University of Cape Town Dual PhD Programme
In 2019, the University of Bristol and the University of Cape Town (UCT) joined forces to sign a new framework agreement to support a 'Researchers without Borders' PhD Programme for eight Cotutelle students from Africa.
The framework agreement with UCT provided new opportunities for the students to work on exciting research projects that exploited the strengths and capabilities of both institutions.
Participating PhD students were registered at both universities, with supervisors and co-supervisors at both, and spent approximately equal amounts of time at each location.
The programme saw these students — whose diverse range of research topics included Migration and Mobility, Public Health, Exercise and Epidemiology — enjoy PhD life across our two institutions.
The Bristol-UCT Cotutelle Programme was kindly supported by the UK’s Global Challenges Research Fund, philanthropic donations and University of Bristol Strategic Research funds.
Continued Collaboration
Partnership with UCT led to collaboration between academics at both institutions, including joint professorships and fellowships. Some of our single-award Bristol students continue to have international co-supervisory arrangements, with support from leading academics at the University of Cape Town and the University of Bristol.
The best aspects [of the Dual PhD programme with UCT] are having access to both the community of astronomers and research groups in the UK, specifically Bristol and the community in UCT more widely in Africa, being eligible to apply for events that are for African institutions or students based in African universities and in the UK as well.