Doctoral Training Centres Framework for Southern Africa

The Royal Academy of Engineering projects that supported collaborations between industry and academia culminated in the development of a framework for doctoral training in Southern Africa. The current PhD programmes at the various universities under the SAE2Net partnership do not specifically require the involvement of industry. This was inadequate to address the myriad of problems faced by the region. A Doctoral Training Centres (DTC) framework was formulated by Professors from the SAE2Net institutions. The DTCs were derived from the Centres of Excellence in the region for the development of the much-needed skills to provide home-grown solutions for local industries. Such PhD skills are necessary to tap into the abundant natural resources for developing indigenous capacities for self-sustenance and economic growth. This chapter outlines the development of the DTC framework that was used in the establishment and operationalisation of the first four DTCs.