Reuben Silungwe 🇿🇲

Views are personal.

[Hopewell Chin’ono @daddyhope]

I have never seen the American president, Donald Trump, bootlick someone like this, literally kissing ass, as he himself likes to say. This was Trump today with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and boy oh boy, Trump was praising him like crazy.

What I found interesting is what I did with this video. I first inserted a clip of Trump during his campaign days attacking and mocking China, then followed it with this latest clip of him praising and flattering the Chinese president in a way we have rarely seen before, today. It perfectly shows how power and economic strength change global power relationships.

This should be a lesson for Africa and African leaders who embarrass themselves grovelling for recognition to Western leaders.

In 1975, China’s economy was nowhere near where it is today. Back then, China was still a relatively poor developing country and nowhere close to being a global superpower. Today, depending on which economic measurement is used, China is either the largest economy in the world or the second largest after the United States.

What did the Chinese do? They did not spend decades begging the West for validation or recognition. They rolled up their sleeves and went to work. They industrialised. They built infrastructure. They invested in manufacturing, education, technology, and long-term planning. And because they built something powerful, the world had no choice but to take them seriously.

That is why today you can see an American president publicly flattering a Chinese leader. China now has something the world wants and needs.

African leaders waste too much time begging for approval, validation, and symbolic recognition from the West instead of fixing their countries and building functional economies.

You even hear leaders like Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe demanding a permanent seat or influence at the United Nations Security Council, yet he presides over a country that struggles to provide electricity for even 10 hours a day.

Zimbabwe has massive unemployment, collapsing public services, hospitals without medication, broken roads, a currency that cannot be freely exchanged internationally, and widespread corruption. The list is long.

The country’s biggest hospital has operated for long periods with severe shortages of equipment and functioning theatres. Citizens are heavily taxed while public services continue collapsing.

How do you expect the world to place you at the top table when your own country is struggling to provide the basics for its citizens? Serious nations do not hand out respect because of liberation war slogans or revolutionary rhetoric from 50 years ago.
Respect is earned through performance, stability, production, innovation, and competence.

You cannot talk about sovereignty and greatness while importing maize because you failed to properly utilise some of the best agricultural land in Africa.
You cannot demand global influence while your citizens depend on food aid and medical support and donations from the same international system you constantly criticise.

What we are seeing with Trump and Xi Jinping is a lesson in how the world works. Hard work, economic strength, production, and strategic planning force the world to respect you. Even the most powerful country in the world cannot ignore you once you become economically indispensable.

Zimbabwe has enormous potential. We have vast mineral wealth, fertile land, talented people, and strategic opportunities. We have over 80 different minerals and some of the best farming land in the region.
Yet millions of Zimbabweans live in poverty and struggle to survive because of corruption, poor governance, and misplaced priorities. We even import toilet paper and tooth picks from South Africa.

No serious global institution will fully respect leaders who cannot first build functioning societies at home. The world respects results, not empty slogans, rhetoric and childish propaganda.

What we have also learned from this video is that Trump has a domestic audience in America that he clearly does not fully respect intellectually. He says whatever he believes will win him votes, even if it means making exaggerated or hostile statements about countries like China during campaign periods. He understands the emotions and intellectual emptiness of his audience and plays to them politically.

And it does not end with his domestic audience only. Trump also has loyal but ignorant supporters and bootlickers across the world, including in Africa, people who treat him almost like a god. But politicians do not necessarily respect people simply because they worship them blindly. They respect power, leverage, influence, and results.

During his campaign, Trump spoke about China in derogatory and confrontational terms because it suited his political objectives at the time. But when he came face to face with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the tone changed completely. There was respect, praise, and careful language. In Trump’s own language, he practically “kissed ass”.

And that is the reality of how global politics works.

You do not get respect simply because you shout loudly, insult others, or demand recognition. You get respect when you build something powerful enough that the world cannot ignore you.
China earned that respect through decades of hard work, industrialisation, discipline, economic expansion, infrastructure development, and strategic planning. They built an economy and a system that the world now depends on.

That is the lesson Africans and African leaders must take from this video. Stop wasting time begging for validation and recognition from the West. Stop thinking respect is something that can be demanded through slogans, liberation war rhetoric, or political noise. Respect is earned through competence, production, economic strength, innovation, and delivery to your own people.

When you build a strong country, the world respects you automatically because you have something valuable to offer.

When you have more than 80 minerals in your country and yet your citizens are walking on top of sewage, nobody will respect you. You become a laughing stock. The world looks at that contradiction and sees failure of leadership, not potential.

You can steal as much money as you want from your people, build mansions, drive convoys, and surround yourself with praise singers, but when a clown enters a State House, it does not become a palace. It becomes a circus.

