Ouagadougou: Joseph Ki-Zerbo University (UJKZ) organized a formal ceremony to welcome 454 new doctoral students for the 2025-2026 academic year, inviting these future researchers to demonstrate scientific rigor and produce knowledge useful for the development of Burkina Faso and the world. Addressing the new students enrolled in the various doctoral schools, the president of Joseph Ki-Zerbo University, Professor Antoine Bere, reminded them that the doctorate is a demanding intellectual adventure based on scientific curiosity, discipline, and perseverance.

According to Burkina Information Agency, Professor Bere highlighted that by joining the doctoral schools, students are choosing intellectual rigor and the permanent pursuit of knowledge. He emphasized that doctoral students have a crucial role to play in a global context marked by significant scientific, technological, environmental, and social changes. He noted the need for committed researchers and critical minds capable of providing relevant answers to current challenges, particularly in health, climate, food, and social fields.

The President of the Doctoral Schools College, Professor Gabin Korbeogo, specified that Joseph Ki-Zerbo University currently has four doctoral schools with approximately 2,000 doctoral students. For this academic year, 454 new doctoral students have been registered, including 250 in Science and Technology, 180 in Arts, Humanities and Communication, 21 in Health Sciences, and 3 in Computer Science and Climate Change.

Professor Korbeogo expressed satisfaction with the increase in female participation in doctoral studies. This year, 94 women have accepted the call to pursue a doctorate, representing a rate of over 20.70%, compared to 19.65% last year. He welcomed this encouraging progress in the representation of women in scientific research. He stressed that the quality of doctoral theses is a major issue for the institution, focusing on methodological rigor, relevance of research problems, and the impact of results on social development and scientific competitiveness.

As sponsor of the graduating class, Professor Jean Silas Fran§ois Kobiane urged the doctoral candidates to recognize their responsibility in contributing to the university's reputation and developing solutions to the challenges of modern societies. He encouraged them to cultivate critical thinking, scientific integrity, openness to academic dialogue, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The welcoming ceremony included a scientific conference led by researchers to guide the new students in their doctoral studies under the theme: "Publishing Scientific Articles and Writing a Thesis: Keys to Optimizing Academic Performance."