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Postgrad Solutions Bursary Winners 2016
Find out about our Postgrad Solutions Study Bursary Winners 2016, by reading about what they are studying, where they are studying it, and how the £500 is going to help them with their postgraduate studies.
Apply For A Postgrad Solutions Study BursaryAnna Vasileiou, MSc in Networks and Security, University of Kent
“I am so delighted, grateful and appreciative to Postgrad Solutions. The £500 will go some way towards alleviating the financial stress of postgraduate study.”
Anna Vasileiou is a 22-year-old Cypriot student studying an MSc in Networks and Security at the University of Kent.
Anna was really pleased when she discovered that she’d been awarded one of our Postgrad Solutions Study Bursaries worth £500, saying, “I was so delighted, grateful and appreciative to Postgrad Solutions. The £500 will go some way towards alleviating the financial stress of postgraduate study.”
Anna’s ambition is to become a network analyst, and her choice of course has not disappointed her. She explains, “I feel I have the determination to undertake and successfully complete a degree in computer networking. I love this challenging course and the lecturers have a great influence on me by passionately teaching us every aspect of networks.” Continuing to discuss her reasons for undertaking the MSc in Networks and Security, Anna says, “Network technology is an emerging and fascinating field in the broader computing discipline. Motivated by the advances in technology in general and communications and network technology in particular, I have decided to continue and enhance my knowledge with this masters degree.”
She selected the University of Kent to undertake her studies because it is a leading academic institution, particularly in the areas of research and teaching. She also loves its location, saying, “Canterbury is a lovely town with a lot of facilities and a high-speed rail link to London. It has great cultural and nice historic areas and is a lively city stimulated by a thriving student contingent with a wide range of modern, cosmopolitan bars and restaurants that beautifully complement the historical surroundings.”
Speaking about our website Postgrad.com Anna is equally enthusiastic, describing it as “a very advantageous tool supplying to future and current postgraduate students advice and useful information from across the globe, including any important news and financial help. I would highly recommend it to any prospective postgraduate student.”
Apply For A Postgrad Solutions Study BursaryDoaa Althalathini, PhD Business with Management, Plymouth University
“I am very thankful for this generous financial support towards my higher education.”
Doaa Althalathini is a 31-year-old Palestinian undertaking a PhD in Business with Management at Plymouth University. Her research is focused on women’s entrepreneurship and gender in conflict areas and its role in poverty reduction in Palestine.
When she found out she’d been awarded one of our £500 Postgrad Solutions Study Bursaries, Doaa was grateful as well as being really pleased, saying, “I felt very happy to know that I have been awarded the £500 by Postgrad Solutions. As an international student in the UK, I have to pay a very high tuition fees. I am very thankful for this generous financial support towards my higher education.”
She chose Plymouth University because her supervisor has the same research interests as her. Plymouth University is also the ideal place for Doaa to study her area of research interest because it has the Futures Entrepreneurship Centre, which provides a creative and social space in which entrepreneurship and social enterprise can flourish and become a force for global organisational, societal, economic and environmental change.
Doaa is really enjoying her PhD as her topic is very close to her heart, “It is very important to my country to empower women and increase their participation in the economic and social life.” Explaining her research in more depth, she continues, “A quarter of Palestinian populations suffered from poverty in 2011 especially among families headed by women. The gap in the labor force participation rate between males and females is still very big; it is four times higher than that of female participation. In conflict areas, it is important to involve all the human capitals in the development process and therefore promoting the women entrepreneurship can be considered as one of the prime contributors in poverty reduction.”
Plymouth is a great city to live and study in, and Doaa herself describes it as being a small, quiet and nice city to live in. Embellishing further, she says, “It has a rich maritime heritage and there are many landmarks, historical sites and natural places such as Plymouth Hoe and the Barbican. Also, people here are friendly and there are international students from many different countries in the university.”
Doaa previously studied a master degree in Poverty and Development at the University of Sussex and graduated in September 2016. She says, “I have research interest in economic empowerment, gender, poverty reduction and women entrepreneurship and I have published many related research papers. I also participated in many training programs related to entrepreneurship and empowerment such as ‘She Entrepreneurs’ in Sweden; ‘Ewha Global Empowerment Program’ in South Korea; and “Women Entrepreneurship Promotion” in The Netherlands.”