Real leadership is not measured by slogans, propaganda, or how long you stay in power. It is measured by whether ordinary citizens have clean water, functioning hospitals, decent roads, electricity, jobs, dignity, and hope for the future.

A country rich in minerals but poor in governance will never command real respect internationally. Respect comes when national wealth is converted into prosperity for the people, not luxury for the political elite.

[The Kalahari Review @KalahariReview]

Am I Going Mad? Exploring Mental Health and the Immigrant Experience
Exploring the beautiful, messy reality of living between two worlds and selves — by Yomi Olusunle
https://t.co/gwMKUdQYof

[Reuben Silungwe 🇿🇲 @rsilungweb]

@RpsAgainstTrump That's interesting coming from Orban

[Prime Minister of Canada @CanadianPM]

Love is love—and on this International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, we’ll keep working to build a world where everyone feels safe and free to be themselves.

[Justin Trudeau @JustinTrudeau]

Hey Canada, one last thing.

[Brian Krassenstein @krassenstein]

BREAKING: The Super Bowl LIX halftime show starring Kendrick Lamar broke the all-time viewership record.

133.5M viewers tuned in for the performance surpassing the 131.2M viewership from the Super Bowl XXVII halftime show with Michael Jackson

[Andrew Akbashev @Andrew_Akbashev]

❗BIG SURVEY:
Research & teaching pressure + Harsh criticism + Unreasonable expectations 🟰 PhD students with anxiety and depression.

It is a VERY important study.
Because it indirectly shows the role of mentorship.

[STUDY: Self-selecting survey, to which 2,161 graduate students at 142 US institutions responded]

📍 RESULTS:

- In PhD research: negative reinforcement and unreasonable expectations had the greatest detrimental impact.

- In PhD teaching: lack of training and increased responsibility had the worst impact.

📍 Key Quotes & My Comments:

1. Anonymous PhD student in the US:

“If I’m not depressed, then I have anxiety, and if I’m not anxious, I’m depressed. Having nothing working was definitely the major issue. I’m not making a lot of progress, I’m not on track to graduate on time. And my ability to deal with the stress is just completely gone.”

- This is why mentorship is so important. It helps a student navigate the progress correctly! It helps identify the right incentives and goals.

2. Katelyn Cooper (corresp. author):

“If we’re about to lose some of the best and brightest minds because we’re not paying enough attention to how our programmes affect their mental health.”

- PhD is not about harshness and survival. It is about learning and nurturing. It encompasses personal growth through research & teaching, under the right mentorship and advising. We must stop creating a survival environment for our students.

3. “Sometimes, we think a student doesn’t care or doesn’t want to be in the programme. But maybe they’re really struggling with their mental health. That’s a great REMINDER for us to always take the time to ask a student what’s going on and not make assumptions.”

- I often hear professors saying “But that student is lazy and is not ready for a PhD.”

This study is a reminder that it's a WRONG way to look at students.

Lazy people wouldn’t sign up for a PhD program.
Lazy students would go elsewhere.

In most cases, this “laziness” only looks like laziness.

In reality, it can be due to:
- poor supervision
- no mentorship
- boring project
- mental health challenges

📍 My message is:

Read this study.

Students with anxiety are NOT lazy or bad.

They are facing a wrong environment.

Peaches can’t flourish in the desert.

This is why it’s SO important that each student finds the right advisor.

The right fit = Good PhD experience.

_____

My podcast about how to find a PhD advisor on Youtube:

https://t.co/AcKG6ZDkyk
______

[Prof Lennart Nacke, PhD @acagamic]

Weak discussions destroy strong results.

Top papers start bold, end bolder.

Want discussions that turn heads and win grants?

• Write your claims like a lawyer. Evidence→Argument→Verdict
• Frame failures as open doors. What brave soul tries it next?
• Kill sacred ideas fast with data. The status quo must burn.

Timid discussions breed timid citations.

[Amanda Gorman @TheAmandaGorman]

Four years ago I wrote my inaugural poem The Hill We Climb. Both when I wrote it and performed it, I did so while continuously reflecting on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Coretta Scott King’s legacy. I was (and am) blown away by how my words reverberated around the world; if anything, it proved to me that we honor King’s dream, by daring to dream big, and by, most importantly, daring to dream together. Only then will the loving fantasies of our better nature transform into reality. The work and fight for the dream persists, and what’s more, it is not just a fight, but fate—that perhaps we are as destined for this time as it is destined for us. What a worthwhile, powerful calling only we can answer. Here with you in the hill and the climb, and whatever light lies beyond, whatever light lies within.
-Amanda

[Reuben Silungwe 🇿🇲 @rsilungweb]

🤦🏿🤦🏿🤦🏿

[Uju Anya @UjuAnya]

Grandson of Nazi party members, Elon Musk, throwing up Nazi salutes at the US presidential inauguration while the crowd of Republicans go wild with applause and cheers.

