In 2019, the University of Bristol and the University of Cape Town joined forces to sign a framework agreement to provide a dual-PhD programme for eight cotutelle students from Africa.

The agreement has enabled us to build research capacity within and across the two universities, providing opportunities for the students to work on exciting research projects that exploit the strengths and capabilities of both partners.

Participating PhD students are registered at both universities, with supervisors and co-supervisors at both, and they spend approximately equal amounts of time at each location.

The programme has seen these students — whose diverse range of research topics include Migration and Mobility, Public Health, Exercise and Epidemiology — enjoy PhD life across our two institutions, and has ensured that they've received support during the COVID-19 pandemic

Kennedy Kipkoech, a participating research student who was just three months into his PhD when the pandemic began, said: "[Bristol] University has been greatly supportive in the course of this pandemic. The support from my supervisors (and Infectious Disease Modelling group) has been immense. The weekly supervision meetings have not only been to guide and discuss the progress of my PhD research, but have also been an avenue to check on my wellbeing.

"The team managing the Cotutelle Programme have been of enormous help. The team relentlessly scheduled meetings with our cohort of cotutelle students, where several aspects of our PhD life were discussed.

"My fellow cotutelle students have become a family, with weekly catch-up meetings! I am grateful to all who have ensured a seamless continuation of my PhD during this globally challenging times!"

The Bristol-UCT Cotutelle Programme is kindly supported by the UK’s Global Challenges Research Fund, philanthropic donations and University of Bristol Strategic Research funds.