She is very enthusiastic about our website Postgrad.com considering it to be an extremely useful resource for postgrad and potential postgrad students. She says, “The website is full of useful information for students at different educational levels, providing information and advice about admission and applications, English language tests and support, visas, fees and available scholarships.”
Apply For A Postgrad Solutions Study BursaryMak Dorić, Master of Advanced Studies in Sports Administration and Technology, AISTS (International Academy of Sports Science and Technology)
“I felt great when I found out I’d been awarded a Postgrad Solutions bursary! Not only because of the financial relief, but mostly knowing that I was selected among thousands of applicants.”
Mak Dorić is a 24-year-old from Canada & Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is studying a Master of Advanced Studies in Sports Administration and Technology at AISTS (International Academy of Sports Science and Technology) in Switzerland. Before starting at AISTS Mak had a career in investment banking. He explains, “I quickly realised that this career did not make me passionate and that I had to make changes in my life.” As part of his life changes Mak left his financially rewarding job to return to his home country of Bosnia and Herzegovina to work for its largest football club. And now – to develop his new career path even further Mak has started his new postgraduate course.
Speaking of his postgrad program, Mak says, “I am absolutely loving the course so far. The biggest highlight has been the organisation of a sports competition, called Canavan Cup, targeted at our alumni, where we are trying to raise as much funds as possible to buy sports equipment for refugee camps around the world. It has been great to combine passion and philanthropy.”
Mak has been fortunate enough to be able to self-fund his studies – and the £500 boost from Postgrad Solutions has been a great help to this. Upon finding out he was one of the lucky recipients of one of the bursaries, Mak says, “I felt great! Not only because of the financial relief, but mostly knowing that I was selected among thousands of applicants."
As a postgraduate student – and indeed whilst researching his postgraduate options – Mak found Postgrad.com an indispensible website to help him make the right choices and research his options fully. He says, “I think Postgrad.com is a great tool and it has definitely helped me in preparing for my master studies in a new country. There are so many things to think about when moving abroad so many of the resources on the website have been really helpful.”
Mak enjoys his new hometown of Lausanne in Switzerland, and thinks it’s the ideal base to develop his new career aspirations. He explains, “Lausanne is nicknamed the ‘Silicon Valley of Sports’, which allows for great networking opportunities with professionals from the many international sports federations based in the area. Furthermore, living literally right by Lake Geneva encourages a healthy and active lifestyle. The quality of life is phenomenal, although it is very expensive.”
AISTS offers the top ranked masters program for sports management worldwide. The course has a unique multi-disciplinary approach to sports management covering the five main disciplines – management, law, medical, technology and sociology. It is also a very multicultural program with over 24 nationalities represented in a class of 35 students.
Apply For A Postgrad Solutions Study BursaryGiovani Asbahr Trolesi, MSc Cross-Cultural Psychology, Brunel University London
“Thanks to Postgrad.com I am now in London studying a perfect Master in Science program, and even got awarded with a bursary that I was not expecting.”
31-year-old Brazilian student Giovani Asbahr Trolesi is studying an MSc in Cross-Cultural Psychology at Brunel University London.
Coming to the UK from overseas to study postgrad program is a large financial commitment, therefore Giovani was delighted to receive a Postgrad Solutions Study Bursary. He says, “My first reaction was: ‘Is this for real?’ I really couldn't be happier! The £500 bursary will help in so many ways.” He goes onto explain, “Receiving any financial aid is beyond incredible, not only for the money aspect, but also to revalidate the support and motivation to continue with my studies. I felt profoundly grateful, happy and euphoric with the notification of the award.”
Giovani is a big fan of Postgrad.com referring to our site as “A guru: a portal to find the most organised and detailed information about studying abroad.” He continues, “Thanks to Postgrad.com I am now in London studying a perfect Master in Science program and even got awarded with a bursary that I was not expecting.”
He is really enjoying his course so far, enthusing, “The course is challenging as well as fascinating. It is beyond better than I expected.” Giovani has found our website Postgrad.com to be a great help when studying his masters program, in fact he used it to help him make his rather niche choice of postgrad course. He explains, “After a pre-selection of possible master programs, using Postgrad.com and focusing on my strong desire to contribute to psychology and the world as a whole, the decision for Cross-Cultural Psychology was made.”
