This is a featured blog post by OU alumnus Emmanuel Akelem. He is a civil servant in Uganda working as a District Planner for Amuria District Local Government and holds an MSc in Development Management with The Open University.

20 years after acquiring my BSc degree in Economics, I was considering pursuing postgraduate studies on a part-time basis online but unfortunately Uganda had no locally available options. However, as fate would have it, in 2014 I came across an advertisement in a local newspaper for distance-learning scholarships offered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission and tenable at The Open University (OU) in the UK.

I applied and, after going through the competitive selection process, won the coveted scholarship award for a three-year MSc in Development Management. At first, because of its duration, many friends discouraged me from taking up the offer but, while a two-year course might have initially appeared a better choice, I felt that the uniqueness of what the OU could offer was worth it.

One of the benefits of the OU was that it allowed me to study from inside my house or – since it was online – wherever I might be. In addition, I was able to study while continuing to serve my community as a development planner in local government. This offered me the opportunity to test and apply at my workplace some of the new theories and practices I learned during my studies. As an example, my study of the module 'Capacities for Managing Development' came at a time when my employer was developing a five-year strategic plan. The stakeholder analysis and the project design exhibited in the plan was a direct outcome of the knowledge I had gained from the OU.

The three years I studied at the OU were thrilling, offering me the opportunity to read as widely as I could. The online university library is so rich with reading materials that I cannot even begin to compare it with the brick and mortar university libraries full of hard-cover books in Uganda where I studied for my first degree. In addition, the fact that the library is online makes it possible to access at any time and from any place that has internet connectivity.

Although I had fears that interacting with tutors would be the most difficult part of distance learning, with hindsight I can honestly say I found that student-tutor interaction was much better than I expected. As long as you fixed an appointment, all was good. The tutors were happy to be available to help the learner, waiting for your call and to talk you through the issues. I enjoyed the online tutorial classes and open day schools and found it very valuable to discuss issues openly with my tutors and fellow students.

However, one must keep one’s motivation to study high. Without discipline on the part of students it would be hard to progress or to do well. I struggled at first, for example, with allotting time to work in the office during the day and with undertaking independent study alone deep in the night. To overcome this, I learnt to read and to carry reading materials wherever I went. My smartphone became a handy ‘library’ to which I could download module notes and materials to read at any free moment. I learnt to study during travel, while waiting in a boardroom for a meeting to start or during a health break.

Family members always pitied me when I had to get up at midnight to set up my computer, headphones and notebook to join a one-and-a-half-hour online tutorial when most of the people in the house were fast asleep. To be on schedule with the timetable and submit assignments in time I had to sacrifice other interests. I gave up attending parties or what I decided were unimportant meetings at weekends. I became a rare visitor to church (but was ever present before my God through personal prayer). After three long years of this I became the proud holder of an internationally recognised MSc degree from The Open University.

After all the sacrifices made, I can proudly say that the qualification I have attained has exposed me to a depth of knowledge I may never otherwise have gained. The independent study skills I have learned have given me the capability to undertake individual study in many areas. A new thirst for knowledge has been aroused in me and, as a consequence, I am set for lifelong study.

The knowledge and skills I gained during my course have opened my eyes and mind to look at issues from a different perspective. The exhortation from tutors was always for one to engage in “critical thinking”, asking “why” and “how” all the time. Indeed, it’s what I have come to be associated with at work. Peers are at times annoyed at having to answer the many questions I ask about their work.

In-depth analysis of issues is part of what I now expect from my juniors in the workplace – although at the same time I offer them mentorship laced with a heavy dose of the knowledge and skills I acquired from the OU course. I have even recommended OU graduate studies to my workmates so that they can appreciate the change in my outlook on many issues.

Given the chance I would certainly return to the OU. In fact, my desire is to add a research degree, an MPhil or PhD, to my MSc to help address my now insatiable appetite for more knowledge.

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