Testimonials


Find out why our current PhDs are enthusiastic about the Part-Time PhD in Business and Management. Would you like to join the next PhD cohort? See our admission criteria and find out how to apply.

Please note that the testimonials found below are from RSM-based PhDs.

Ana Maria Sierra Maya

Why did you choose the Part-Time PhD?
I chose the Part-Time PhD programme because I want to be part of the RSM mission to be a force for positive change in the world, having an impact in society through business research. The Part-Time PhD programme is a great opportunity to combine my executive activity with top notch research abilities; the programme is designed to suit the agenda of active executives. The quality and support of all the professors, of the supervisory team and the programme coordinators inspires and effectively guides the PhD process.

What do you like about the programme?
I like how the Part-Time PhD programme has challenged my skills and views. This program gives me a structured approach to top quality research and reignites my understanding of management. I especially enjoy the lectures and conversations with the RSM faculty, a community of highly rated academics that open the black box of scientific research philosophy and tools in an inspiring and enthusiastic way. I am proud to be part of this programme and willing to create knowledge combining my decades of real business experience with the wisdom of the global research community that is now available for executives through this unique programme.

Curtis Goldsby

Why did you choose the Part-Time PhD?
I applied to the Part-Time PhD programme because of its winning combination of academic rigor and professional emphasis. As one of the top European institutions for progressive management research, RSM has poured its longstanding experience with academics into a part-time PhD programme that gives professionals the knowledge and tools needed for rigorous academic research. For instance, the programme systematically guides students to produce and publish high-quality academic articles. Because part-time PhD students typically work at the heart of pressing managerial challenges, the programme is also designed to provide enough flexibility to accommodate the part-time schedule of professionals. Taken together, this makes for a rigorous and flexible programme that leads to a sustained and effective learning experience for professionals!

What do you like about the programme?
I commend that the part-time PhD programme accounts for the individual needs of students (e.g., schedules, topics, supervisors), and that the programme provides a structure in the form of “modules” intended to support the student in producing high quality academic work.

Daniel Liebau

Why did you choose the Part-Time PhD?
I researched and compared a fair bit across the different programmes available for working professionals globally before submitting my application. What I liked a lot about Erasmus University was a clear focus on high-quality research. There are probably easier paths to a doctorate. But if one wants to learn how to conduct best-in-class academic research, this is the right place. I have not seen any other University that offers a part-time PhD programme with the same rigor, especially in my area (Finance).

What do you like about the programme?
Three things, really: First, I very much liked the many courses and seminars on research methods during the first 18 months of the programme that were taught by senior faculty members. They helped me to gain a good understanding of the techniques required to do academic research. Second, and most importantly, I am most thankful to work with my two supervisors, Peter and Thomas. They have excellent research experience and expertise. Their work is being published in the very top academic journals in Finance and Management. For me, as a novel researcher, this is an excellent opportunity to learn from the best. Lastly, I am very thankful for having met my fellow PhD candidate friends in the cohort. They are a diverse, smart and global group of people I can learn from.

Dijana Aleksic

Why did you choose the Part-Time PhD?
I was aware of RSM's reputation for the quality of faculty and the high standard of research. I wanted to be exposed to and stretched to the higher level of academic curiosity, while keeping in sight practical applications of my research. Additionally, I liked the very organised and structured approach to lectures, as well as the opportunity to be part of the cohort with other students.

What do you like about the programme?
My advisors are experts in their fields, who have given me an invaluable guidance, support and questioning that is keeping me even more motivated to continue with my research. I enjoy the camaraderie of the participants in the part-time PhD program, not just from our cohort, but also other cohorts, to mix fun with a forum to talk about research.

Izaak Dekker

What do you like about the programme?
The programme introduces professionals and business leaders to the world of academic rigor and guides them through the exhilarating processes that accompany a PhD. During this journey, the diverse group of ambitious and experienced fellow part-time PhD candidates offer moral support and camaraderie.

Linda van Rijn

Why did you choose the Part-Time PhD?
Having finished my MSc many years ago, I like the solid foundation of the first one and a half years. During the first one and a half years, the courses were a good refresher. The workload also prepared me for the hard work that comes after that.

What do you like about the programme?
I enjoy the contact with my fellow cohort members. They understand what it is like to be in a PhD trajectory, and they are great sparring partners. I also like that it is possible to take additional courses that contribute to my projects, apart from the mandatory program. More plusses are my advisors, the facilities, and the campus.