Cross-Cultural Psychology is a relatively new field of Psychology, which is growing in importance as multiculturalism expands alongside globalisation. Continuing to explain his choice of postgrad program, Giovani explains, “Acculturation, expatriation, refugees crisis, cultural interaction, cultural shock and even the phenomenon of terrorism, can be analysed under the light of Cross-Cultural Psychology.”
Giovani's decision to study at Brunel University London was made, in part, because of its high cultural diversity, as well as its highly respected professors who are at the forefront of their areas of expertise. He says, “The capacity to provide high-quality course content combined with incredible study facilities and student services on campus, make Brunel University the ideal environment.” He is very happy with his choice of university and particularly enjoys Brunel’s proximity to central London, explaining, “London is an open-minded place in a country with an outstanding reputation in higher education. Living in Uxbridge has been great, as it is a calmer area of the metropolis and closer to Heathrow Airport. Central London is only about one hour away by public transportation, making it easy to enjoy everything that this charming and exciting city has to offer: from cultural activities, and architecture contemplation, to social interaction and nightlife.”
Before coming to Brunel University London, Giovani was an undergrad student at Universidade São Marcos in Brazil. During this time he developed a passion for diversity, anthropology and mental health promotion, as well as gaining an insight into new theories, practices and clinical application. And this knowledge and insight is now being put to very good use in his new postgrad program.
Apply For A Postgrad Solutions Study BursaryMunara Turlanova, MSc in Chemical Engineering, University of Nottingham
“I am really thankful for this support. This bursary will help take some financial strain off my studies.”
Munara Turlanova is a 21-year student from Kazakhstan studying an MSc in Chemical Engineering at the University of Nottingham.
Her academic background is in Chemical & Process Engineering – which she studied at London South Bank University – and she wanted to develop her knowledge further and learn new things that she hadn’t covered at undergraduate level.
Munara was really pleased to discover she had been awarded a Postgrad Solutions Study Bursary worth £500, and explains, “I was surprised and delighted that I got selected to be a bursary winner as the number of applicants is high and there's only one bursary for Engineering students. I am really thankful for this support. This bursary will help take some financial strain off my studies.”
Munara chose to continue her postgraduate education at the University of Nottingham because the course consists of the modules that she is most interested in, however she is also glad to report that she is enjoying the beautiful scenery of her new surroundings.
Apply For A Postgrad Solutions Study BursaryShawaaf Mohammed Alshawaaf, PhD Marketing, University of Kent
“I felt a sense of relief that someone is helping me reduce my financial stress so I can pursue my dream of becoming an academic.”
Shawaaf Mohammed Alshawaaf is a 27-year-old student from Kuwait. He is studying a PhD in Marketing at the University of Kent. Shawaaf loves study and the pursuit of knowledge, and his ambition is to be an academic. He says, “I believe in life one should pursue knowledge permanently. Learning develops humanity and the world.”
Being very concerned about the financial constraints of postgrad study, Shawaaf felt a sense of relief when he received the news that he had won a Postgrad Solutions Study Bursary worth £500. He explains, “I felt a sense of relief that someone is helping me reduce my financial stress so I can pursue my dream of becoming an academic.”
Shawaaf finds Postgrad.com to be a useful and accessible website for postgrad students, giving them easy access to postgrad course information, advice and financial help. He enthuses, “It has valuable advice for students to complete their courses successfully.”
He chose to come to the UK and study at the University of Kent because, “The UK is the world's leading education destination and the University of Kent is globally recognised as a top research institution. It is the place that will enable me to unleash my potential and make a contribution to science and the world.”
Speaking about his chosen area of expertise and his career hopes and dreams for the future, Shawaaf says, “I want to develop the field of business and marketing for better industry and market practice. Marketing has a huge potential for innovation. The career path I chose after my undergraduate study is based on innovation and creativity that requires learning and development, and my passion is to be an academic and researcher.”
Apply For A Postgrad Solutions Study BursariesRebecca Limb, MPhil/PhD in Law, University of Warwick
“I felt a huge sense of relief and confidence that I can be successful in gaining the funding I need. I am incredibly grateful for the support.”
22-year-old Rebecca Limb is a British student studying an MPhil/PhD in Law at the University of Warwick. She says, “The idea of studying for a PhD came from developing my research proposal that I am really passionate about. My research topic is a legal investigation into the rights of competent paediatric patients to express their autonomy and refuse medical treatment.”
