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Triple triumph: UFS celebrates three new PhDs in EMS Faculty

09 April 2025 | Story Tshepo Tsotetsi | Photo Supplied

EMS PhDs — Dr Shaun Watson, Prof Philippe Burger, Dr Marese Lombard, and Dr Ambrosé Du Plessis.

As the University of the Free State (UFS) continues to celebrate the achievements of its graduates during the April 2025 graduation ceremonies, three academic staff members from the UFS Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) are among those marking a significant milestone with the successful completion of their doctoral degrees.

Prof Philippe Burger, Dean of the EMS Faculty, reflected on the significance of the moment and applauded the trio of new EMS PhD graduates: Dr Shaun Watson, Dr Marese Lombard, and Dr Ambrosé Ray du Plessis.

“For the EMS Faculty to have three staff members obtain a PhD on one day is very special,” Prof Burger said. “These colleagues have grown their standing in the scholarly community and are now, with a PhD in the bag, ready to take on the academic world and the world at large. The EMS Faculty places a high premium on our staff holding a PhD, so we strongly encourage those who are not in possession of a PhD to pursue one.”

Prof Burger added that their achievements not only reflect personal dedication and professional growth but also contribute to the University of the Free State’s Vision 130 goal: to have 75% of academic staff holding doctoral degrees by 2034.

The EMS academics who graduated during the April 2025 ceremonies are:

Dr Shaun Watson: Understanding markets through restatements

Dr Shaun Watson, a senior lecturer in the UFS School of Accountancy since 2006, earned his PhD in Management Accounting with a thesis titled ‘Market Efficiency and Share Price Reaction Following the Retrospective Restatement of Financial Statements of JSE-Listed Companies’. His study analysed how financial restatements affect market behaviour, providing key insights for policymakers and investors navigating emerging markets.

“For me, it was both a personal challenge and a professional goal,” Dr Watson said. “I’d often wondered if I had what it takes to complete a PhD and, as an academic, I saw it as the pinnacle of our field. My wife was the one who told me to ‘Nike – just do it!’ Her belief in me, along with the quiet support of my family, gave me the push I needed to start, and the strength to keep going.”

To those still considering the journey, Watson offered this advice: “Do it for yourself – because if you don’t, you will never finish. It is a demanding journey that requires sacrifice and perseverance, but the reward of discovering something meaningful is worth every moment.”

Dr Marese Lombard: Taxation as a tool for sustainable agriculture

Also from the School of Accountancy, Dr Marese Lombard received her PhD in Taxation. Her research, ‘Taxation as a Method to Promote Sustainable Agriculture in South Africa’, is the first of its kind to offer empirical evidence on how tax provisions could be used to incentivise sustainability in local agriculture.

“I hope to see a conversation regarding policy changes as to how taxation can be used as a positive method to impact sustainability,” Dr Lombard said. “If taxation can be used to further assist our agricultural industry to become more sustainable, it can not only increase our competitive edge but also address the concern of food security.”

Reflecting on her personal growth, she said, “It has taught me that we are more resilient than we think. The challenge of taking on a PhD has made me more open to other ideas and approaches, and more comfortable with criticism – not just in academia, but in life.”

Dr Ambrosé Ray du Plessis: Rethinking the political-administrative divide

From the Department of Public Administration and Management, Dr Ambrosé Ray du Plessis earned his PhD in Public Administration and Management. His thesis, ‘The Political-Administrative Dichotomy in Coalition-Led Metropolitan Municipalities: A South African Perspective’, developed a fresh conceptual framework for understanding the tensions and complexities within coalition-led governance, using the City of Johannesburg as a case study.

“For me, academia is a calling, and I believe that a PhD is an essential stepping stone to be successful in academia,” Dr Du Plessis said. “Being the first in my family to do a PhD motivated me to work harder, as I wanted to inspire those who will come after me.”

Balancing full-time lecturing and doctoral research required immense discipline: “I often had to work at night and over weekends to meet my deadlines… but the emotional and intellectual support from my PhD promoter, Prof Liezel Lues, was central to my success.”

Now, Dr Du Plessis hopes to deepen academic discourse on coalition politics: “My research addresses critical gaps and provides fresh insights into the political-administrative discourse as it can be applied to real-world coalition government problems in South Africa… I hope my work can leave a lasting impact – not only within academia but also in practical applications that benefit society.”

A testament to resilience and purpose

While their research topics differ vastly, all three describe their PhD journeys as transformative, both professionally and personally. From late nights and weekend writing sessions to intense supervision relationships, each story reflects a deeper commitment to scholarship – and to growing the UFS’s intellectual capital.

News Archive

Twenty years of the constitution of South Africa – cause for celebration and reflection

2016-05-11

Description: Judge Azar Cachalia Tags: Judge Azar Cachalia

Judge Azar Cachalia

The University of the Free State’s Centre for Human Rights and the Faculty of Law held the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the South African Constitution on 11 May 2016 on the Bloemfontein Campus. Students and faculty members celebrated and reflected on not only the achievements of the constitution but also on perspectives regarding its relevance in modern society, and to what extent it has upheld the human rights of all citizens of South Africa.

The panel discussion started with a presentation on the pre-1996 perspective by Judge Azar Cachalia of the Supreme Court of Appeal. Judge Cachalia reflected on his role in the realisation and upholding of the constitution, from his days as a student activist, then as an attorney representing detainees during political turmoil, and currently as a judge: “My role as an attorney was to defend people arrested for public violence. My role as a judge today is to uphold the constitution.” He stressed the importance of the constitution today, and the responsibility institutions such as the police service have in upholding human rights. Judge Cachalia played a significant role in drafting the new Police Act around 1990, an Act which was to ensure that the offences perpetrated by the police during apartheid did not continue in the current democratic era. Further, he pointed out that societal turmoil has the potential to make society forget about the hard work that was put into structures upholding human rights. “Constitutions are drafted in moments of calm. It is a living document, and we hope it is not torn up when we go through social conflict, such as we are experiencing at present.”

Thobeka Dywili, a Law student at the UFS, presented her views from the new generation’s perspective. She relayed her experience as a student teaching human rights at schools in disadvantaged communities. She realised that, although the youth are quite aware of their basic human rights, after so many years of democracy, “women and children are still seen as previously disadvantaged when they should be equal”. She pointed out that, with the changing times, the constitution needs to be looked at with a new set of eyes, suggesting more robust youth engagement on topics that affect them, using technology to facilitate discussions. She said with the help of social media, it is possible for a simple discussion to become a revolution; #feesmustfall was a case in point.

Critical perspectives on the constitution were presented by Tsepo Madlingozi of University of Pretoria and University of London. In his view, the constitution has not affected policy to the extent that it should, with great disparities in our society and glaring issues, such as lack of housing for the majority of the poor. “Celebration of the constitution should be muted, as the constitution is based on a decolonisation approach, and does not directly address the needs of the poor. The Constitutional Court is not pro-poor.” He posed the question of whether twenty years on, the present government has crafted a new society successfully. “We have moved from apartheid to neo-apartheid, as black elites assimilate into the white world, and the two worlds that exist have not been able to stand together as a reflection of what the constitution stands for.”

Prof Caroline Nicholson, Dean of the Faculty of Law, encouraged more open discussions, saying such dialogues are exactly what was intended by the Centre for Human Rights. She emphasised the importance of exchanging ideas, of allowing people to speak freely, and of sharing perspectives on important issues such as the constitution and human rights.

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