“We are your partner, we want to help you become successful postgraduate students,” said Dr Henriette van den Berg, Director of the Postgraduate School, during the Open Day held on 19 February 2016. Hosted on Red Square in front of the Main Building, the event was bustling with postgraduate students.

Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State, welcomed all the students and congratulated them on their decision to continue their studies at the University of the Free State. “Postgraduate studies hone and develop you into the person and academic you truly want to be. You only figure out what your life’s passion will be while you are engaged with postgraduate studies,” he said.

Prof Jansen urged the postgraduate students not to stop studying after their honour’s degree, saying that they cannot be competitive employees, if they do not have a Master’s degree. Scholars from other African countries hold the highest number of PhDs; it is not surprising, because these scholars benchmark themselves constantly in countries in and around Africa, South Africa being one of those countries.

“In today’s economy, you cannot afford to have just an undergraduate degree. The world needs more PhD graduates. It is important to visit other countries, so that we can benchmark ourselves and our research against our academic peers. Every year, I personally invite postgraduate students into my office to discuss opportunities for international scholarships and fellowships; I want you to travel and receive knowledge that will make you an expert in your field of study,” he added.  

The Postgraduate School is situated in the Johannes Brill Building on the Bloemfontein campus, where dedicated staff members are there to assist you with your research.