SciDev.Net PhDs in Focus: Building Electron Microscopy in Botswana

 

 

Stephan Coetzee began his career in South Africa, working as a metallurgist for an engineering company, before becoming a material science technician at the University of Cape Town. From there, he moved to the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, where he balanced technician work at the electron microscope unit with further studies in physical metallurgy and applied science. Coetzee then accepted a role at the University of Botswana, where he has helped to set up the electron microscope unit while pursuing a PhD in physics.

 

In this podcast, Coetzee tells us about his academic journey so far, outlines some of the challenges involved in running a high-tech science department in Botswana and explains why training is crucial to strengthening scientific independence in southern Africa.