This scholarship is available from 2008
1. Background
This scholarship fund has been set up to honour the memory of Derrick Young, who was Director of the South Africa Norway Tertiary Education Development Programme (SANTED) from 2000 until his untimely death, as a consequence of an accident in Namibia while visiting a SANTED project, in 2005. Active throughout his life in the pursuit of social justice for all in South Africa, Derrick Young devoted many of his considerable energies and talents to serving his alma mater, the University of the Witwatersrand, as an academic and in a variety of other capacities and his contributions were acknowledged, posthumously, with the Wits Academic Citizenship Award early in 2006. The monetary part of this award provided the seed for the idea of establishing the scholarship fund.
Derrick had the opportunity to serve the higher education community more widely through his work with the Norwegian government funded SANTED programme of the Department of Education, with projects located in many South African universities and some universities in neighbouring SADC countries. Derrick’s flair for relating to people and engaging their interest and commitment led the successful implementation of projects that have significantly contributed to strengthening the system, promoting a more equitable environment for staff and students, and establishing mutually valuable links between South African and other SADC universities. In recognition of these achievements, SANTED has made a generous contribution to the scholarship fund.
It is the intention to continue growing the fund through further contributions from individuals and organisations sharing the ideals epitomised by Derrick Young, ideals that are given further expression in the nature of awards that will be made possible by this fund.
2. The Scholarship
This is a postgraduate scholarship open to citizens and residents of SADC countries who have successfully completed their undergraduate studies and wish to pursue full-time postgraduate studies at either Master’s or doctoral level at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. The scholarship award is intended to cover the full cost of tuition, accommodation, books, minimal equipment, and incidentals. In the case of a Master’s student, attendance at one national conference will be supported, and in the case of a doctoral student, attendance at one national and one international conference.
The award for a student applying to pursue studies towards a full-time Master’s degree shall be R60 000 per year, and for a full-time doctoral degree, R97 500 per year. After tuition and related study fees have been deducted, the remainder will be disbursed in three-monthly instalments over a period of two years in the case of a Master’s student, and three years in the case of a doctoral candidate, dependent on satisfactory progress reports. Under extreme circumstances, extension beyond the two or three-year period shall be considered and approved by the Award Committee. The award amounts may be adjusted from time to time, at the discretion of the Award Committee, in relation to inflation and escalating costs.
Only interest from the investment of the capital sum shall be used for granting scholarships.
At present it will only be possible to support one student per year at the full amounts quoted above, but with sufficient growth in the fund it may be possible to make one new award annually.
3. Conditions
The following conditions for eligibility shall apply. Applicants should be:
3.1 Citizens and residents of a country that is part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC);
3.2 No older than forty years of age.
4. Criteria
The following criteria shall be taken into consideration in assessing applications and making the award.
4.1 A high level of academic achievement and the capacity to pursue research-based postgraduate studies successfully. (Supporting letters from Heads of Department or Deans should accompany applications.)
4.2 A potential supervisor should have been identified and a preliminary written confirmation of this should accompany the application.
4.3 Indications of forms of social commitment in activities related to the applicant’s field of expertise or area of professional engagement that extend beyond narrow self-interest.
4.4 Clear indication of how the postgraduate qualification the applicant wishes to pursue could be used to advance the social, intellectual or economic interests of his/her country of residence and the region.
4.5 Preference will be given to non-South African applicants.
4.6 In the case of applications of equal strength, black women may be favoured.
5. Obligations
Successful candidates shall be required to meet the following obligations:
5.1 As home institutions may require, awardees who are members of staff shall enter into a contract with them, which contract shall obligate them to serve the institution in an appropriate capacity for as many years as the institutions and scholarship supported them.
5.2 Awardees who are not members of staff at other tertiary institutions shall enter into a contract with a public university in their home country, which contract shall obligate them to offer their services in teaching and research, as shall be determined by both parties for as many years as the scholarship supported them.
