since an applicant graduated from his/ her previous master studies.
APPLICATIONS
This is a separate application in addition to the application for admission into the PhD degree programme. Once the selection for the bursary is concluded, we will brief the successful candidates on how to apply for admission into the PhD degree programme in the School of Architecture and Planning at Wits University. The bursary application form is either attached or can be downloaded from www.wits.ac.za/archplan/bursariesand-awards/. Applications not using this form, or not adhering to its instructions will not be considered.
Applicants whose masters degree was obtained at a university outside South Africa must have their qualifications evaluated by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). Unless such an applicant is already in possession of a SAQA evaluation, he/she is required to submit a full application for this bursary by 31 May for a pre-screening, which will ascertain whether the applicant should proceed with an application to SAQA.
In order for the scholarship application to be complete, it must include the following documents:
The Wits-TUB-Unilag Scholarship Application Form
A cover letter explaining why you qualify for the scholarship. Additionally, this letter should speak to the qualification criteria, and should also provide a connection between the project themes and your envisaged topic.
A 4-page research proposal indicating the intended area of research and topic, research question and methods. The main supervisors are Prof Mfaniseni Sihlongonyane and Prof Marie Huchzermeyer (see also here). Applicants’ research proposals should engage with at least one of the project’s research areas set out above (resilience, urban justice, solidarity) in the context of urban development on the African continent (the proposal needs to state the geographical area of the research), while also aligning to one of the main areas of expertise of either of the two main supervisors.
A CV
A copy of all degree certificates and official academic transcripts indicating marks for all degrees.
An electronic copy of any previous research undertaken (if available).
Letters of recommendations from two referees. At least one referee must be an academic under whom the applicant has studied.
For masters degree obtained outside of South Africa, a South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) certificate ranking the applicant’s masters degree at NQF level 9.
All the listed documents must be submitted by e-mail to Ms Taki Sithagu, taki.sithagu@wits.ac.za by 31 August 2021. As stated above, those without a SAQA certificate must submit items 1-7 to Ms Taki Sithagu for pre-screening by 31 May 2021.
These applicants may refine or update the written part of their proposals subsequently and will submit their final full application including item 8 (SAQA certificate) by 31 August 2021. Timeline leading to start of the PhD programme Scholarship selection process – September 2021 Selected candidates to apply to University of the Witwatersrand for admission into the PhD programme – October 2021 Visa applications for non-South African candidates – as soon as the admission letter is issued (October/November 2021) Registration for PhD at Wits – February 2022
CONTACTS
If more information is needed, please contact: Ms. Taki Sithagu taki.sithagu@wits.ac.za However, before making an enquiry, please exhaust the information available at: www.wits.ac.za/archplan/bursaries-and-awards/