Stories

Dr. Neil Maheve has been the first PhD student to graduate with a Thomas Sankara Scholarship from the GPN. In this interview, he shares with us some impressions about his research journey. This interview was made in October 2025.

1. What has it meant for your professional/academic career to pursue a PhD?

Pursuing a PhD has been one of my long-term dreams. When I started my first degree, I never thought to myself that, at some time in the future, I would have a title Dr. When I finished my honours, I decided to go into teaching, and, with time, I realised that I was missing something. So, I enrolled for a master’s and then decided to pursue a PhD. While enrolling in a PhD was not necessarily for a professional career, over time, I realised that a PhD enhances one’s chances of being employed in a better environment where their input is valued. Not dismissing those without PhDs, the attainment of a PhD arguably increases one’s chances in a professional setup. I enjoy academia a lot; however, my favourite area is research. I love creating new knowledges with people, giving voices to the voiceless, and creating new roads where none existed. Getting a PhD has made the path to research a little easier for me. 

2. How has the PhD Scholarship contributed to reaching the goal of your PhD?

Doing a PhD without funding is close to an impossible task. Getting the Global Partnership Network scholarship made pursuing a PhD easier. The money enabled me not to worry about my survival, thereby making me focus solely on my studies. The scholarship went beyond just the money; it allowed for a connection with colleagues and scholars that opened doors to new academic opportunities. 

3. Is there any element that makes the GPN network different if you compare it with other academic networks?

While I have not belonged to different academic networks, what makes GPN special for me is its ability to make the network accessible to many scholars from the global south. When I was accepted for a Thomas Sankara PhD, I remember the first time Fiona (the then coordinator) sent an email inviting us to the first-ever meeting of the first cohort. The meeting went as if we had met before, with the fellow PhD candidates conversing like we knew each other before. GPN offered me an opportunity to travel abroad and engage with other academics from across the globe, from the Global North and South. In 2022, I attended the first GPN biannual conference in Kassel, Germany, and met other cohort members. In the same year, I had a visiting semester at Kassel University, and this is one of the elements that makes GPN different from other networks. Most of my colleagues, who were pursuing PhDs at the same time as me, expressed shock when I told them that my academic network allowed for attendance at two conferences per year: one in the Global South and one in the Global North. GPN offered me the opportunity to travel and share my academic work with different audiences. The funding they extend to the fellows is one of the elements that make GPN stand out and make it unique.

4. How can critical perspectives and critical thinking contribute to the current world affairs’ situation?

Critical thinking and diverse perspectives are essential in addressing current world affairs. The two aspects enable individuals to critically analyse complex issues, challenge assumptions, and make informed decisions. Case in point: the Israeli attrition, the DRC civil war/the plunder of resources in Africa. By being critical of the affairs, one is forced to challenge the assumption that Israel, for instance, is correct in defending ‘its’ territory. Entertaining critical perspectives encourages individuals to be curious and thus challenges the assumption that the status quo has always been like that. The unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo requires critical thinking and perspective that allow individuals to look back critically and explore how the resource curse has been an issue in the region since the time of King Leopold. I would say critical thinking and perspective equip present-day learners, teachers, and leaders with skills needed to engage with current challenges that are facing the world and, in the process, negotiate for a sustainable use of the resources with the future in mind.

5. What has it meant for your life to pursue a PhD?

Pursuing a PhD has been life changing. While the certificate and the title 'Dr.' may seem to be the goal when pursuing a PhD, the major win is the opening of one’s mind, imagination, and interests to a myriad of new ideas on how to make the world a better place. Pursuing a PhD has meant a lot to me; I have gained a new title that has opened me to new ways of understanding how the world works. I have made lifelong academic colleagues whom I can share ideas and brainstorm with, and friends I can count on to read and provide constructive feedback, and the reverse is true. Pursuing a PhD meant that I leave a legacy for the generations to come and became an ambassador of GPN on its importance in helping PhD aspirants realise the end goal of being a doctor of philosophy. 

6. You are the first PhD student to graduate within the GPN Network. Could you share with us more about your experiences? 

When I got accepted for my PhD at Rhodes, my main supervisor, Professor Sally Matthews, sat me down and said that a PhD is concluded in three years, and as a result, I should be ready to submit my work by the end of the third year. This seemed quite possible because that was the standard in South Africa; thus, I could not provide a reason to lag. I, proverbially, hit the ground running as soon as I landed in SA. When I came to Zimbabwe for my research, I had already completed my introduction and literature review chapters, although some areas still required refinement. In the same year, I visited Kassel for my semester, worked on the transcription, and simultaneously finalized my methodology chapter in hindsight of what had happened in the field. I also began and finished a data chapter. All this time, I had the opportunity to chat with my supervisors, making time in their busy schedules to meet. In 2024, I received the extension, and as a result, I slowed down a bit, having been granted a 10-month extension. However, the extension did not deter my resolve to finish on time. I submitted my thesis with the intention of making the October 2024 Graduation, which I missed by 10 days – a disappointment. I, however, completed the corrections and finished my PhD in December 2024, graduating in April 2025. It was exhilarating to be the first person from the GPN’s first cohort of Thomas Sankara scholars to finish my PhD. The feeling was one of the best that I have had. By virtue of finishing my PhD on time, I was in line to be one of the recipients of the GPN postdoc. I got the fellowship because I had one of the best applications for the fellowship. Finishing the PhD made me one of the qualifying candidates for the fellowship.

7. Where could we read your PhD? (whether parts of it or publications already made or about to come?

My Thesis, titled ‘Rethinking Development in Postcolonial Zimbabwe: The Case of the CAMPFIRE Programme in Kanyemba,’ is available on the Rhodes University library website. My ResearchGate has a link to the thesis. I have a chapter in Matthews’ edited book on ambivalence and development in Kanyemba. I have also recently published a chapter on migration, displacement, and belonging in Kanyemba.

8. To finalize a PhD is a process that takes years and commitment. Do you have any suggestions for those who are aiming to pursue the same path?

One thing that I can confidently say has worked for me is writing. Find time to write, no matter how off your mood is. A page a day goes a long way. Some days, you will stare at your laptop’s blank screen, unsure of what you want to write. One thing that helped me finalise my PhD was the constant reminder that I got to where I am due to sheer hard work. Imposter syndrome is a silent but dangerous hindrance to finalising a PhD. Self-doubt can be serious when you encounter a hurdle; you may start doubting your own intelligence simply because of a minor obstacle in your path. When I woke up every day, I looked at myself in the mirror and said to myself, “I am the best version of myself.”

9. I understood that new academic projects emerged from your PhD. Could you share more about them?

I recently got a Thomas Sankara Post-Doctoral fellowship at Rhodes University under the tutelage of Professor Matthews. I am in the process of working on some articles, both solo and co-authored, from my thesis.