The Ford Foundation recently awarded a grant to Monash South Africa to provide several full postgraduate scholarships for the Monash University Academics in the Making programme.
The Academics in the Making programme aims to assist previously disadvantaged South African students to develop academic careers.
“I am delighted and grateful that the Ford Foundation has supported Monash South Africa’s rollout of our higher degree by research programme in such a generous way,” said Monash South Africa deputy pro vice-chancellor: research, Professor Dina Burger.
Several students will be selected to enter the programme. Successful candidates will receive a stipend, full-time fees for study towards a master’s or PhD in a social science discipline and the costs of a residency period at a Monash University campus in Australia. During the programme students will be provided with tutorship, international supervision, research training and mentorship. Tutor training and a life skills programme will also be included. The roll-out of the programme will begin in the second semester this year.
Upon successful completion of their postgraduate degree, each participant will go on to complete a graduate certificate for higher education and will be offered a lectureship position in the school of arts at Monash South Africa.
“We are very excited about this path-breaking programme, which has been based on international best practice with some important new additions,” says programme coordinator, Professor Iain Edwards.
“Academics in the Making will provide the chance of a lifelong academic career to the successful participants in the programme, who may have otherwise fallen through the cracks,” says Burger.
“Such a fantastic opportunity would not have become a reality without considerable support from the Monash University vice-president of advancement, Ron Fairchild, the continual hard work of Edwards and strong leadership from Professor Tyrone Pretorius, the pro vice-chancellor of Monash South Africa.”
Academics in the Making is the first programme of its kind to be offered at Monash University under the strategic direction of the research portfolio and support of the school of arts at Monash South Africa.
Monash South Africa is wholly owned by Monash University in Australia. Monash is Australia’s largest university with more than 50 000 students on eight campuses — six in Australia, one in Malaysia and one in South Africa. Monash has an international reputation for excellence in research and teaching and was rated among the top 50 universities in the world by the prestigious Times Higher Education Supplement, November 2007.