The School of Accounting, Economics and Finance recently launched its refurbished Postgraduate Research Centre aimed at creating a welcoming and supportive environment for postgraduate students conducting legal research and writing.
‘This Centre is very important for the School and our students as we take the role of supporting our postgraduate students to produce research in a conducive environment as part of our efforts to increase the postgraduate intake. We have 186 master and PhD students, 122 of those are registered in Westville so as a School we are doing very well and we looking forward to graduating more postgraduate students in future,’ said the School’s Dean and Head Professor Mabutho Sibanda.
The new facility located at the Westville campus features common study rooms, individual work stations where students can connect their laptops and offices for postdoctoral fellows. The Centre is also a base for the Macroeconomics Working Group (MWG) a body of economists comprising academic staff and post-graduate students from the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance (SAEF) whose mission is to advance and develop research in the field.
Speaking from a student’s perspective, PhD candidate Ms Lenhle Dlamini said that having access to the Centre will definitely enhance not only the research throughput rate but the quality of the research produced.
‘We are very excited about using this resource as it provides a conducive environment for us to not only compile our dissertations but to also explore how to publish our research through journals and other publication avenues,’ she said.
The College’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head Professor Nana Poku who opened the Centre said that the facility is not a once off investment. He added that research is the heartbeat of UKZN and is important for international ranking and benchmarking purposes therefore the College’s vision is to establish other such Centres throughout the College.
Words: Thandiwe Jumo
