The National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) held its National Doctoral Conference (NDC) for its 200 second and third-year funded doctoral students registered in South Africa’s public universities on 2-3 November 2016. The intended purpose of the conference was to create and foster a student-centred approaches to doctoral research development, while also providing students with a platform and opportunity to present as well as showcase their research with fellow doctoral candidates.  

“As an annual event on the calendar of the Institute, the conference aims to provide a nurturing environment for stimulating peer feedback on each student’s work; facilitate networking and collaboration possibilities among students working on similar projects under the guidance of senior and leading academics in the country; as well as encourage the formulation of collegial relationships and communities of NIHSS funded students,” says Prof Sarah Mosoetsa, CEO of the NIHSS.