I just got confirmation that the Academic Council has approved the final recommendation of my assessment committee to grant me a PhD degree. Happy that it's now official! In a fortnight, I will be receiving the diploma - signed, sealed, delivered!
Below is a copy of the committee's final recommendation (again, I covered the committee's signatures with a barcode). It basically restates the preliminary assessment, plus an evaluation of my PhD defence and public lecture. I cherish these last words in the final evaluation:
The assessment committee recognizes the dissertation as an impressive contribution to the understanding of the contemporary global neoliberalization process as it unfolds in the context of Southeast Asia (specifically the Philippines and Malaysia). The level of ambition is high with regard to the treatment of the subject matter.
... [T]he end product shows a strong ability of theorizing and conceptualizing both the explanation of global neoliberalism and its implementation and institutionalization at the societal level in the two cases. The empirical evidence is well chosen to illustrate the conflicts within the elites for the gains of the imposition of authoritarian neoliberalism although the committee feels a certain discomfort.
The committee is unanimous in its recognition of the academic capability of Bonn Juego as demonstrated by the written dissertation. The committee is also satisfied with BJ's public lecture on the topic: "Can a democratic state form coexist with a non-democratic economic essence of capital accumulation and increasing polarization in the division of the economic surplus?"
In the oral session BJ has competently answered questions raised by the committee members. It is the opinion that the dissertation is a heuristic contribution to the theme of capitalist development and contemporary Southeast Asia.
For further developments of the dissertation in book form or article the assessment committee encourages Bonn Juego to reflect on the broader social context of class relations and the social dimensions of authoritarian liberalism.
The assessment committee recommends highly recommends that the PhD degree be awarded to Bonn Juego.
Years of the reading-researching-thinking-writing processes that come with a doctoral study in the social sciences entail a mixture of emotions. Now, I can say out loud that I am so proud of my work!
PhD mission accomplished!
Update: Today, 19 June, the granting of a PhD degree to me has been reported and published in Nordjyske, a newspaper in the northern region of Denmark. Ironically, the report about me was printed in the same fold in the paper with the French right-wing leader, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who would not, to say the least, welcome me in Europe! My PhD mission is accomplished, but the struggle for recognition continues!
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