A determined young man from Uganda, Andrew Ssentale, has defied financial challenges to earn a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Business Management from Torrens University Australia, becoming one of the youngest PhD holders from Uganda at the age of 28.
His journey to the doctoral degree was far from easy, as he had to self-fund his studies while working full-time to cover tuition and living expenses.
Andrew's Story and How He Did It
Andrew was born in Kampala, Uganda, where he developed a strong ambition to succeed academically and inspire those around him.
From an early age, he hoped to lead by example, make his parents proud, and inspire his younger siblings. He also nurtured a long-term dream of one day becoming Governor of the Bank of Uganda.
His academic journey began at Makerere University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics.
While at the university, he became actively involved in leadership and student politics. He contested for Guild President in the 2016/2017 elections and participated in several youth and student movements.
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In 2018, Andrew moved to the United Kingdom to pursue a Master of Business Administration in Global Business at Coventry University.
During his time there, he served on the student council and joined the African and Caribbean Society, strengthening his passion for leadership and community engagement across borders.
Andrew later moved to Australia to pursue his doctoral studies at Torrens University. His PhD research focused on “The Impact of Dynamic Capabilities on the Performance of SMEs in Uganda.”
The research examined how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)—a major backbone of Uganda’s economy—use innovation, adaptability, and learning to remain competitive and survive in changing economic environments.
Behind the achievement was a long period of financial struggle. Andrew revealed that his PhD was completely self-funded, which meant he had to constantly balance full-time work with demanding academic research.
“Given that this was self-funded, there were challenges balancing work and studies. I was always behind on my tuition fees and was often chased by the accounts and international students’ office to clear my arrears,” he said.
At several points, his enrolment was at risk of being cancelled because of unpaid tuition. However, he always found ways to settle his fees and continue his studies.
To keep up with the financial and academic pressure, Andrew worked while studying, often sacrificing sleep and personal time.
“Work complemented school because it was the source of funds to pay tuition. But I had to prioritise school, staying up late after work, and dedicating weekends to studying just to catch up.”
His determination to achieve his goal kept him focused despite the exhaustion.
Another challenge he faced was the COVID-19 pandemic, which also disrupted his academic plans. Andrew had initially planned to relocate to Australia in June 2021, but global travel restrictions delayed his move until March 2022.
Despite the setback, he continued working with his supervisors online until he could access the campus and research facilities after restrictions eased.
Throughout the journey, Andrew credits his success to discipline, determination, and clarity of purpose.
“I knew what I wanted, and focusing on that became my driving force. The only way to achieve it was to push through thick and thin while balancing work and school,” he said.
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