UKZN Population Studies

Problem or gift? despite the pros and cons population scientists should have professional concern for this

Migration Crisis in Europe: Problem or Gift? Humanitarian, geo-political or socio-economic problem, or is it a panacea to Europe’s demographic challenge? The migration crisis witnessed in Europe

Interesting to investigate

Population/Demography Practitioners | LinkedIn This group is intended for Population/Demography professionals.

SCHOOL OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES
HOWARD COLLEGE CAMPUS

COMPETITIVE POSTGRADUATE BURSARIES
1 YEAR BURSARIES FOR
HONOURS, MASTERS AND PHDs

The School of Built Environment and Development Studies (BEDS) is a multi-
disciplinary research and teaching School which comprises six programmes:
Architecture, Community Development, Development Studies, Housing, Planning
and Population Studies. The School offers professional and general degree
programmes at the undergraduate and post-graduate levels.

The School is offering one-year postgraduate (Honours, Masters and PhD) bursaries
for 2013 only and invites suitable candidates to apply. Preference will be given to
Honours students and at the Masters level, preference will be given to students
pursuing Masters by Research.

APPLICATIONS MUST INCLUDE :
Official academic transcripts
A mini research proposal/concept note of 600 words (or 3 to 5 pages) for Masters
by Research and PhD students only (if your proposal has been accepted at
Higher Degrees already, you may submit this version).
Copy of your identity document
Copy of your CV and letter of motivation indicating your financial circumstances
and/or need (The School reserves the right to apply a means test)

PROSPECTIVE APPLICANTS SHOULD NOTE THE FOLLOWING :
Holders of existing 2013 bursaries and/or scholarships are ineligible

The School has received limited funding and, therefore, can only support a limited number of
applications. Only complete applications will be considered. Please email your complete
application to [email protected] with your full name and postgrad programme in the
email subject line.

Correspondence will be limited to successful candidates only. If you have not been contacted
within 1 month after the closing date, please accept that your application was unsuccessful. APPLICATIONS CLOSE ON:FRIDAY 12 APRIL 2013

Hi guys, follow the links below for great research related opportunities opening at HSRC this February!!!
http://www.hsrc.ac.za/Vacancy-757.phtml
http://www.hsrc.ac.za/Vacancy-761.phtml
http://www.hsrc.ac.za/Vacancy-762.phtml

JUNIOR RESEARCHER (NIH 5 Year Study) Ref: JR HSD 01/13 The Human and Social Development (HSD) Research Programme employs a multi-disciplinary group of social scientists in Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria. The priority areas of research currently are: children and youth, families and communities, diversity and social change. The programme uses a range of…

Hi guys. Please invite fellow students and anyone else who may be interested to join this page. Thanks.

Wishing all our students a Merry Christmas and productive New Year. See you all in 2013. Be safe and stay blessed!

Some feedback from Dr Jacques Vallin’s seminar..... Titled ‘Is it possible to establish the maximum life expectancy?’. It was a thought- provoking examination of theories that seek to explain the ‘limit’ to life expectancy or plot the graph of continually increasing life expectancy.

The longevity of Jeanne Calment, who reached 122 years, confirms that the possibility certainly exists for human life to extend beyond the current expectation of 80 to 100 years, but whether or not this possibility will be replaced by probability remains to be seen.

Jim Oeppen and James Vaupel produced in 2002 an astonishing graph reflecting a continuous increase in life expectancy at a steady rate over the last century and a half. Their research, described in ‘Broken limits to life expectancy’, has been the focus of Vallin and Meslés’ research interrogating the concept of both the limit and the rate of increase.

Vallin and Meslés’ fresh insight, published 7 years later, identifies four distinct phases in increased rates of life expectancy, the momentum of each attributable to biomedical innovation and development. The role of Jenner’s development of vaccines is evident from 1790 to 1885, followed by the influence of Pasteur from 1886 to 1960, after which the life expectancy gains are determined by the ‘cardiovascular revolution’.

Currently no single biological threat has been identified as the impediment to life expectancy. The increasing gains made at older ages in Japan, which has a social culture of meeting the needs of the elderly, suggests that this commitment is significant. This is evident also in France where increased life expectancy is the norm.

Vallin comments that social equity is a very important factor for life expectancy, the biggest challenge to extending life expectancy being the inequitable access to resources across population groups. He rates Japan as the most egalitarian society in the world.

One of our Population Studies students Ms Thuthukile Mbatha and Ms Andisiwe Jukude of Development Studies were jointly awarded a trophy for the Top Student paper at the Population Association of South Africa Conference (PASA) at the University of Venda earlier this year. Congratulations ladies. Keep flying the UKZN flag high.

Dr Villen