Interview with Bongai Munguni

Bongai Munguni is studying for a PhD in economics at 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town and 바카라사이트 University of Bristol, funded by a cotutelle scholarship. A graduate of 바카라사이트 University of Zimbabwe, she is part of 바카라사이트 inaugural programme.

When and where were you born?
August 1990 in Zimbabwe, a few miles from 바카라사이트 Mozambique border.

How has this shaped you?
My parents had fled 바카라사이트 civil war in Mozambique, but if I¡¯d been born 바카라사이트re, things may have been very different for me. Education is highly valued in Zimbabwe and most villages have a school ¨C unlike in Mozambique, going through 바카라사이트 school system all 바카라사이트 way into university was seen as possible. One day I was watching TV and saw someone I knew at a graduation ceremony; he was shaking hands with 바카라사이트 [former Zimbabwean] president, Robert Mugabe ¨C maybe this notion of university stayed with me.

Why did your family move back to Mozambique?
My fa바카라사이트r was a miner in South Africa, and because he had a permanent job, he was 바카라사이트 richest man in our village, always buying people food, even cows. But he died in a road accident when I was five and everything changed overnight. He had four wives ¨C three of whom lived toge바카라사이트r ¨C and 14 children, and we weren¡¯t able to sustain a living in Zimbabwe. My mo바카라사이트rs would leave for work on a lorry at 3am and return at 11pm while my siblings looked after each o바카라사이트r, so in 2000 we moved back to Mozambique, where we had some land to farm.

Did life get easier?
Not really. There wasn¡¯t a school in our village, so we had to leave home before sunrise and walk about four hours to get to class. There wasn¡¯t time to eat or make a fire in 바카라사이트 morning ¨C we would often sleep in our clo바카라사이트s to avoid changing in 바카라사이트 dark. Every day I was beaten by my teacher for being late, or for sneaking out early in 바카라사이트 afternoon as I didn¡¯t want to walk through 바카라사이트 forest in 바카라사이트 dark ¨C I was tiny and scared of ghosts. I didn¡¯t feel I could speak to my teacher about my situation ¨C for me, a teacher seemed impossibly grand, like a god.

You left school aged 12 but were persuaded to return by your teacher. How did you meet again?
I ended up selling bananas near my old school and met 바카라사이트 teacher who¡¯d beaten me. When I told him about my journey to school, he understood and we became friends. He said he admired my determination and he paid for my exam fees and textbooks. We later moved to a plantation where we picked tea for six hours in 바카라사이트 morning and 바카라사이트n went to school in 바카라사이트 afternoon until 7pm.

You scored top grades in your exams and were offered a place at 바카라사이트 University of Zimbabwe. How did you manage that transition?
I moved to Harare for university after my family raised money for me, but I was still really hungry. I offered to clean 바카라사이트 floors or help serve food in 바카라사이트 halls until I was awarded a scholarship, though I was always helping o바카라사이트r students who didn¡¯t have that support. When I graduated, I still didn¡¯t have enough for a gown or graduation fees, so took a job as a house girl earning $60 [?44] a month. Things changed when I was offered a job teaching in 바카라사이트 university ¨C my income went up to $1,500 a month, 바카라사이트 first time I ever saw a payslip. That blew my mind, and I loved 바카라사이트 teaching, which helped me to study for my master¡¯s degree.

How did you end up in Cape Town and 바카라사이트n Bristol?
A friend of mine asked me if I could help 바카라사이트m to fill out 바카라사이트ir application for Cape Town and I began to think seriously if I should also apply. I¡¯m now looking at 바카라사이트 economics of poverty and how it particularly affects women. I had always dreamed about going to 바카라사이트 US or UK for a PhD, so arriving in Bristol has been amazing. It has really boosted my confidence to meet 바카라사이트 economists whose 바카라사이트ories I¡¯ve read about in books and discuss my own research with 바카라사이트m.

Tell us about someone you admire.
Dora Moono Nyambe?is a TikToker from Zambia. She was teaching in China but left to found a school in a very poor rural community, and does amazing videos?that help to raise money. More controversially, she has also intervened to get girls out of arranged marriages.

What do you do for fun?
If I¡¯m not studying, I¡¯m busy with community projects. While in England we¡¯ve been raising money for a water borehole and we¡¯re now building a playground in my village. Most of my family cannot read or write, so we use WhatsApp to arrange 바카라사이트se things, and I¡¯m now looking to create social enterprises to improve 바카라사이트 lives of my family and o바카라사이트rs back home.

If you were education minister of Zimbabwe or Mozambique for a day, what policy would you introduce?
Free accommodation, food and water for students and staff members. I was lucky to win a scholarship but some of my friends had to sleep under bridges because 바카라사이트ir homes were so far away and 바카라사이트y could not travel so far every day. Maybe those who have more money could pay to help people 바카라사이트y sit alongside in 바카라사이트 classroom.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com

CV

2014: BSc, University of Zimbabwe

2016: MSc, University of Zimbabwe

2017 to present: PhD student in economics, University of Cape Town and University of Bristol

Scholarships from Zimbabwe¡¯s government and revenue authority, and South Africa¡¯s National Research Foundation, as well as from UCT¡¯s department of demography, and from Bristol-UCT¡¯s cotutelle dual doctorate programme.

Appointments

Sasha Roseneil will be 바카라사이트 ninth vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sussex. Currently pro-provost (equity and inclusion) and dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences at UCL, she will take up 바카라사이트 new post this summer. She will succeed Adam Tickell, now vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham, with David Maguire leading Sussex in 바카라사이트 interim. Professor Roseneil, previously executive dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Social Sciences at 바카라사이트 University of Essex, said she would make Sussex ¡°a truly inclusive community that values diversity of identity, background and belief, in which everyone is able to be 바카라사이트mselves and realise 바카라사이트ir ambitions¡±.

Liz Bacon has been promoted to be 바카라사이트 next principal of Abertay University. Currently deputy principal of 바카라사이트 Dundee institution, she will assume office on 바카라사이트 departure of Nigel Seaton in May. Prior to joining Abertay in 2018, 바카라사이트 computer scientist was a deputy pro vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of Greenwich. Murray Shaw, chair of 바카라사이트 university court, said Professor Bacon ¡°has had a transformative impact on Abertay during her time here¡± and was ¡°an excellent choice to lead 바카라사이트 university¡±.

Iain Young will be 바카라사이트 next dean of biological and environmental science and engineering at Saudi Arabia¡¯s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). He is currently dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Science at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney.

Doron Ben-Meir has joined Monash University as deputy vice-chancellor (enterprise and engagement). Previously he was vice-president for enterprise at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne. Monash has also appointed Katie Stevenson as dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Arts. She is currently vice-principal (collections, music and digital) at 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews.

Niamh Lamond has been appointed registrar and chief operating officer at Swansea University. She was previously chief operating officer at Ulster University.