UoG’s College of Social Sciences and Humanities organizes a PhD Week
The College of Social Sciences and Humanities in coordination with the Postgraduate Directorate has organized a PhD week. The week-long event will allow PhD candidates to show and gain insight in their ongoing dissertation work. Those who attended the event include the Dr. Kassahun Tegene, Academic vice president, Dr. Agegnehu Tesfa, Dean of CSSH, Dr. Asmamaw Alemu, Post Graduate Programs Directorate Director, PhD candidates and interested academic staff.
Throughout the opening remarks of the higher officials, it could be seen that they all stressed the importance of the event.
In his Opening remarks, Academic vice president, Dr. Kassahun shared that being a National Research University UoG must emphasise such initiatives and in the future such PhD weeks need to be more common. “Since the University of Gondar is now highly focused on Masters and PhD Programs,” Dr. Kassahun expressed, “the quality of work will drastically improve when people come to together and create an environment of experience sharing in this regard.” Dr. Asmamaw Alemu, on his part, stressed that such events should be mandatory for future PhD candidates. In this way students will be able to gain quality feedback on their work and also experience various works from their peers that will ultimately increase awareness and insight in many ways.
One thing that stood out in the opening event, was the College of Social Sciences and Humanities effort to improve and enhance the experience of future PhD weeks. In doing so the College invited veteran staff from the Institute of Public Health (UoG) to share their immense knowledge on the monumental undertaking.
Dr. Kassahun Alemu, who is the Director of UoG’s IPH, shared a powerpoint presentation that would be of great help to the College. In his presentation he shared a number of points that are linked to timing/intervals of the PhD week, concept of PhD School, advising style and Mandatory attendance for PhD week. The Institute of Public Health has a rich history of such events in the College of Medicine and Health Sciences. The University was founded as a Public Health training Center in 1954. And ever since its inception staff in the IPH have lived with relevant experience and have seen numerous PhD holders graduate with one of the greatest degrees in Ethiopia.
According to Dr. Kassahun Alemu though PhD programs don’t come without some challenges. He shared that Budget constraints, insufficient resources and facilities, lack of ownership, lack of interest and inadequate supervision still plagues ultimate success. Nonetheless he stays optimistic about future programs because of the current trend of educated and enlightened individuals fighting to stay knowledgeable.
The event started on 17 of May and will end on 19 May 2021. All those interest to attend can do so each morning at 8am in Maraki Campuses Aluminum Hall. Some of the presenters titles include Ethnic and Spirit of capitalism (Tesfaye Zeleke), Effects of Bottom-up,Top-Down and Interactive Models of Reading (Selamawit Zewudie), History and Memory in Select Anglophone Life Narratives (Solomon Girma) and Ethics in Social Sciences Research (Higatu Wassie) among others.
