Chidinma Okorie joined the School of Social Sciences and Humanities as a Doctoral Researcher on a full-time studentship in October 2018. She has a multi-disciplinary background, gaining a First Class in English from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, and a Distinction in MSc International Relations from Loughborough University. Her doctoral research in Human Geography focuses on the migration-development nexus, using the case of Nigerian Commonwealth scholars. This research is supervised by Prof. Darren Smith and Dr James Esson.
Awards and prizes
- 2019 - Loughborough Doctoral College International PhD Exchange Travel Prize Winner
- 2019 - RGS-IBG DARG Travel Prize Winner
- 2018 - Loughborough School of Social Sciences and Humanities PhD Studentship
- 2017 - Ursula Lockley Travel Prize Winner
- 2016 - Loughborough Development Trust Africa Scholarship
- 2015 - University of Ibadan Graduate Scholarship
Professional membership and responsibilities
- 2019 onwards - University Teacher, Loughborough University
- 2019 onwards - Postgraduate Fellow, The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)
- 2019 - 2020 - Vice Chair, Loughborough PhD Social and Support Network (PhDSSN)
- 2019 - 2020 - Inclusivity Officer, RGS-IBG Postgraduate Forum (PGF)
- 2018 onwards - Sub-Warden, Loughborough Student Services, Loughborough University
PhD Topic/Title: To Remain, Return or Relocate: The Migration-Development Processes of Nigerian UK-educated Commonwealth Scholars
Every year, the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) awards hundreds of scholarships for postgraduate study to Commonwealth citizens, taking into full account their potentials to contribute to the developmental needs of their home countries. While this may be a positive step towards improving the personal development of the scholarship recipients, it however does not automatically translate into developmental benefits for their home countries. This research aims to investigate why this is the case by offering insights into the migration-development processes of Nigerian UK–educated Commonwealth scholars, within the UK–Nigeria context. Researchers have investigated the role of migration in facilitating development, and recent migration–development studies have found the developmental outcome of migration to be mixed and complex. This study will extend these debates by shedding light on why Commonwealth Scholars decide to remain, return or relocate after completing their studies.