The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) invites highly qualified and motivated candidates from Germany to apply for a three-year doctoral scholarship in Engineering Future Grid Scenarios, to support research activities linked to the ENERGISE project.

The ENERGISE Project is a partnership between the Technical University of Munich and four South African universities: the University of the Witwatersrand, the University of Johannesburg, Tshwane University of Technology, and the University of Venda. It promotes interdisciplinary research combining engineering, entrepreneurship, and policy to advance a just energy transition in South Africa. The Center is funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Federal Foreign Office (Line A), and the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (Line B).

The doctoral research will focus on developing and applying scenario-based models to analyse the interaction between distributed energy resources, electricity demand centres, and grid infrastructure under future energy transition pathways. The research will generate evidence to inform policy, investment decisions, grid planning, and system resilience in support of South Africa’s Just Energy Transition.

The selected doctoral scholar will be registered for full-time PhD studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in South Africa, supervised by Prof. Ken Nixon and Dr. Yu-Chieh Yen (School of Electrical & Information Engineering).

The scholarship runs from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2029. It includes:

• a monthly stipend of EUR 1,825
• research mobility of EUR 2,000
• stays between South Africa and Germany
• Research mobility opportunities
• insurance support

ENERGISE doctoral scholars are expected to: 

• Demonstrate a strong commitment to the work as a doctoral student.
• Participate and contribute to the activities of the Wits ENERGISE Centre
• Engage in academic exchange (i.e., visit and collaborate with partner universities)
• Present research at leading international conferences and publish in leading international academic journals (e.g. Energy, IEEE)

Applicants must hold a Bachelor's degree in engineering or related fields (with a focus on electrical engineering), a Master’s degree in a relevant technical, quantitative, analytical, engineering, scientific, or related field. They must also be German citizens or permanent residents of Germany. More details about the application requirements can be found in the official announcement.

Qualified women and individuals with disabilities are particularly encouraged to apply.

Applications must include a CV, a strong letter of motivation highlighting the fit to the Wits ENERGISE Centre, and certificates, including the transcript of records, research proposal and 1-2 academic reference letters.

Application deadline: 31 October 2026

Applications must be submitted through the online application form (Link to the form provided in the attached announcement document).

Enquiries: Dr. Yu-Chieh Yen; email: Yu-Chieh.Yen@wits.ac.za