Kunjal said it has never been the plan for him to obtain his PhD at this age. He had intended to find a job at one of the big firms after his Honours but his love for research won. 

“I started falling in love with research during my Honours degree, and after I obtained it, I decided to do my Master’s degree – after that, my goal became to do my PhD.  I didn’t even want to take a break.” 

He obtained his Bachelor's of Commerce in 2017, cum laude; his Bachelor's of Commerce (Business Finance) Honours in 2019; Master's in Finance cum laude in 2020; and his PhD in 2023, all from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.  

Kunjal’s journey as a Senior Lecturer will begin in July at the North-West University. He started his Bachelor's of Commerce in Accounting for his first year, and after a while, he thought accounting wouldn’t suit him. Tthat is when he decided to go into finance. 

 “To major in Finance wasn’t something that I knew I was going to do from the start, but my love for numbers made it possible and now I know I made the right decision.

“My main words of wisdom to anyone studying towards any qualification would be to stay committed to completing the race,” says Kunjal. 

He believes any individual must dedicate their time towards their qualification. He concludes by saying the reality is if one is at any higher institution they would have to deprive themselves of certain stuff. 

“Try and maintain a balance between your academic life and personal life. You will find that even the impossible will be achieved through dedication and hard work.”

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