The Last Thesis

This will be the last Ph.D thesis that I will be marking as an Examiner...will be calling it a day after 34 years with the department, with this university... 

Am very glad. Indeed! Time for me to make way...time for the younger ones to take over...time for me to enjoy my golden years...with my other half who has already retired two years ago..time for us to do the things we did not get to do while busy raising our children..attending to the affairs of work..time too to spend with our grandchildren..watch them grow up while we still can..

Good theses are hard to come by. Throughout my years as an academic and scrutinizing these thick compositions, those that are a pleasure to read..are only a handful.

Most are difficult to comprehend. Mostly because of grammatical mistakes, organizational aspects, objectives not clearly defined, gaps in knowledge were not clearly identified, methodologies unjustifiable and not clearly explained, repetitive sentences and facts, textbook materials... and numerous other annoying weaknesses.

Part and parcel of being a good supervisor for one's own postgraduate student is to ensure that, during the writing process of the thesis, his or her students are properly guided throughout the duration and the thesis then thoroughly checked.

A good supervisor takes pride in having his or her students' thesis readable and projecting a good impression to the examiner (be it the internal or external examiner). If the examiner is happy, there are higher chances that the students' viva session would be a smooth one...and not a heartache...adding more stress to the anxiety faced during the defending session.

Wallahualam..

To be remembered...

A few years ago, A, a young colleague of mine who has just completed his Ph.D, from my old place, (Sheffield, United Kingdom) came up to me and said, “Somebody sends his regards,” smilingly he added, “he still remembers you, you know?”

I was flabbergasted and so I asked, “Who?”

“B, my supervisor while I was doing my Ph.D,” his smile getting wider, “he is a well known consultant to well-known companies now, back there.”

“Okay, thank you!” said I, “send him my regards in return, the next time, you get in touch with him, all right?”

“Fine!” said A, walking down to his office which is right down the corridor.

A few seconds later, my mind which was in the playback mode, suddenly stopped short. Of course! I remembered B, a young man back during the days when the campus was at the present site of UTP. Who wouldn’t?

I taught a common course, where all students from the different engineering schools would have to take. B was from another school. Not from Electrical & Electronic Engineering. That fateful day when he saw me, his face was full of distraught. I could tell that he was not happy.

“I would like to take up Electrical & Electronic Engineering. But I was offered another course,” B said.

I sat in silence, listening for more. To provide him a chance to pour out all his feelings. After he fell silent, I suggested that he meet up with the Dean of our school. A few days later, B was back, his face gloomier than ever.

“Any luck?” I said, to trigger words from his mouth.

He gave a wry smile, shook his head, and dropped his face to the floor.

“Okay...You reaaaalllyy, reaaalllly want to do E & E, right?”

“Yeah!” B said, his mouth curved downwards.

“Then, by all means, try going somewhere else.”

His eyes opened wide and so I sprinkled some spice, “Why not?”

A few months later, B came to bid goodbye. I was so glad to hear that he could get to do what he wanted so much to do...that was the last that I heard of him...the year...in the early 1990’s.

I am really grateful that B still remembers me, after all these years. I am glad too that he has achieved his dreams..and to be really successful in his field. And not only that..most of all, to be able to produce more electrical and electronic engineers himself..up to postgraduate level..

Truly...to be remembered...after such a long spell...is the greatest gift in life...Praises be to God...