Rebecca was delighted and surprised when she found out she’d been awarded a Postgrad Solutions Study Bursary, explaining, “I was really surprised! I was not expecting to be awarded a bursary, most especially due to the large numbers of students who apply. However, this bursary could not have come at a better time. I felt a huge sense of relief and confidence that I can be successful in gaining the funding I need. I am incredibly grateful for the support.”
She is thoroughly enjoying her course so far – and is more than happy with her choice of the University of Warwick having previously done her undergraduate LLB here from 2013-2016. She explains, “I knew I wanted to stay. Warwick has a supportive research environment and great postgraduate student support and facilities. It provides a really supportive research environment and ample opportunities to develop both academically and personally.” Warwick is a lovely campus university with lots of facilities and opportunities to study, relax and socialise. Rebecca says, “It has beautiful areas within campus perfect for those stressful times!”
Throughout her undergraduate and postgrad studies Rebecca has found our website Postgrad.com to be extremely useful, explaining, “I found the postgrad website really helpful when preparing for my PhD application. The links to ‘related blogs’ were most useful as they provide valuable perspectives from different students about their experiences.” Continuing with her analysis of our site she says, “I also found the funding section really valuable as it gave many different ways to fund your PhD and outlined the different methods in a clear and accessible manner.”
Rebecca’s keen interest in paedatric treatment comes as a result of life experience. She explains, “My research topic is heavily influenced by my personal experiences as a paediatric patient and therefore is incredibly important to me. Having three years to dedicate to this project is an extremely exciting prospect!” She continues, “I have a rare and life-threatening genetic disorder that has required frequent hospital admissions and treatments throughout my life. The insight and experiences gained through being a patient have really influenced my decision to research my PhD topic and I am hoping to use them in a positive way to enhance my research.”
Apply For A Postgrad Solutions Study BursarySimbiat Hassan, MA Social Work, Anglia Ruskin University
“I am very happy and very grateful to have been selected for the bursary, it means a lot!”
Simbiat Hassan is a 22-year-old postgrad student from London. She is studying an MA Social Work at Anglia Ruskin University. Speaking about her postgrad program, Simbiat says, “I chose this course because I have always wanted to work with children/ young people, and help them develop as individuals.” She is really enjoying her course finding it to be both intense and challenging. She explains, “My highlight so far is when we went out on an outdoor activity where we focused on team building and communication skills.”
Simbiat was delighted when she heard that she’d been awarded one of our prestigious Postgrad Solutions Study Bursaries worth £500, enthusing, “I was very ecstatic when I received the email from Postgrad, I am very happy and very grateful to have been selected for the bursary, it means a lot!
She chose Anglia Ruskin University as the place to do her postgrad studies because she had done her undergrad degree here, saying, “I am familiar with the area and I studied my first degree here, so I feel comfortable and involved at Anglia Ruskin.”
Simbiat enjoys living in Chelmsford – finding it quieter and more relaxing than her hometown of London. She says, “It's nice to experience something different.”
As a postgraduate student Simbiat has always made good use of our website Postgrad.com, explaining “The Postgrad.com website is very useful and potential Postgrad students can definitely benefit from it.”
Apply For A Postgrad Solutions Study BursaryGrace Anywar, MA Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology, Leiden University
“I am so incredibly thankful – it’s really taken a load of pressure off my shoulders. I don’t think I can express just how much that means.”
Grace Anywar is a 30-year-old postgrad student from Britain. She is now studying her MA in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology at Leiden University in The Netherlands.
Grace was delighted to be awarded one of our £500 Postgrad Solutions Study Bursaries. She says, “Honestly, words can’t describe the feeling. I was so surprised, elated, excited, shocked! I am so incredibly thankful – it’s really taken a load of pressure off my shoulders. I don’t think I can express just how much that means.”
Speaking about her choice of postgrad program, Grace says, “I chose this course because I studied sociology as a bachelors degree and absolutely fell in love; I felt like I had learnt incredible amounts about myself alongside the course content and I was eager to learn more. I went on to choose this particular course rather than just sociology because it has a really inter-disciplinary focus which I find interesting.”
And she definitely made the right choice enthusing, “I absolutely love the course! There’s a lot to do which can be stressful at times, but it’s great.”
