Fundraising to Complete PhD at Oxford
Donation protected
Hello everyone! My name is Lakshmi Balakrishnan and I am pursing a PhD degree in Shakespeare Studies at the University of Oxford. Last year I had organized a very successful campaign here and raised £9,425 to pay my third-year tuition fees with the help of so many kind donors, to whose generosity I will always be gratefully indebted. While I was hoping to finish my thesis by the end of my third year, I have to take a one-year extension to submit my thesis now (it is common for PhD students in my field at Oxford to take four years to finish the degree).
My Story
I come from Madurai, a small town in southern India, and I am the first person in my family to study abroad. Personally, as financial hardship was always an inescapable reality of my life due to the economic circumstances of my family, I learnt that the path of education is the only way to overcome such barriers, especially for women. It is this realization that constantly kept pushing me to pursue higher education, despite all odds, and has ultimately led me to where I am today. Before I came to Oxford, I was working as an Assistant Professor at a Delhi University college for four years. When I got that teaching job, I learnt the value of higher education as I saw how it paved the way for a better life for me, and so I never missed an opportunity to help my own students to pursue graduate studies. When I received the offer to pursue a PhD from Oxford, I had to leave behind the small world of economic stability I had built for myself and pool in all the resources I had at my disposal to start my first year here in the hope that I can build a better future with a degree from this historic institution. When I took my place at Oxford, the exchange rate meant that I could barely pay half the tuition fees of my first year with all of the savings from my teaching job of four years in India. Fortunately, along the course of my journey here, several people, whose generosity knew no bounds, were determined to see me succeed and so they helped me abundantly with grants and donations at different stages, including on this very platform, so that I could eventually finish three years of my studies. I now need a one more year to complete my thesis.
About my Research Background
To tell you a little bit about my research and why I need this extension, I work on the intersection of emotions and economics in Shakespeare. While my topic and ideas have been appreciated for their originality, I need to work on ‘historicizing’ my arguments in the Renaissance age. This means, in addition to engaging with the vast and complex world of Shakespeare, I have to also analyse several non-literary philosophical and moral treatises of the age to, in effect, archaeologically excavate the Renaissance understanding of emotions and economics (which is different from our modern understanding), and then to show how and where Shakespeare concurs or differs from the cultural and political zeitgeist of his age. This is the methodological tradition that is widely followed in Oxford. Even though I have learnt and taught Shakespeare for several years in India, I was not familiar with the academic milieu of Oxford. Being new to this system, it has taken time for me to learn to place my arguments in the specific tradition practiced in Oxford, which is why I need the fourth year to complete my thesis. While it is common for students in my course here to take four years to finish their degree, I was keen to finish my thesis in three years’ time due to funding constraints. However, the relative disadvantage of my cultural and academic background, combined with the rigorous demands of the system have made it necessary for me to take an extension into the fourth year to submit my thesis. In spite of the challenges (not least because of the pandemic), I am making good progress with my work. However, to finish this degree, I once again need your help for the last time.
Costs
I am raising funds to cover the living expenses and continuation charges (tuition) for the year. The good news is that I do not have to pay my full tuition fees like last year, but only pay the continuation charge for each term, the total of which comes to £2,312 till October/November 2022, when I will submit my final thesis. The living expenses approximately come to £13,000 for the whole year (which is even less than the lower range of £14,100 of the University’s official estimate). The total costs that I am seeking your support for is £15,575. (Please note that while the total goal on this campaign page shows as £25,000, it includes the £9,425 that was already raised last year as I am building on this year’s campaign from last year’s page. So the actual goal is £15,575, not £25,000.)
As already indicated, I do not have the means to support myself. There are no scholarship opportunities in the University to meet this cost for the humanities students, and that too of international background, especially at this stage of my research. Neither am I able to take up a part-time job this year since I need to spend more time on my research to finish the degree on time.
