By D.I. Laary, GNA
Accra, Nov. 27, 2025 (GNA) – The University of Ghana (UG) has organised a three-day intensive Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Thesis Writing Bootcamp, to strengthen doctoral writing proficiency, enhance research productivity, and promote the timely completion of thesis work.
Organised twice yearly by the School of Graduate Studies in collaboration with the Pan African Doctoral Academy (PADA), the retreat brought together 40 PhD candidates from various year groups for focused, uninterrupted writing sessions designed to accelerate progress and strengthen academic outcomes.
Launched in 2023, the bootcamp is structured around uninterrupted 90-minute writing sessions. It is designed to provide participants with a quiet, disciplined environment away from everyday distractions, enabling them to make substantial progress on their dissertations.
Welcoming the cohort on Wednesday, November 26, Professor Patrick Amoateng, Vice-Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, underscored the importance of structured writing support in doctoral education.
“The PhD journey is one of the most demanding academic undertakings. Many students struggle not because they lack ideas, but because they lack uninterrupted time and space to write. This bootcamp is designed to give you that space,” he said.
He emphasised that the programme was not about lectures or extended discussions, but about writing itself.
“We are not here to talk much. We are here to write. Every day you will have long blocks of time dedicated solely to your thesis. The goal is simple: by the end of this bootcamp, you should have made visible progress on your work,” he added.
The bootcamp also provides a safe and supportive environment for students to share challenges and seek guidance. Prof. Amoateng said doctoral candidates often faced isolation, perfectionism, and procrastination, which could stall progress.
“Sometimes you think you are the only one struggling, but you are not. Everyone at some point feels stuck. This bootcamp is about breaking that inertia and reminding you that you can write,” he stated.
Participants were encouraged to adopt practical strategies such as chunking large tasks into smaller sections, using the 15-minute rule to overcome procrastination, and embracing the “ugly draft” approach—focusing first on completeness rather than perfection.
Prof. Amoateng urged students not to hesitate in seeking help with technical or formatting issues that often slowed down thesis preparation.
“No one has ever been punished for asking for help. Even something as simple as inserting Roman numerals for preliminary pages or fixing an image in your document can be a challenge. That is why we are here to support you,” he explained.
Beyond writing, the bootcamp fosters accountability and peer support, with students encouraged to pair up and check on each other’s progress daily.
“Accountability is key. Sometimes all you need is someone to ask, ‘What did you write today?’ That small check-in can make a big difference,” the Vice-Dean said.
He also reminded participants to reconnect with their initial motivation for pursuing doctoral studies whenever they feel overwhelmed.
“Every PhD student reaches a point where they wonder if it is worth it. When that happens, go back to why you started. Let that motivation carry you through,” he said.
The School of Graduate Studies has in recent years introduced several initiatives to improve doctoral completion rates, including structured writing retreats, mentorship programmes, and workshops on research methodology.
He said the bootcamp was part of the broader effort to strengthen graduate education and ensure timely completion of doctoral programmes, adding that for many participants, it represented a rare opportunity to focus exclusively on their thesis without competing demands from family, work, or supervisors.
“This is a safe space and here, you can face the blank page with confidence, knowing that you are not alone, and that you have the tools and support to finish your work,” Prof. Amoateng said.
During discussions, some PhD candidates used the platform to call for reforms in the University of Ghana’s doctoral structure. They argued that while the bootcamp was a welcome intervention, broader systemic changes were needed to facilitate early completion of PhD work without compromising academic standards.
They said the call for reforms reflected wider concerns in Ghana’s academic community about doctoral completion rates and the length of time many candidates spent in pursuit of their PhD degrees.
Prof. Amoateng welcomed the students’ feedback and reform suggestions, describing them as vital to the continuous improvement of graduate education.
He said the authorities were listening, as such experiences and insights were important in their pursuit to build a system that supported timely completion while maintaining the highest standards of academic excellence.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo