Congratulations, James Alic Garang! Roughly 13 years ago, about 4,000 South Sudanese young men and women, then known as the Lost Boys and Girls of the Sudan, landed in the United States of America. The circumstances that led to their departure from home at tender ages and eventually settling in America are well documented and do not merit a reference here. However, what seems more appealing today is the extent to which the group has performed socio-economically in America in the past decade, attending world-class institutions of learning, supporting families back home, and actively engaging in their home affairs. In just a little over a decade since moving to the US, the group has achieved tremendously, especially in academia. Many members of the group have graduated from college, graduate schools, and professional programs. Today, as a long time personal friend and colleague at the Sudd Institute, I am immensely honored to bring to you the news of a successful PhD dissertation defense of a very promising leader, James Alic Garang. Just for the records James and I graduated from the University of Utah in 2006 and both of us embarked upon graduate program trainings in different social science disciplines, aiming for a PhD. James went to a world-class research institution, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, joining the Economics Department there. As well, James, a true epitome of academic giant, was one of the few South Sudanese refugee children who received the Jesuit Refugee Secondary Education Fellowship in Kenya before moving to the US. James is also a cofounder of the Sudd Institute, South Sudan’s only productive policy organization (publications wise). His work on South Sudan’s financial viability, which received considerable policy interest both locally and internationally, is featured here: suddinstitute.org/publications/show/the-question-of-big-government-and-financial-viability-the-case-of-south-sudan/ Today, March 12, 2014, this fine gentleman received a doctorate in economics from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. James specializes in development economics, macroeconomics and environmental economics, with his dissertation focusing on Inclusive Financial Sector Development in Africa. Without further ado, please join me in congratulating Dr. James Alic Garang on his extraordinary achievement, and wishing him well in his future endeavors. James is so far one of the 4 Lost Boys who have received a soberly earned doctoral degree in the United States of America, with others including Dr. Bior K. Bior (’12 PhD—University of Vermont), Dr. James Yai Atem (’12 MD-University of Massachusetts-Boston), and Dr. Garang (Mayiik) Aher (’13 PhD-North Dakota State University). Congratulations, James! You make me, our generation, and South Sudan very proud. A. Ting Mayai
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 22:12:42 +0000
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