Ama Birch Freeman

Ama Birch Freeman is a 2004 Commonwealth Scholar from Ghana.

Coming together over shared experiences

Mentoring a Scholar from my home country, Ghana, was a wonderful experience. It was reminiscent of my own experiences as a Commonwealth Scholar, navigating my UK university system and environment, and adjusting to the cold.  

My goal for the programme was to encourage my Mentee to adjust to his new environment, impart my knowledge to support his development, and learn from him.  

Learning from each other

We worked together on his academic goals, including meeting deadlines, seeking guidance from lecturers, and strengthening his dissertation. I also encouraged my Mentee to enhance his professional development by attending conferences, publishing research, and joining professional bodies and networks.  

Serving as a Mentor became a deeply enriching journey for me. I found myself applying the very same guidance I shared with my Mentee to my own doctoral studies. It also made me reflect on my role as a lecturer and how I support my students, which has enhanced my skills. Through our conversations, I was introduced to AI tools for referencing and modern research methods, which have been invaluable to my PhD journey. 

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Support beyond the scholarship

In August 2025, I had the opportunity to meet my Mentee in person. We discussed their his experiences, dissertation progress, and post‑scholarship plans and  agreed to stay in touch to support their his transition home and job search. 

Ama Birch Freeman is a 2004 Commonwealth Scholar from Ghana. She completed a Masters’s in Tourism Management and Marketing at University of Nottingham.  

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