Dr.Hassan is the first MSA alumni/staff to receive a PhD award from UoB. He is currently back on MSA premises as a Lecturer in the Faculty of Mass Communication, Adv. & PR department.
Let's read Dr. Hassan's amazing experience with attaining this scholarship at MSA University:
"A few years ago, when I received the surprising news of being nominated by the MSA Partnership and Postgraduate Programme to travel to the UK, to pursue a doctorate degree at the University of Bedfordshire (UoB), I was overwhelmed with gratitude.
The way I felt back then cannot be summarized in a few lines. However, this tsunami of emotions wasn’t exclusively positive. Being a rational thinker, I also had my fair share of negative thoughts and contemplated the uncertainties. Hence, I doubted myself. The draining idea stemmed from "will I be able to do it all by myself?" and created major brain fog. It became my top thought, and it eventually dominated my thinking process and my other emotions. I slid into obscurity.
I knew beforehand that studying for a doctorate degree would be a long and lonely journey; imagine adding "away" and "abroad" to this equation; it reverberated devastation. Contrarily, after the first meeting with my supervisors and the head of the Quality Assurance and International Partnership departments, my negative and doubtful thoughts were decluttered, answered, and became less vivid. The doubts eventually faded from my mental space. Later on, my enthusiasm for knowledge and travel bounced back and guided my thinking trajectory.
The research I worked on had an interdisciplinary nature; it merged digital media, marketing, pedagogy, linguistics, technology, and psychology. It was cohesively integrated under the Media & Communication umbrella. My thesis title was "Mobile Apps: A Trend in Language Learning? Assessing the Engagement of Independent Learners with New Media".
Fast forward a few years, and now I am the first MSA alumni/staff to receive a PhD award from UoB. This is a threshold, a portal into my academic publishing and contribution.
Being the first with no footprints to follow wasn't an easy path, especially with all the unprecedented events taking place domestically and globally (Brexit, pandemic, lockdown, strikes, economic crises, political tensions, etc.), which made it hard to navigate my way and easy to get trapped in a loop of stagnation. However, the continuous encouragement from my family and supervisors made the journey smooth sailing. I’m grateful to everyone who has been kind to me during these years. I have experienced an inexplicable amount of support during this journey.
My journey in the UK has ended. I am back home in MSA. During these years in the UK, I crossed paths with amazing people and visited wonderful places. As a result, the "long and lonely" journey was revealed to be a myth. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. This experience will become a core memory, and I will forever cherish it.
Now, as a Lecturer in the Faculty of Mass Communication, Adv. & PR department, I am looking forward to achieving more academic milestones in the upcoming years. In the hope that I would contribute to the continuous progress of this valuable educational institution as a gesture of gratitude.
A reflection on this experience would be: never doubt your abilities. It is unbelievable what you can accomplish on your own. Embarking on an unfamiliar journey encapsulates growth through new directions and purposes, diverse cultures, sharing expertise, and ultimately continuous progress. Growth is inevitable in this journey by going to unexplored territories, both hypothetically and literally.
Finally, "I am grateful" remains the predominant emotion. I am grateful for all the unconditional love and trust I have received from my family, the MSA family, and the UoB family."
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Hassan Marrie, Ph.D.
