NWU confers 65 doctoral degrees in Potchefstroom

A total of 65 doctoral degrees were conferred at the recent fall graduation ceremony of the North-West University’s Potchefstroom Campus. During this ceremony an honorary doctoral degree was also conferred upon Mr Johan van Zyl, president and chief executive officer of Toyota.

Of the candidates that received a doctoral degree, 12 were born abroad and come from Cameroon, India, America, United Kingdom, Sierra Leone, Namibia, Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Four of the graduates are currently working in the USA, Panama, Zambia and Australia.

Sixteen staff members from the Potchefstroom Campus and one from the Vaal Triangle Campus also received their doctoral degrees.

Amongst them are Ms Sanet van Rensburg (health sciences) of the Potchefstroom Service Centre for the Aged, Dr Attie Jonker (engineering), well-known Springbok glider pilot and owner of a glider factory in Potchefstroom, Ms Izelle Smuts (natural sciences), a paediatrician who obtained her PhD in biochemistry, and Dr Rilette Swanepoel (arts).

During the ceremony the rector of the McKenzie Presbyterian University, Prof Benedito Neto, congratulated the graduates on their achievements and encouraged them to apply their expertise to the benefit of science and social and economic development of the country.

Prof Herman van Schalkwyk, rector of the Potchefstroom Campus, said in his congratulatory message that the country needs more people with doctoral degrees to comply with the quest for new information, to fill capacity gaps and to comply with the country’s need for growth.
More than 400 master’s degrees were also conferred during earlier graduation ceremonies.

The group of 65 graduates that received their doctoral degrees during the fall graduation ceremony.