Rob Jeffrey (Photo provided by UJ)
Henry Ford said: “Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The best thing you can do in your life is to make sure your mind stays young.”
This is especially true for 80-year-old PhD graduate, Robert Jeffrey.
This experienced scholar and retired businessman took the stage at the University of Johannesburg’s Kingsway campus auditorium on 23 March to receive his doctorate in engineering management.
Jeffrey, accompanied by his family, said he was both nervous and excited. The audience gave him a standing ovation when he received his degree.
and thesis, Assessing the actual costs of alternative electricity generating technologies in South Africa in line with its economic development requirementsis a subject that has interested him throughout his career.
Rob Jeffrey and his family (Photo provided by UJ)
The grandfather of eight, now retired, wanted to tackle a project that would give him a purpose after he lost the use of one of his legs.
“It is important to have a goal and I wanted to tackle a subject that would challenge me and give a positive result for all South Africans, especially the unemployed and the poor.”
Education was a natural path for Jeffrey who for a short time followed in the footsteps of his parents, who were both teachers.
Throughout his career he was managing director and financial director of large companies, an economic analyst and adviser for the Reserve Bank, he worked in construction and energy evaluation and was also involved in company mergers, company acquisitions and financial projects in a range of industries.
Over the past seven years, he has served as an independent energy and economic consultant.
“I am very proud and satisfied with the goals I have set to obtain this doctorate. Education is about developing the whole country and must, through economic growth, benefit the poor and the unemployed. Good education is the most important benefit any parent can give their child.”
Rob Jeffrey at his home where he spent hours working on his doctorate (Photo provided by UJ)
His thesis is an independent economic analysis of the power generation industry in South Africa and to determine the best route the country can take to develop its power generation resources. In his thesis, which took four years to complete, Jeffrey determined the impact of steady power supply – whether it is fossil fuel or renewable electricity – on the development of a country’s economy.
His thesis comes at a time when South Africa is plunged into a power crisis with continuous load shedding that puts pressure on the economy.
“Jeffrey chose the University of Johannesburg for his doctoral studies, as the university offered him the equipment he needed to work on a project that could have an impact on society,” says Mpiletso Motumi, spokesperson for the university .
Thesis supervisor prof. Andre Nel said Jeffrey was a pleasure to work with and focused on it, even through the Covid-19 period when he was ill. “He worked very hard on the subject and put a lot of effort into his thesis,” says Nel.
An outstanding speaker, chairman and presenter, Jeffrey plans to continue to study the progress of energy in the country and also focus on his photography.
