I’m Father Philip Alesin, a Priest of the Catholic Diocese of Ekiti, Nigeria. Born on 9 January 1977, my journey to the priesthood started at St John of the Cross Spiritual Year Seminary in Nigeria in January 1997. In continuation of my formation, I proceeded to the Seminary of Saints Peter and Paul, Ibadan, Nigeria (an affiliate of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria and Pontifical Urban University, Italy) in October, where I completed bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and Sacred Theology in 2001 and 2005 respectively. I was raised to the Order of Deacons in December 2004 and ordained a Priest on 13 August 2005. After working in my diocese for nine years, I was offered a place of study at the University of Glasgow, Scotland to do an MSc in Global Security on a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship jointly sponsored by the University and the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) from September 2014 to September 2015. Upon completing my program, I went back home to continue my priestly ministry until last April, when I began my PhD studies at The University of Queensland’s School of Political Science and International Studies, thanks to a generous UQ international scholarship. I am grateful to Archbishop Mark Coleridge and the Vicar General, Monsignor Peter Meneely, for giving me the opportunity to stay at Holy Family Catholic Parish, Indooroopilly, as Priest in Residence, so that I may continue serving God’s people as a priest of the Catholic Church during my doctoral studies at UQ. I’m equally appreciative of the warm welcome I’ve received from the Parish Priest, Father Neville Yun. May God reward your labour of love. Amen. Father Philip Alesin