12:00 – 18:00

Conference registration

14:00 – 18:00

SA PhD Project Fair

18:00 – 20:30

Welcome reception
Launch of the Vrije University (Amsterdam) – National Research Foundation Desmond Tutu Doctoral Training Programme

  Thursday, 7 May 2009

7:00 – 8:00

Conference registration

Plenary I

8:00 – 8:05

Welcome and Introductions

8:05 – 8:35

Government Policy Perspective on Human Resource Development
National Strategic Priorities

8:35 – 9:15

The South African PhD Project

9:15 – 9:45

The PhD, an investment in your education and career – an international perspective

9:45 – 10:15

Panel discussion

Plenary II

11:00 – 11:20

The PhD Lifecycle: Getting Started

11:20 – 11:45

The PhD Lifecycle:  Getting Through

11:45 – 13:00

Beyond the PhD

Plenary III

14:00 – 14:45

International Roundtable

14:45 – 15:15

Perspectives from Doctoral Students
First-year student
Second-year student
Final-year student
Recent graduate

15:15 – 15:45

Refreshment break

15:45 – 16:45

Navigating your way through doctoral funding and training applications

18:30 – 19:00

Pre-dinner cocktails

19:00 – 22:00

Conference Dinner

8:00 – 10:30

Breakaway Sessions by Discipline

Business and Management Sciences

Information Sciences

Biological Sciences

Physical Sciences and Engineering

Social Sciences

Humanities

Plenary VI

11:00 -11:40

Feedback from breakaway sessions

12:00 – 12:30

Work Life Balance for Doctoral Students

12:30– 13:15

Steering and Managing your Career

13:15 – 13:30

Closing remarks

Departure