Statement of Purpose.
I am one such individual who is extremely motivated and aspires to pursue a PhD degree from the University of California, Riverside in the area of Development Economics. I desire to pursue this degree as it would equip me to follow my dream of being an economics researcher and thereby work in the area of knowledge empowerment, by both undertaking research as well as imparting education to the youth. This is my ambition, for which this degree would be my first step.
Ever since I stepped into my undergraduate degree, my desire to be an economics researcher has molded my career. I pursued my Masters Degree in the area of International Finance and Development Economics. This helped me to understand the intricacies of the subject, thereby, arousing a great interest in the same. This is when I decided to pursue a PhD. My present MBA degree has helped me to understand the business aspects of economics as well as trained me in very complex subjects of economics. I decided to pursue an MBA because I feel it is important to understand the basics of finance and Human Resources in order to go in depth into the field of economics. An understanding of finance from a business point of view will help me to better understand the economic policies of developing economies and the reasons for differences in economies of different countries. This degree has not just enabled me to undertake tremendous work pressure but also helped me train in the area of capital investment, return to human capital and investment in education which would be very useful for my research in my doctoral degree.
My years of working as a manager with different companies like Capital Protection and Sky Maintenance has helped me get an insight into the application of economics in the real word. This, coupled with my teaching experience, helped me to ascertain my interest in pursuing a PhD in development Economics. My work has been part time as well as full time which has enabled me to achieve a good degree as well as earned me critical work experience.
I have always been a bright student with a number of fellowships to my credits. The Sorbonne University Fellowship, French Government Fellowship are the significant ones. Both these fellowships helped me to develop my skills as a student and established my interests in the area of research. The prestigious Sorbonne University provides these fellowships with an intention to help develop students interest in the area of research by promoting team works and exchange of developmental ideas. This fellowship helped me achieve the same. One of my most significant work as a student has been my preparation for a PhD at the Sorbonne University, wherein, I studied a number of subjects such as Microeconomics, Macroeneomics and Econometrics. These years helped me understand the intricacies of carrying out research and also helped me strengthen my fundamentals with the help of some general courses and prepare me to undertake a full time PhD. This experience helped me to understand the course through text books and also helped me develop my thought process through exchange of ideas in a diversified education environment.
The PhD program of your university fits perfectly with my career objectives. The reason for me to choose Riverside as my destination is mainly due to the presence of Dr. Anil B. Deolalikar. I have a lot of regard for his work and it has particularly impressed me since this is my area of interest. His publications in the fields of Economic development, with special focus on human capital accumulation, Economics of education and education-sector reform, Poverty and human development in developing countries have been a source of inspiration to me. I have read his works which involves the study of different economies from round the world and their in depth analysis, which is what I aspire to undertake. I am familiar with all his publications such as,
Gender Differences in the Returns to Schooling and in Schooling Enrollments in Indonesia, Journal of Human Resources 28(4), Fall 1993 899-932.
The Role of Education Decentralization in Promoting Effective Schooling in Selected Developing Countries in Asia, June 2000
However, his most inspiring work is his publication titled Human Development in India Past Trends and Future Challenges, This is one paper which ahs greatly impressed me by the impact of a nations economy on its people and also the dependence of the economy on the people and region. These works of Dr. Deolalikar has inspired me to pursue a doctoral degree under his guidance in his department.
University of California Riverside is a combination of superior faculty, state of the art facilities, and diverse student body is the perfect ingredient to broaden my knowledge in the area of Development Economics. This program will give me the training to perform research in Development modeling and valuation methodologies, including complex topics. With a degree in the field of economics at the undergraduate and post graduate level. I have the ability as well as commitment to pursue this degree, which when coupled with the facilities of the Riverside University would help me establish myself in the world of Development Economics, as a researcher and teacher.
Personal Statement
In the year 1995 when I joined the Birzeit University, Palestine for a degree in Economics, I had a dream. This dream was to understand the complex subject and its intricacies which drive the entire world. The effect of economics on the entire human race had always intrigued me. Right from the Stone Age, man had always centered himself around economy and money. This attraction of man is what had inspired me to pursue my bachelors degree.
After the completion of my degree, I realized that my interest in the field went deeper than what I learnt at the undergraduate level. This is when I decided to make a career in the field of economics, as a researcher and teacher. My experiences of working as a manger for Capital Protection, gave me my first experience of practical economics. It was here, that I understood clearly the subjects I had studied and the influence it had on millions of people. At the same time I also undertook the role of teaching economics, for I found a great interest in imparting knowledge to youngsters. These two jobs helped me to decide my future.
I want to obtain a PhD in Development Economics, for I have seen the importance of this subject to every single human being. My masters degree in International Economy and Development Economics helped me to realize that economics is greatly varied over continents. A clear understanding of these concepts is essential so as to build a good world economy as well as develop countries with potential but lack of guidance.
The economic policies of any country impact its citizens, and that is the reason why I want to work in the development area so that I can help formulate good economic decisions in my capacity as an economics researcher. My dream of carrying out research as well as teaching as a Professor falls in line with my dream of working for the world. As a researcher I want to contribute in formulating economic policies and also as a teacher want to impart my experiences and knowledge to others. It is this dream that I aspire to fulfill through my PhD degree.
Work History
My work experience started off when I was very young. My first job was while I was in my undergraduate degree. I worked in the University library of BirZeit University in the classification section. This job was for three years, and I worked for 20 hours a week. This experience was very valuable as working in the library helped me get access to a number of books and publications.
During my stint in the Sorbonne University in France, I again took up a similar job. This time I was working in the documentation center for 20 hours a week. My responsibilities included documenting the activities and tasks undertaken and this gave me a good experience in document handling.
At present I am working as the Office manager for Sky Maintenance and Repair, California. Here my responsibilities include maintaining records of employees, vendor details and other payment details. This is a full time job and I am pursuing my MBA as well.
Long Term Goals
My motivation for pursuing a PhD in Development Economics is my desire to get into the education environment. I aspire to be a researcher and teacher of economics with a focus on Development Economics. This is a subject which is essential for under developed economies to strengthen their economic strategies. My study and thereby my career as an economics researcher would help in this endeavor. Also, I want to be a teacher of economics, which would help me to impart education and my knowledge to other students, of different communities and countries. I aspire to convert my education into a useful tool for the development of society and people at large. Economics is what drives the human race and I want to be an instrumental part in developing the same for the world.
Impediment to Your Advancement
I have always been a very motivated student with a clear ambition of becoming a researcher. However, as a lady, I had to face a number of hurdles in my career which resulted in some discontinuation of my studies.
After I completed my studies in France and was preparing for my PhD at the Sorbonne University, I got married. This resulted in me shifting to the USA which was a totally different country. There was a lot of difference in the studying environment of both countries. As a result I had to prepare slightly differently and which took some time. The adaptation to a new country wasnt easy and also I had personal commitments like young children. This naturally exerted a lot of financial pressure and thereby causing a big break in my career.
However, my determination and aspiration to be an Economist has motivated me to pursue my career despite these breaks. Keeping my career prospects in mind, I took up various jobs and also undertook my MBA degree. Now, with my family commitments fairly sorted out, I want to focus on my career and pursue my dream of becoming an Economics researcher.