Francis Benyah
Ghana
Institution attended: University of Western
Australia
Francis completed his PhD in mathematics in Australia six years
ago, but he had studied in Australia long before that.
Gaining an
employer nomination for migration, Francis came to Australia in 1987. At this
time, he had an honours degree in mathematics and a Diploma of Education from a
Ghanaian university, as well as a Master of Science in functional analysis from
Nigeria.
“I was initially employed by the Ministry of Education in
Victoria, Melbourne, as a mathematics teacher in a high school,” he says. “In
May 1988 I got a mathematics lecturing position at the Gippsland campus of
Monash University where I lectured for about seven years, until the end of
1995.”
Francis then went to Perth to enrol in a PhD in mathematics. He
says that he is “very proud of the PhD degree that I got.”
Although he
says that career success depends on how you use your education to adapt to
changing conditions, Francis believes his Australian education has helped him to
meet his career goals.
“I did not have any difficulty finding a job with
my Australian qualification,” he says, agreeing that mathematicians around the
world benefit from working with Australian-educated graduates. “Degrees from
most Australian universities are recognised worldwide.”
Studying in
Australia is an experience that Francis would recommend to others: “If they have
the funds and a choice of where to study, I will strongly advise them to go to
Australia.”
Francis is living proof that an Australia education can help
individuals succeed. But there is a broader purpose to studying abroad in
Australia, as he acknowledges in some words of advice to future students:
“Return home to share [your] experiences with the less fortunate ones.”