Last week saw the launch of a new book, The Emerging Researcher, co-authored by senior research scholar Emeritus Professor John de Gruchy and Dr Lyn Holness, cluster manager of research development.

The book stems from UCT's successful Emerging Researcher Programme, one that caught the attention of other institutions grappling with similar problems.

The programme was launched in 2003 in response to an urgent need to build research capacity – and a new generation of researchers. The book is an account of that process and the challenges and lessons learnt.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Cheryl de la Rey called the programme “one of the most innovative research development programmes in the country”.

“We are not looking at just growing a new generation but changing the demographics of the next generation.”

The publication was underpinned by a grant from Atlantic Philanthropies and funding from the National Research Foundation.