My studies at the Centre for Higher and Adult Education (CHAE) has helped me to develop critical judgement in my professional practice. The most significant transformation has been my ability to research, write and publish in good journals.

As a recipient of the Desmond Tutu and Vrije University of Amsterdam PhD Scholarship, I completed my PhD in Curriculum Studies (Corporate Social Responsibility) in 2015. The result of my research led to the development of a competency framework for Corporate Social Responsibility practitioners to inform curricula development. I have since been involved at Nelson Mandela Business School and Nelson Mandela University where I have led the design and development of new qualifications for the Department of Industrial Psychology and Human Resources.

The PhD journey has turned my thinking. It has widened and deepened my understanding of higher education, including the international and national context of private universities, as well as an improved understanding of quality assurance systems in the world that is helpful in my current position. I developed insights that made me more confident and independent as a researcher. My self-belief has been transformed from initially seeing myself as an incompetent and underprepared researcher, to the opposite position: that of a confident researcher.

My studies contributed to the development of my academic voice and to have the confidence to use it.  I also improved my critical thinking and writing, which I am able to use in the facilitation of my classes. My studies enabled me to develop an understanding of what particularly students from disadvantaged backgrounds encounter during their university studies, as well as on route to first-time employment. The interaction with participants was enriching and broadened my horizons.