The Bonnart Trust PhD Scholarship
Zehra Miah is a Bonnart Scholar undertaking a PhD on the experiences of Turkish immigrants in London.
Zehra Miah is a Bonnart Scholar in the Department of History Classics and Archaeology who is currently undertaking a PhD on the experiences of Turkish immigrants in London from 1971 to 1991. In her blog, she shares what it was like applying for the scholarship and how it has allowed her to pursue her project full-time.
Pictured is Idris Sinmaz (Zehra’s grandfather) who came to London from Istanbul in 1971 to work in the restaurant of his landlord’s son. Zehra's research draws on the experiences of people like her father and, with the support of the Bonnart Trust, she has been able to fulfil her research ambition.
IN HER OWN WORDS
Quotes from her blog:
"When considering embarking on a PhD one of the main hurdles, once you have written your proposal, met with a supervisor, perhaps even had an interview and secured a place is – how to pay for it! My own story, is that I had returned to study as a mature student with three young children and a full-time job as an Executive Assistant. I had studied for my BA and MA at Birkbeck part-time and decided that if I was going to do a PhD then I wanted it to be all or nothing, so I applied for a full-time place."
"Starting the PhD meant not only the loss of my salary for me but also for my family, even cobbling together the fees would have been a struggle. In short, without the Bonnart Trust seeing value in my research and awarding me the scholarship, I would, best case scenario perhaps, be pushing through a part-time PhD or, more likely have made the decision to take a different career path."
"I would urge anyone who feels that their research aligns with the Trust’s mission to take a look at the website, have a read of the current and previous projects and see where you fit – and then apply!"
Further information
For more information on the Bonnart Trust Scholarship and how to apply please visits Birkbeck's dedicated Bonnart Trust web page.
You can also visit the Bonnart Trust website for more information on the legacy of the Bonnart Trust fund.