Grace opted to study at Leiden University for many reasons. She explains, “I chose Leiden University mainly due to its international reputation and scope. The school of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology has field-schools in Ghana and Indonesia as well as here in the Netherlands and we are encouraged to go abroad for three months to carry out independent research of our choice, which was another huge selling point for me. Studying a course like Anthropology often leaves alumni in a slightly precarious position with regards to finding relevant work and I think the field-schools and independent research element on offer at Leiden helps to defeat that by providing students with experience that helps us gain important research based skills.
She continues, “It’s also great that Leiden is so close to some pretty awesome cities like Rotterdam and Amsterdam not to mention the transport links to the rest of Europe.”
Transport links aside, Grace really enjoys her new student hometown, saying, “Leiden’s a great little town with a strong student vibe. It’s a beautiful, very typical Dutch town with great scenery and really close to the beach. I’ve really enjoyed cycling adventures to the sea and The Hague and days out in Amsterdam.
Speaking about our website Postgrad.com Grace is very enthusiastic saying, “I think it’s a great tool – I’ve been passing it around to all my friends and fellow students. Even if you don’t apply for funding, there’s some really useful information on there with regards to living costs etc. Information that really comes in handy when you’re new to a place.”
Apply For A Postgrad Solutions Study BursaryDanford Zirugo, Erasmus Mundus Masters Journalism, Media and Globalisation, Aarhus University
“I was really excited to be awarded a Postgrad Solutions Study Bursary!”
32-year-old Danford Zirugo from Zimbabwe is studying an Erasmus Mundus Masters Media, Journalism and Globalisation at Aarhus University.
He chose the course because of its great reputation and to help him to diversify his career by giving him an insight into global politics. He also is interested in specializing in financial journalism, which has always been a big interest of his as you can tell from his previous education and work experience. Before starting his postgrad program Danford graduated in Print Journalism from the Harare Polytechnic in Zimbabwe. He is also a graduate of the Midlands State University in Zimbabwe, where he acquired a BSc in Media and Society Studies. He has also worked as a Journalism lecturer at the Harare Polytechnic in Zimbabwe.
Speaking about his experience on the postgrad program so far, Danford says, “I am really enjoying my course which teaches me to think critically and acquire knowledge. So far, it has introduced me to academic writing, a key aspect in knowledge creation.”
He chose Aarhus University in Denmark for his postgraduate studies because of its high ranking and great reputation, saying, “it is the place to be in the world,” and finds its location of Aarhus in Denmark an enjoyable place to be based. He explains, “This city is well organised. It is clean. Everything is where it is supposed to be. It is peaceful and close to zero crime rate.”
Speaking about our website Postgrad.com, Danford enthuses, “This site is a portal for students still seeking opportunities. Subscribing to it is really fruitful as it provides a lot of key information.”
Nicky Tongue, Executive MBA, University of Warwick
“This will make a huge difference and take a lot of pressure off me.”
Nicky Tongue is a 52-year-old student from the UK. She is studying an Executive MBA at the University of Warwick and explains, “I am keen to reach my full potential and get the most from my career before I reach retirement age and saw this as a springboard to help me with this ambition.”
Nicky was delighted and surprised when she found out she’d been awarded a Postgrad Solutions Study Bursary worth £500, explaining, “I was very pleasantly surprised and felt very lucky. This will make a huge difference and take a lot of pressure of me.”
Speaking about Postgrad.com Nicky is very enthusiastic, explaining, “I think the website is a really valuable for postgrad students and contains lots of helpful signposting which takes you to resources you would otherwise struggle to find such as funding support opportunities.”
Nicky is thoroughly enjoying her course so far finding it to have already broadened her knowledge significantly. She says, “One of the highlights so far has been meeting a diverse and fascinating group of new people from so many different industries and countries. As I am from a public sector background the course is giving me new perspectives on situations and insight into the problems that face managers in private sector organisations.”
She has worked in healthcare for many years and has always been very ambitious. She has an undergraduate degree in Nursing Practice as well as an MSc in Cancer Care. Both of these courses enhanced her clinical practice and enabled her to progress to senior roles in her career. She’s now moved into a senior management role and wants to underpin her experience with the Executive MBA, saying, “I want to reach my full potential and make the biggest contribution I can to the future success of NHS services.”
Nicky chose to study her Executive MBA at the University of Warwick due to its excellent ratings as well as the exciting range of specialist modules such as healthcare. The university’s proximity to her home was also a deciding factor. She loves the area, particularly because of its beautiful countryside and interesting history.
Apply For A Postgrad Solutions Study Bursary