[Farhan Azad Shuvra @Faazsh]

The Notes app on your iPhone is one of the most powerful tools available.

But 99% of People don't know its true potential.

Here are 15 amazing features you must know:

[Mamas A. Mamas @mmamas1973]

Patients treated by female physicians have better outcomes than those treated by men- our work led by Kiyan Heybati and @propelresearch published today
➡️ https://t.co/NqeHovMtls

Physician patient concordance associated with better outcomes particularly between female physicians and female patients

[Hopewell Chin’ono @daddyhope]

I have posted this 290 page World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report 2025.

The Future of Jobs Report 2025 explores trends shaping the global labour market and their implications by 2030.
The key insights in the report include, Technological Advancements, Economic and Environmental Trends, Jobs and Skills Outlook, Workforce Transformation and Challenges.

Get the report from my Telegraph Channel via this link; 👇🏿👇🏿👇🏿
https://t.co/f3TcNRwoAl

[Prof Lennart Nacke, PhD @acagamic]

Most students spent countless hours collecting sources.

Later, they realize later that half of them aren't even relevant.

The frustration of starting over is real.

Annotated bibliographies will save you 10+ hours on your next paper.

[Larry Madowo @LarryMadowo]

BREAKING: Benin, Seychelles, Rwanda, and The Gambia maintain top position as the only fully visa-free countries for all Africans.

Kenya ranks near the bottom of countries in Africa Visa Openness Index 2024. The ETA is a visa and it made it harder to visit, not easier

[Acyn @Acyn]

Lee: When Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was up for confirmation or when VP Harris was added to the ticket, they called them DEI hires. They want you to believe that Harvard graduate with over 20 years of experience is not qualified but Fox personality is qualified to run the DOD

[Reuben Silungwe 🇿🇲 @rsilungweb]

@RitchieTorres @BOENYC https://t.co/s5sfFYTrrj?

[Ash Paul @pash22]

Why all randomised controlled trials produce biased results
https://t.co/kpaSV5LEN5

[Selçuk Korkmaz @selcukorkmaz]

Understanding the difference between Standard Deviation (SD) and Standard Error (SE) is crucial for accurate data interpretation. SD measures the variability within your data, indicating how spread out the individual data points are from the mean.

In contrast, SE measures the uncertainty around the sample mean as an estimate of the population mean. It reflects the precision of the mean, with SE decreasing as the sample size increases, making your estimate more reliable.

The relationship between SD and SE is given by the formula: SE = SD / √(sample size). While SD remains relatively constant with larger samples, SE diminishes, highlighting the reduced uncertainty in the mean estimate.

A common mistake in research is using the “±” notation without specifying whether it refers to SD or SE, leading to potential misinterpretation of the data. Clear distinction is essential for transparency and accuracy in reporting.

Key Takeaways:
• Use SD to describe data variability.
• Use SE to indicate the precision of the mean.
• Always specify which measure you are reporting.

[Faheem Ullah @Faheem_uh]

PhD Students – How to analyze qualitative data in seconds?

Use this tool and see the magic for yourself.

First, let’s quickly understand what qualitative data is.

Qualitative data is non-numerical information such as:

- Interview transcripts
- Observational notes
- Textual responses
- Reports

It takes a lot of time and effort to analyze qualitative data.

You can automate it with this tool – MyRA

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥?

➟ Organize and categorize your qualitative data

➟ You can import text, notes, and more into MyRA

➟ It allows you to perform in-depth analysis in seconds

➟ You can identify patterns and themes in your data

➟ You can code, tag, and sort your qualitative data

➟ You can create visual representations of your data

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐌𝐲𝐑𝐀?

1. Go to https://t.co/nGZghTo8YH and log in.

2. MyRA will guide you how to prepare your documents.

3. Once your documents are ready, upload them to MyRA.

4. MyRA will ask - what kind of analysis you want to perform.

5. It has two types – inductive analysis & deductive analysis.

6. After this, enter your question.

7. For better results, ask one question at a time.

8. After entering question, click on run analysis.

9. MyRA will start analyzing your documents.

10. After analysis is completed, it will email you the report.

11. Download and open the report.

12. It will have all the results you expected.

MyRA also has a very user-friendly interface.

This makes it very easy to use the tool.

MyRA does not store or sell your data.

Try MyRA today: https://t.co/nGZghTo8YH

Anything you'd like to add?

#phd #research