Masters in Security Studies graduate, Ms. Ngeti Zwane has recently been awarded a scholarship of study by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) to pursue a Doctoral Programme at the Philipps-Universität Marburg/University of Marburg in Germany. Ms Zwane will start her Ph.D. studies on 1 April 2019 with an intensive language course in Munich, Germany, and thereafter continue at the University of Marburg from 1 October 2019. 

“I am extremely delighted for the life-time opportunity DAAD has granted me with the award of scholarship, and really appreciate the endorsement and support of my former colleagues and friends from the Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria throughout this process. I am ready to fly our flag HIGH, to experiment and make amazing mistakes, glorious and out-of-this-world mistakes, to explore and create brilliant work.”

Ms Zwane’s PhD thesis under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Hubert Zimmermann, is titled: The Securitization of Migration: Investigating the EU’s security-oriented migration policies towards the sub-Saharan African region and the impact on their reciprocal developmental relations. The research asks if the construction of migration as a security threat to internal stability is problematic to the EU-African partnership. It explores whether the restrictive nature of securitization of migration undermines the objectives of the EU-Africa cooperation on achieving inclusive growth and sustainable economic development, because closing the borders to the countries of origin also means closing the trading and investment opportunities to the country of destination. The research also addresses the marginalization of Africa in global security debates and scholarly works, where Africa has been a restricted agent to its own security conversation.

“The proposal takes up an extremely timely topic which is also very much at the centre of current debates in the discipline. I am confident that I can complete the research project which I have proposed. This opportunity will enable me to conduct pragmatic scholarly research, express ideas and pursue the scholarly exploration close to heart.”

This supervision has its origins in a DAAD financed fact finding mission in 2017 which established close links and research cooperation between the Departments of Political Science in Marburg and Pretoria. After several short-term stays by students at both institutions, Ms. Zwane will be the first South-African Ph.D. student to be supervised in Marburg, and hopefully not the last. 

“My PhD supervisor, Prof. Zimmerman, has been very encouraging and supportive in preparation for my PhD studies with Philipps-Universität Marburg. He was very involved in the comprehensive preliminary research and writing of the forwarded proposal to the DAAD for the research grant – an entire year’s work. He is a valuable mentor” 

A native from the Kingdom of Eswatini (Swaziland), Ms Zwane previously worked as an assistant lecturer at the Department of Political Sciences, and recently supervised the undergraduate and postgraduate student staff and academic mentors (tutors and teaching assistants) involved in the first-year politics (Introduction to Politics PTO 101) tutorial program as the course coordinator.

“My disciplined nature; attention to detail, sympathy and dedication give me the confidence to a fruitful intellectual pursuit. Germany is immersed in a culture that has come to inspire me. I am fascinated by the country’s distinct cultural perspectives. This research fellowship will contribute to my individual growth as an emerging academic and young individual, it will enable an understanding of a different culture and the chance to experience a different style of education. It will bring out something worthwhile to my research skills and individual skills, and I hope to inspire more students at the Department into exploring and deepening the established links with Marburg and Pretoria.”