Malika Ouacha

Why did you choose the Part-Time PhD?
I once read this quote, saying: "If you want to become the best in what you know, then you must work with those who strive to always be the best". This always came up on crucial moments in my life, when I had to make a long-term decision. After completing both my Master of Arts at the Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech and my Master of Science at the University of Amsterdam, both degrees in social and cultural anthropology, I discovered how much I enjoyed doing research and sharing my findings with the world around me. The next logical step would be pursuing my PhD. Yet, I didn’t see myself working on one specific topic, full-time, for four to five years. Even though I love doing research, and I already had an idea of what I wanted to write my dissertation about, I stuck to the aim to not write to end up on a bookshelf, but to write my PhD dissertation to conversate, develop better understanding and therefor serve humanity. I believe that the development of knowledge brings along a certain amount of social responsibility. I always knew that the combination of academic research and the gain of experience in the field would be the best training for me, to become that future version of me. Both personally and professionally. To serve humanity, indeed. I shared this aim with my supervisor and promotor prof. dr. Lucas Meijs, during our first meeting. Further research made me realize that it is also what RSM is best in doing, which explains its top ranking in the world and confirms my earlier mentioned quote. The Part-Time PhD programme is perfectly designed to spend just enough time on my PhD while also leaving room for other responsibilities life brings along. It is hybrid in a way that it doesn’t matter in which field one works or aims to do research in. By how the programme is designed and the joining scholars and professors, every PhD, no matter the subject of their research, is challenged and trained to connect several worlds in the best of both ways: Academic knowledge and expertise, and real-life practices.

What do you like about the programme?
Besides the intriguing combination of the development of academic knowledge and best-practices, the programme can also be described as cosmopolitan. It is fit for everyone – no matter your cultural background, field of expertise or personal interests. Growing up between several cultures myself, and seeing this as a norm within RSM instead of an exception, made me feel very welcome. I am part of a super diverse cohort with people from all parts of the globe, and meeting earlier cohorts, confirmed the amount of inclusiveness and diversity that is shared by both PhDs and staff. It is therefore assumable that being part of this, inherently effects my research and future aims, in a very positive way. This reminds me of another quote, that says: "Be around radiators". Joining the part-time PhD programme made me feel like I am surrounded by radiators.

Pascal Carpentier

Why did you choose the Part-Time PhD?
First, I choose the Part-Time PhD because of the Erasmus University reputation, the program is mature and of course, the cost that is competitive compared to other programmes. Working for a not-for-profit organisation, I could witness the university's genuine commitment towards sustainable development goals, I can tell it is not just a posture. Before joining the programme, I could have a genuine discussion about the implication of my research with the Business-Society Management department and make sure my work would benefit my NGO. I felt that the connection between academic life and business life was real and taken into account. For me, it was the perfect place to start this new endeavor.

What do you like about the programme?
What I like most about this programme is the incredible diversity of fellow PhD students. They come from all over the world to conduct high-level studies on various topics I have never heard of. I also like the fact that there is no difference between full time and part-time PhD students. It is a challenge, but in the end, this is a guarantee that our PhD will be at the best possible level and internationally recognised.

Syed Bilal Gilani

Why did you choose the Part-Time PhD?
Committing for a PhD programme is a significant decision. Therefore, before starting my PhD journey, I spent a lot of time to look for a fitting program. For me, there were three main reasons for considering the part-time programme:

  1. Reputation of RSM as a business school and particularly in research was a very important consideration for me. There are not many well-reputed schools out there that offer such a programme.
  2. Being a busy professional, design of the program that offers flexibility to research remotely as well as enough time on-campus was one of the main decisive factors.
  3. Lastly, alignment of my research interests with the ongoing research work in RSM done by my eventual promoters excited me a lot.

What do you like about the programme?
Having gone through three years of the programme, in hindsight, I can confidently say that I made a very good decision to pursue a PhD. There is no doubt that doing a PhD along with a full-time job in the corporate world is a challenging ask. However, the programme structure and valuable support of the programme administration has definitely helped in this journey. Our cohort is very diverse in terms of demographics and professional backgrounds. The experience of on-campus modules and research days has been fantastic and intellectually satisfying. One thing that has impressed me the most – while challenging at the same time – is that the rigor and expected quality of research outcomes in the part-time PhD programme are in no way any less than a full-time program. As a practitioner, I truly believe the unique advantage that we bring to the academic research work. The Part-Time PhD programme enables this collaboration that should contribute towards improvement of linkage between theory and practice.