Given these circumstances, I would be very grateful for any help you can offer. No amount is too small as every pound will make an enormous difference to my campaign and so please donate whatever you can. It would also be really helpful if you can please share this page widely, and encourage your family and friends to support me in any way they can. Thank you so much for taking the time out to read my story and for offering me your kind support!
My Story
I come from Madurai, a small town in southern India, and I am the first person in my family to study abroad. Personally, as financial hardship was always an inescapable reality of my life due to the economic circumstances of my family, I learnt that the path of education is the only way to overcome such barriers, especially for women. It is this realization that constantly kept pushing me to pursue higher education, despite all odds, and has ultimately led me to where I am today. Before I came to Oxford, I was working as an Assistant Professor at a Delhi University college for four years. When I got that teaching job, I learnt the value of higher education as I saw how it paved the way for a better life for me, and so I never missed an opportunity to help my own students to pursue graduate studies. When I received the offer to pursue a PhD from Oxford, I had to leave behind the small world of economic stability I had built for myself and pool in all the resources I had at my disposal to start my first year here in the hope that I can build a better future with a degree from this historic institution. When I took my place at Oxford, the exchange rate meant that I could barely pay half the tuition fees of my first year with all of the savings from my teaching job of four years in India. Fortunately, along the course of my journey here, several people, whose generosity knew no bounds, were determined to see me succeed and so they helped me abundantly with grants and donations at different stages, including on this very platform, so that I could eventually finish three years of my studies. I now need a one more year to complete my thesis.
About my Research Background
To tell you a little bit about my research and why I need this extension, I work on the intersection of emotions and economics in Shakespeare. While my topic and ideas have been appreciated for their originality, I need to work on ‘historicizing’ my arguments in the Renaissance age. This means, in addition to engaging with the vast and complex world of Shakespeare, I have to also analyse several non-literary philosophical and moral treatises of the age to, in effect, archaeologically excavate the Renaissance understanding of emotions and economics (which is different from our modern understanding), and then to show how and where Shakespeare concurs or differs from the cultural and political zeitgeist of his age. This is the methodological tradition that is widely followed in Oxford. Even though I have learnt and taught Shakespeare for several years in India, I was not familiar with the academic milieu of Oxford. Being new to this system, it has taken time for me to learn to place my arguments in the specific tradition practiced in Oxford, which is why I need the fourth year to complete my thesis. While it is common for students in my course here to take four years to finish their degree, I was keen to finish my thesis in three years’ time due to funding constraints. However, the relative disadvantage of my cultural and academic background, combined with the rigorous demands of the system have made it necessary for me to take an extension into the fourth year to submit my thesis. In spite of the challenges (not least because of the pandemic), I am making good progress with my work. However, to finish this degree, I once again need your help for the last time.
Costs
I am raising funds to cover the living expenses and continuation charges (tuition) for the year. The good news is that I do not have to pay my full tuition fees like last year, but only pay the continuation charge for each term, the total of which comes to £2,312 till October/November 2022, when I will submit my final thesis. The living expenses approximately come to £13,000 for the whole year (which is even less than the lower range of £14,100 of the University’s official estimate). The total costs that I am seeking your support for is £15,575. (Please note that while the total goal on this campaign page shows as £25,000, it includes the £9,425 that was already raised last year as I am building on this year’s campaign from last year’s page. So the actual goal is £15,575, not £25,000.)
As already indicated, I do not have the means to support myself. There are no scholarship opportunities in the University to meet this cost for the humanities students, and that too of international background, especially at this stage of my research. Neither am I able to take up a part-time job this year since I need to spend more time on my research to finish the degree on time.
Given these circumstances, I would be very grateful for any help you can offer. No amount is too small as every pound will make an enormous difference to my campaign and so please donate whatever you can. It would also be really helpful if you can please share this page widely, and encourage your family and friends to support me in any way they can. Thank you so much for taking the time out to read my story and for offering me your kind support!
Organizer
Lakshmi Priya Balakrishnan
Organizer
