Alvin Etang
Student, PhD Economics
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After experiencing universities around the world, Department of Economics PhD student Alvin Etang rates Otago very highly. He gained a BSc in banking and finance in Cameroon, a master's in microfinance in Italy and also studied in Sweden.
Etang is investigating social capital and microfinance at Otago, which he chose for the quality of its research and its location.
"Compared with other places, Otago is very friendly," he says. "I fell in love with Dunedin in the first week. It's a student city and that helps you focus on what you came here for rather than offering the distractions you find with big cities.
The University is very supportive. It arranges workshops for postgraduate students at all levels and provides opportunities to mingle with other postgraduate students in different disciplines, which can be really useful for cross-departmental exchanges.
"Otago as a whole and my department provide a great working environment, and the friendly atmosphere has a positive effect on students' performance." Now at the end of his PhD, Etang is looking at jobs in New Zealand and the rest of the world. "The University has been ranked the best in New Zealand for research and it also has a great research reputation out there."