11 December 2025
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Story Anthony Mthembu
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Photo Kaleidoscope Studios
Dr Jean-Paul Pophaim obtained his doctorate during the University of the Free State’s (UFS) December 2025 graduations.
The Faculty of The Humanities at the University of the Free State (UFS) conferred a total of nine doctorates during the UFS December 2025 graduations. Jean-Paul Pophaim, Lecturer in the Department of Criminology at the UFS, formed part of this cohort.
In what he described as the ‘biggest milestone of his professional career’, Pophaim graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy with specialisation in Criminology on 11 December 2025. He hopes that this qualification will launch his career to new and exciting heights.
Inclusive policy framework for homelessness
Pophaim’s thesis, titled An analysis and reframing of South African policies in response to homelessness: towards an evidence-based victim-inclusive policy framework, “aimed to develop an evidence-based victim-inclusive policy framework to improve local responses to homelessness, with an emphasis on promoting inclusivity and protection among members of this vulnerable population”, he explained.
In addition, he hopes that his research will have an impact in several areas. For instance, Pophaim hopes that the work will generate a larger interest in homelessness and related topics within the academic space and beyond. Furthermore, he hopes that his findings and the way his work has been presented will encourage those in the industry to adopt these evidence-based approaches when responding to social issues. According to Pophaim, the logic behind this is that, “We often see a wealth of legislative frameworks and policies and how South Africa is complimented on the quality of its frameworks, but it often falls short in the implementation phase, and I think that’s where the value of research comes in, to ensure that responses are accurately conceptualised and contextualised, so that interventions can more accurately address a variety of needs within the scope of a particular issue.”
Plans for the future
Now that he has accomplished this milestone, Pophaim intends to continue collaboration with Kidz Care Trust – a Bloemfontein-based organisation that supports children living and working on the streets – to establish a dedicated research component. In addition, he explained that he also intends to build on some of the recommendations and areas that require more development, as identified during the completion of his PhD. “I would specifically like to replicate the study in other parts of the country to increase its application value and build on the initial victim-inclusive policy framework that I developed as part of the study’s contribution,” said Pophaim.