Help Juanita finish her PhD

 

 

Hello, my name is Juanita Bernal. I am a doctoral student undertaking a PhD at the University of the Andes in Colombia (South America). You may know that a peace accord was signed in Colombia in 2016 after 50+ years of armed conflict.

My research is contributing to the peace-building process by looking at what is required to strengthen different conflict resolution and mediation mechanisms throughout my country and the surrounding region. I am doing action research, which means I am actually facilitating changes in the institutions responsible for peace-building, so this is research with a real-world impact and not just an academic exercise. By reflecting on what works, I am not only trying to make a difference in Colombia, but am also learning lessons of relevance in other peace-building and conflict resolution initiatives around the world.

As part of my doctoral studies, it is a mandatory requirement for me to visit an overseas university for four months to deepen my research using Systems Thinking. I have chosen the Centre for Systems Studies at the University of Hull in the United Kingdom to study with Professor Gerald Midgley, a global Systems Thinking expert.

To attend the University of Hull this autumn, I need to pay £2,500 in tuition fees, plus another £2,500 for travel and subsistence (approximately US$7,000 or EU€6,000 in total). I come from a very hard-working family, which has supported me in all my studies, but we don't have the money to pay these costs associated with my required research visit. Last year, my family’s economic situation has worsened, and with the pandemic, we have lost most of our income.

I am so close to completing my PhD studies, but without this research visit, I will not be able to get my degree. As soon as the research visit is over, I will return to Colombia to complete the last requirements of my PhD and continue to contribute to my country’s peace efforts.

Please contribute what you can and share with your networks. If this will help, I am happy to give presentations to your organisations about my peace building work. Thank you in advance for considering this request.