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Master’s Bursary and Research Programme

About the programme

Every year, the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) calls  for applications from BEng/BSc in chemical engineering final year students and graduates for its Master’s in Chemical Engineering bursary and research programme. 

The programme covers two years of full time study at participating universities during which students will work on projects that include beneficiation of wood fibre, recycled fibre or process waste, and resource efficiency. 

Participation in the PAMSA bursary programme also facilitates possible employment as an engineer-in-training at participating PAMSA member companies.

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243363 PAMSA MEng Bursary poster 2024 A3 final

Application criteria

  • You must be a final year BEng/BSc Chemical Engineering student at a registered South African university or a BEng/BSc chemical engineering graduate.
  • You must have a good academic record with a minimum 60% average in the final year of study.
  • You must have completed your studies in five years or less.
  • South African citizenship is an advantage.
  • You will be required to submit a CV and academic transcripts for all years of study, as well as letters of reference and motivation.

Interviews will only be held with selected candidates. Terms and conditions apply.

Deadlines

  • EARLY BIRD DEADLINE: 7 JUNE 2024 – Applicants will be given priority consideration.
  • LATE SLEEPER DEADLINE: 28 June 2024

Please do not apply if you do not meet the above criteria.

Apply Online

STUDENTS AND THEIR STORIES

Changing the value of waste

Meet Josh Nel, a chemical engineering student at the University of Stellenbosch. He applied for the waste valorisation option and has been learning about various methods of recycling plastic and paper waste ever since. His topic involves comparing the technical and economic feasibility of two valorisation techniques. The first technique is the reverse engineering/pyrolysis of a waste stream, mainly comprising plastic and paper, back into petrochemicals.

More than paper

As PAMSA sponsored M.Eng. students, Liezl van der Watt, Chelaine Maree and Qiniso Ngiba share their experiences and what their pieces of research entail. And yes, we agree, paper is cool!

Opening doors by making doors with mill waste

Eddie Barnard is currently in his second and final year of his Masters of Engineering. He has been focusing on the valorisation of pulp and paper mill waste. His end goal is to find uses for it in biocomposites with similar qualities of particle board. Examples of applications would be furniture and cupboard doors.

RESEARCH ARCHIVE

Masters students in PAMSA’s bursary and research programme have explored various aspects of the pulp and paper industry, including the tremendous value that can be generated by turning what was once regarded as waste into environmentally sustainable products.

View all publications here, and view our most recent publications below:

Dextrin nanocomposites and deep eutectic solvents as matrices for solid dosage forms

Value recovery from mine calcine tailings 

In situ extraction and recovery of volatile fatty acids from biogas-producing anaerobic digestion 

Paper and pulp mill waste valorisation via the production of phosphate ceramic composites 

Assessment of enzyme recycling schemes for paper sludge fermentation using kinetic modelling