How Duke Debrah Afrane Obtained Two Fully Funded Scholarships in University of Buckingham and Technological University Dublin

Duke Debrah Afrane began his education in Ghana, where he earned a BSc (Hons) in Psychology from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. He proceeded to the University of Buckingham, UK, to study an MSc in Management in a Global Service Economy on a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship. He practised as a freelance consultant, where the skills acquired from his master's were used to help streamline operations of start-ups in Ghana. After two years of practice, he enrolled as a PhD researcher at Technological University Dublin, Ireland, on a fully funded scholarship. His research focus is on improving employee work behaviours within the public sector. Currently, he is an Assistant Lecturer of Organisational Behaviour at Maynooth University, Ireland.

TU Dublin Postgraduate Scholarship and Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Details

University of Buckingham - Commonwealth Shared Scholarship (fully funded) for my master’s degree.

Technological University Dublin – TU Dublin postgraduate scholarship (fully funded) for my PhD

Were You Offered Any Other Scholarships?

I was awarded the John Hume Scholarship at Maynooth University for my PhD. I turned it down because it was only a tuition fee waiver scholarship.

Educational Background

• BSc (Hons) Psychology at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, and received a CGPA of 2:1 (second class upper).
• MSc Management in a Global Service Economy at the University of Buckingham, where I received a Distinction.
• PhD in Organisational Behaviour at Technological University Dublin and completed and defended my thesis.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to Technological University Dublin and the University of Buckingham?

Did You Take Any Standardized Tests? If So, How Did You Prepare for Them?

I got information about the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship from a high school senior who had already been successful with the scholarship. So, through researching the scholarship, I identified several UK universities as offering this scholarship. I applied to three of them and was successful at two of these universities, namely York St University and the University of Buckingham. I accepted the one at the University of Buckingham because the course addressed most of the current problems in the business environment.

Again, I got information about my PhD scholarship from applying for the Irish Research Council scholarship, which I was unsuccessful in after 2 rounds of application. My PhD supervisor recommended the TU Dublin postgraduate scholarship since he felt I would be a strong candidate for that scholarship.

I did not write any standardised tests for any scholarship, mostly because I am from a Commonwealth country (Ghana). Commonwealth countries are mostly English-speaking, so those standardised tests are mostly waived.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the TU Dublin Postgraduate Scholarship and the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship?

For the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, I benefited from knowing what the application entails and which essays were required from a senior who had already been successful. Based on that information, I was able to prepare ahead of the start of its application process.

For the TU Dublin Postgraduate scholarship, the strength of my application to the Irish Research Council scholarship, along with feedback from my PhD supervisor, helped me prepare.

What Did You Pursue After the TU Dublin Postgraduate Scholarship and the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship?

On my return to Ghana after my master's funding, I worked for 2 years as a freelance management consultant. After my PhD, I worked as an Assistant Lecturer at Maynooth University.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

I was successful for the master’s scholarship because I had the requisite information ahead of time and was able to seriously prepare for each of the stages of the application. Again, following every instruction of the scholarship to its last detail made my application stand out.

For the PhD scholarship, my vigorous competition for the earlier Irish Research Council scholarship made me stand out.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

Go through the same process of getting all the required information about the scholarship from various sources. In addition to this,  I will get other independent people to assess my application, specifically the essays, before submitting my application. The essence is to be able to tick all the relevant boxes before the submission of my application.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

The scholarship has evolved and has become extremely competitive; thus, apart from the fact that more people are applying for these scholarships, the application process has also become more involved. This means that potential scholarship recipients will have to do a lot of hard work at the beginning stages of the application to stand a chance at these scholarships. Again, the success of most of the scholarships lies in following instructions; failure to follow these instructions can affect your application at the earlier stages of the application. For example, knowing the eligibility criteria and countries that are being considered for that particular scholarship is key. So, if a scholarship indicates a preference for female applicants, few males will have to apply, as they might not be considered. Paying attention to these instructions will be key in knowing which scholarship to apply to and how to do it.