EGST Director, Dr. Misgana Mathewos officially welcomed Oxford Center for Mission Studies (OCMS) researchers at EGST on Monday October 8, 2018.
Opening the workshop and introducing EGST’s partnership with OCMS, the Director outlined four benefits of the partnership. Sharing common vision, setting an example to motivate EGST researchers and students, enhancing the growing collaboration between the two organizations and improving EGST’s capacity in accommodating international researchers.
Dr Brainerd Prince, Research Tutor at OCMS said that the research workshop on ‘Transfer Panel Intensive’ (TPI) focuses on PhD researchers’ writing process in different stages. He further elaborated that such research workshops are formally organized twice in a year in June and January free of charge for OCMS PhD researchers. He also emphasized that the first TPI redesign was instituted first for Sudanese students in Kampala, the second in OCMS and the third in Ethiopia at the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology, EGST.
In contrast to the western research culture, the African and Asian research norm sees research as a community affair by maintaining the rigor of supportive mechanisms for which the TPI responds, Dr Brainerd reflected.
He informed that OCMS has graduated 150 PhD graduates in its 40 years journey; currently admitted 100 active PhD researchers; accepts 10-15 new students each year and graduates 10 PhD candidates annually.
According to Dr Brainerd, OCMS as a PhD granting school is undergoing organizational change process to equip the global church; supports research engagements in relation to mission. He also said that the focus of OCMS is equipping individuals and institutions with mission; offering Guided Study Programme [GSP] for individuals and organizations; running an interfaith publishing; and conducting consultations and strategic partnerships.
