Scholarship / PERSONAL STATEMENT FOR DOHA GRADUATE INSTITUTE ADMISSION - rich academic programs for students [3]

This is my Personal Statement for a Graduate Admission

Can someone please view this for me? I await every feedback to improve.

Dear Evaluating Committee:

I am writing this statement of purpose to apply for the Doha Graduate Institute Scholarship because of the faculty support and quality of students produce over the years and its rich academic programs for students. The faculty I have searched about in this program will empower me to achieve my goals of becoming a development specialist.

I pen this statement from Liberia, a country where education is often a privilege rather than a right. My years in West Point, a community rife with the myriad challenges of urban poverty, instilled in me a profound appreciation for the transformative power of education. Despite being raise in a milieu often dismissive of academic pursuits, my resolve to seek knowledge was unyielding. I frequented a local library offering free educational programs, which stood as a beacon of hope amidst the desolation. This self-initiated engagement in learning led to a pivotal moment - my parents' decisions to enroll me in primary school, a choice that set me on an unexpected trajectory toward academic excellence. English has been my language of instruction, in which I have also received my entire education, making me proficient.

At the end of my secondary education, I attended a symposium titled "The Importance of Economics and Its Impacts on People's livelihoods." I was astound by how numerous economists spoke on the value of economics' education. This symposium exposed me to the impacts and roles of economics in the distribution of wealth to every household. This captivating moment provoked my curiosity for the field of economics and aroused my knowledge of the fundamental theories of economic policy that propel a country towards economic growth.

My pursuit of gaining knowledge in Development Economics is a witness to my conviction that development is one of the most essential tools that improve every society. Based on my experience as a student, I have realized development policy to be one of the important features of a prosperous society because it compares a key aspect between equity and efficiency. I am confirming to explore the relationship between economic and the social models of corruption to advance a rounded economics perspective on why people act corruptly to undermine the development of their society. As an undergraduate student who earned a degree in economics, I develop a rounded thought and appreciate the importance of economics' education. My college experienced at the University of Liberia was assuring, I learned how economic theory and real-world occurrences intertwined. My rigorous undergraduate studies provided me a wide-range of knowledge in Development Economics I and II, Introduction to Microeconomics, Research Methods, and Econometrics. My research interest in the determinants of economic growth, and how these determinants affect policy and the economy, was the impetus for my undergraduate research project, "Determinants of Economic Growth in Liberia, (2013-2019)." This project assessed that Foreign Direct Investment had a positive and significant and statistically influence growth. The paper adopts the neoclassical growth model used by King and Levine (1993).

The semester that captures our research writing was hinder by the Covid-19 pandemic. As such, a third world nation where stable electricity and internet connectivity are lacking posed a barrier of grasping the basic knowledge in research writing. I am cognizant of my weakness in this aspect of my educational journey. My greatest strength is being a self-learner. I desire to gain knowledge by reading extensively in my field of interest that allow me to go beyond customary classroom activities. I attended symposiums, extra-online learning classes and reading article to address my weakness. It has helped me greatly to improve myself to understand complicated economic problems as an emerging economist. What ignited me to pursue graduate degrees was how my economics lecturers explained how development economics is the bedrock for addressing inequality, and economic development.

Doha Graduate Institute has been supporting innovative scholarly researches and addressing issues affecting economies. The teaching modules at this institution are structure through research and discovery, and provide students with the knowledge and analytical tools to formulate policies, and contribute ethically and intellectual to the field of economics. I am confident that a Master's Degree in Development Economics from Doha Institute will offer me the technical and research skills to formulate policies to address socioeconomic challenges.

My future career plans are to use economics policy implications to contribute to the pressing-development issues that embroiled my society and the world. There is a need of research center in my country where students can gain experiences in conducting research and provide policies to address socioeconomic problems. A master's degree in Development Economics is not being teach in my country. This serves as hurdle to my dream of contributing to the economic development and growth of my country. This university is the ideal environment and its programs structure will support me to achieve this goals. Guided by your well-read professors at this university will afford me the mind-enrichment opportunity to sharpen my intellect and educational skills. I especially want to study under Associate Professor Sahar Yousef. I was astound by her research work and publications in the field of Development Economics.

Growing up in a war-torn country, I summoned the courage to widen my knowledge and become impactful. My undergraduate education prepared me to excel in your program, coupled with my professional experiences. I gained hands-on experiences by conducting research, and attending economic-related symposium, and reading extensively to improve my thoughts in economics developments. These experiences and allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of cultural diversity and building an intercultural environment to excel in your program.

I am grateful to pursue a graduate degree in Development Economics at Doha Graduate Institute. My aspiration for economics, and addressing development problems, coupled with my experiences in economics and research, have given me the required skills and knowledge to excel in this program. I am eager to learn from your educational faculties and contribute to the field of Development Economics through innovative research. I would like to thank the evaluation committee of this scholarship program for considering my application.