Challenge your limits
by Mohamed Framjee Dinul Hathy
School of Business
1. Tell us about this scholarship.
I received the Graduate Research Excellence Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to Monash University Malaysia PhD students and requires students to undertake a maximum of ten hours a week of research or academic support. The scholarship allows for a full tuition waiver and provides a monthly stipend of RM2800.
2. Why did you apply for this scholarship?
After completing my undergraduate and honours degrees at Monash University Malaysia, I felt that the financial burden on my family would be too significant if they had to support my postgraduate studies. Additionally, as I am Sri Lankan, the worsening economic conditions in my home country at the time made it difficult for me to support my studies in my local currency. Therefore, I believed that such a scholarship was necessary to continue my postgraduate studies. Moreover, having completed my undergraduate and honours degrees with a WAM of 81 and 87, I felt that I deserved such a scholarship. I received tremendous support from my supervisors and the research support staff at Monash, who guided and encouraged me to apply for this scholarship.
3. How did you choose your planned program of study?
I have always had a passion for economics since high school. After completing my undergraduate degree, my soon-to-be supervisors recommended that I give higher studies a try through an honours degree. Whilst completing my honours degree, I realised that I had a passion for research and pursuing my PhD studies would be a great goal. Due to the worsening situation in my home country (Sri Lankan economic crisis), I did not believe that pursuing my PhD in Sri Lanka would have been feasible. I decided to apply again to Monash University Malaysia as I was familiar with the university and enjoyed working alongside the support staff and lecturers.
4. What do you hope to gain from the Monash experience?
Monash has experienced and versatile lecturers who can provide me with the assistance and guidance required to become a great researcher. Additionally, Monash allows its PhD students to teach tutorial sessions to undergraduate students. Aside from providing me with valuable teaching experience, it has always been of great interest to teach others and learn from younger cohorts. Finally, Monash University offers many opportunities for researchers to access literature and data archives through its reputable name and industry connections. This would help make my research more statistically robust and applicable to real-life issues.
5. How has the scholarship assisted you?
The scholarship has been quintessential for my PhD studies. Due to the rapidly devaluing Sri Lankan rupee against the Malaysia ringgit, I would have been unable to pay my tuition fees, let alone afford accommodation or food in Malaysia. Additionally, the scholarship has relieved my family as the challenging situation in my home country has necessitated great caution in their spending. The monthly stipend is incredibly beneficial and allows me to focus on my research without any stress due to finances.
More information on our scholarships are available here.