| Dr Eric Brymer and Vinathe Sharma-Brymer, who will receive her PhD on... Dr Eric Brymer and Vinathe Sharma-Brymer, who will receive her PhD on 18 July, with their children Surya and Varuna. |
Two doctorates, two children and a passage to India
17 Jul 2007 | Nick Hartgerink
There’s much more to be gained at University than academic qualifications. Just ask Eric Brymer and Vinathe Sharma-Brymer.
Eric, from Wales and Vinathe, from India, arrived at the University of Wollongong within weeks of each other early in 2001 to begin post-graduate studies.
They had come from different continents and cultures, not knowing anyone in Wollongong but drawn by the quality of UOW’s Faculty of Education’s post-graduate programs and the chance to add international perspectives to their studies and their lives.
This week’s graduation ceremony will mark the end of a fascinating journey at UOW for both, and they will leave as husband and wife with two doctorates, two children and some very fascinating plans for their future.
Eric was awarded his PhD in Education in December 2005, for research into the educational psychology of extreme sports and recreation, and has since been teaching outdoor recreation at Loftus TAFE.
On Wednesday (18 July) Vinathe will be awarded her PhD in Education, adding to her Masters Honours degree from UOW achieved in 2001 that examined gender inequality in Indian education. Her doctoral thesis was a phenomenological exploration of what it means to be an educated woman.
She also worked part-time at the Faculty as a research assistant and lecturer.
Having left a successful career in India as an academic and consultant to move to Australia to resume her studies in 2001, Vinathe said it had been challenging to start again as an international student, especially as she “landed in Wollongong not knowing anyone”.
“It was a difficult emotional adjustment, but the independent research experience has always been very positive. I started my research with Dr Christine Fox and she has always been incredibly constructive and supportive,” she said.
Vinathe met Eric after a few months, and as post-graduate students in the Faculty of Education their paths crossed from time to time.
“We kept bumping into each other,” says Eric, “but as far as I was concerned they were deliberate bump-ins.”
The couple married in 2003, and now have two children – Surya, born on 14 May, 2004 and Varuna, born on the same date this year.
“Living in Australia, without our families, we’ve always looked to each other for support and encouragement,” says Eric. “Vinathe supported me while I did my PhD, and the roles were reversed while she did hers.”
Eric, whose mother was Australian, said he had wanted to do his post-graduate study in Australia so that he would have the opportunity to experience life in his mother’s homeland. He chose UOW for the opportunity to work with Dr Tonia Gray, who had impressed him with her proactive response to his proposal for his doctoral thesis. “It can be difficult finding the right person to supervise your thesis, but Tonia was always extremely proactive and supportive,” he said.
Their future plans include moving to India where Eric intends to establish an extreme sports/adventure therapy business while Vinathe will concentrate on writing academic papers and books, including a travelogue based on back-packing trips she and Eric have made to Europe and Canada.
“Indian women of my traditional background just don’t go backpacking around the world, so I’m hoping that there will be an interest in me sharing those experiences,” she said.
Vinathe also has long-range plans to establish an alternative school that will focus on a holistic approach to learners’ well-being.
“We have enjoyed making Wollongong our home …. it is such a beautiful place, we have made some lifetime friends, and it will be really difficult to leave it behind when we move to India,” Vinathe said.
FOOTNOTE: Around 1500 UOW graduates will have their degrees conferred at ceremonies at the University Hall on July 18-20. The Media Unit will be taking a series of photographs before and after the graduation ceremonies. These photographs will be available for viewing on the Graduation site on the UOW website (see link).
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