I currently hold an LLM in Commercial Law from the University of Cape Town (UCT); a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Political Science and International Relations and a Bachelor of Arts in Law and Political Science, both from Rhodes University. For the majority of my career, I have worked in the legal and higher education sectors. I spent the last six years at UCT as an Administrative Assistant for the Centre for Comparative Law in Africa (CCLA), Commercial Law department. The CCLA is a research unit that seeks to promote the study of the diversity of legal cultures of many African countries. My responsibilities included managing and overseeing the CCLA's partnerships with other research units in South Africa, across the continent, and abroad; providing financial and budget administration of the CCLA's research projects and donor grants; managing the CCLA's accredited Journal, called the Journal for Comparative Law in Africa (JCLA); drafting the CCLA's annual reports; and planning and organising the CCLA's events, such as workshops and international conferences; and the training and supervision of new CCLA staff members. Managing the CCLA’s partnerships with other research organisations was one of the key responsibilities I was tasked with. These organisations include the International Academic Programmes Office (IAPO), UCT ****@*****.***, the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), the Lagos Business School (LBS), the BRICS Legal Forum, the Organisation for the Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa (OHADA) among others. Because of my background in international relations and diplomacy, I was in a better position to understand how organisations work and what needs to be done to ensure mutual cooperation. At the CCLA, I was responsible for ensuring that the lines of communication between the CCLA and these organisations remained open; that joint corporations and research activities co-organised by the CCLA were successful. I was also heavily involved in the planning, execution, and oversight of the CCLA's research projects. This meant that I had to create a budget for each project, with the approval of my line manager, and ensure that all expenses stayed within the approved budget. Because we were managing public funds, adherence to the provisions of the Public Finance Management Act 1 of 1999 was always paramount. My legal background also gave me an advantage because I understand the rules and the consequences of noncompliance to the legal rules. In terms of reporting, I made certain that my line manager received copies of the financial reports each month so that she was aware of the CCLA's financial situation. Mastering the SAP system software in 2015 was incredible because I was able to generate useful reports without the assistance of an IT expert. Since the CCLA has a core of committed Master’s and Doctoral students who were supervised by the academic staff in the centre, I was responsible for providing academic administration and support to them, as well as ensuring that their academic grievances are addressed in a timely manner. I am grateful that my experience of working as a Trojan Academic Initiative (TAI) Student Peer Mentoring Programme mentor in 2009 at Rhodes university put me in a better place to be able to coach, offer moral and academic support and mentor these students. In exchange, the students have taught me several life lessons, such as never giving up on your dreams and striving to be a better version of yourself. One of the tasks I learned and mastered while working at Assaf in 2014 was event organization and management. I assisted in the organization of conferences and the management of all the appointed peer reviewers under the leadership and guidance of Mrs Susan Veldsman. However, at the CCLA, I was introduced to new responsibilities, such as assisting academic visitors in applying for visitor's visas at the appropriate embassy or consulate. I assisted in the preparation of their invitation letters, as well as the procurement of quotes for flights, accomodation, and shuttle services, as well as medical and travel insurance for the duration of their visit to the CCLA. I also had to make certain that they had everything they needed during their stay in the country. Organising an international conference for the CCLA in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2018 was both exciting and terrifying. I am grateful to the NIALS and the Lagos Business School for their assistance on the ground in ensuring that the conference was a success. The event would not have been a success without the assistance and efficient collaboration of these organisations. I bring critical and analytical skills, as well as a willingness to learn, to the table in addition to my formal education. Because I do not claim to know everything, I have always been eager to learn from those around me, particularly my line manager. The eagerness to always be willing to learn has made it easier for me to collaborate with other CCLA staff members. Working with high-level stakeholders such as BRICS, ASADA, or AMADA, one can attest to the importance of keeping all communications confidential. Personally, the final year LLB Legal Ethics course at Rhodes University taught me the fundamental rules and principles of legal ethics. Furthermore, I have experience managing, monitoring, and updating websites as well as social media pages such as Twitter and Facebook. Regards, Phumi