graduate school news-dec 2009

8/14/2019 Graduate School News-Dec 2009

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Graduate School News

Oxford Brookes University

Issue 10 Dec 2009

Postgraduate Scholarships 2009

Business School Scholarship winners, staff and the Williams family: (from left to right): Lynn Williams, DavidEvans (Head of Graduate School), Mel Hackney and Kirsty Jones, Laura Cox (Postgraduate AdmissionsTutor), Erika Regina Nobre Alecrim, Howard Brown (Associate Dean), Jing Liao, Tony Gibbs (Head ofInternational Partnership Development), Lizzy Solomon Jatula, Nicholas Boaz

At a presentation on Thursday 5 November2009, David Evans, Head of the GraduateSchool was pleased to congratulate andrecognise the achievements of a number ofnew postgraduate students who had beenawarded scholarships to study Mastersprogrammes starting in September 2009.This year the event included a wide variety ofScholarships offered at Masters level.Scholarships were awarded to applicantsbased on academic excellence and wereavailable through the John Henry BrookesScholarship Schemes, the Abbey SantanderScholarship Scheme and a number ofindividually named School ScholarshipSchemes. Students who received

Scholarships either directly from Brookes orfrom external organisations and funding bodieswere invited to the event.

Abbey Santander supported Oxford Brookes forthe second year by offering up to 30,000 inscholarships to students who had attended orgraduated from named institutions in LatinAmerica, Spain and Portugal. Representativesfrom Abbey Santander attended the event andwere pleased to meet the students who hadbenefited from the companys support.

It was an enjoyable informal event and a chancefor these students to meet and chat to Deansand representatives from their Schools, and


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for staff to meet these talented students.Those students who attended were allextremely appreciative and clearly delighted tohave received these awards. David Evans,Head of the Graduate School, welcomed thestudents to Brookes and congratulated them

on their achievements.

Lynn Williams and her daughters Kirsty andMel, wife and daughters of the late SimonWilliams, Dean of the Business School1999-2005, again attended the event topresent the Simon Williams MemorialScholarships. They clearly enjoyed meetingthose students who had received thesespecial awards.

Having enrolled on their courses, some of thescholarship recipients have spoken to the

Graduate School about what receiving theaward means to them and how they aresettling into life at Brookes. Their feedback,together with photographs of the event, will beused to promote these Schemes to futurestudents.

They were asked: What made you decide to come toOxford Brookes University? What does this Scholarship mean toyou? Did this award enable you to study atOxford Brookes?

How have you found your experiencesof the University so far?

A selection of their responses are includedbelow.

John Henry Brookes Scholarships

Ashley RichardsonMA International StudiesI applied to many schools, but eventuallydecided on Oxford Brookes because of thewarm, welcoming attitude of all the staff at a

Postgraduate Fair. I was impressed with thestaff, and after talking with a few of them, itwas clear that Oxford Brookes was auniversity that encourages thinking beyond thetextbooks. I liked the way the MA was set up the modules all seemed balanced, relevant,and very open for students to learn anddevelop our own path in the discipline. Theacademic staff also told me that most of theMA was composed of international students,and that was the final decision point for me.Not only did I have the chance to learnInternational Studies in the UK, but also work

with students from countries around the world.Talk about gaining different perspectives.

Brooke Storm Attwood-SmithMA Mind, Brain and LearningI am most grateful for the award as without it Iwould not have been able to study the MA Mind,Brain and Learning and pursue my academicaspirations which I hope will lead onto a

doctorate in a related interdisciplinary context.The John Henry Brookes Scholarship is thereason I am able to be here engaging withintellectual people on similar academic pursuitsand grappling with the fundamental problems ofphilosophy, psychology and biology.

Westminster Institute Scholarship winners and staff(from left to right): Brooke Attwood-Smith, BrianMarshall (Associate Dean), David Evans (Head ofGraduate School), and Stephen Eade.

Denis Samuel Tweve - MSc FinanceI decided to study at Oxford Brookes for thefollowing reasons: Reputation and the outstanding qualityof education provided. The outstanding service and care ofstaff during enquiries and application process. Scholarships and fees structure. Geographical/location.

The scholarship paved the way and encouragedme to focus on Oxford Brookes.

Duncan Hamilton - MSc eBusinessI studied at Brookes as an undergraduate andknew that it was the right place for me. I knewwhat I would get from my course: quality, trustand freedom of thought. The teaching quality isoutstanding from the mix of academics, industryprofessionals and guest speakers. Throughthought-provoking lectures we are expected,and trusted to broaden our own horizons. Iconsider Brookes a place for people who want tobe mentored rather than taught, its maybe notfor everyone, but it is perfect for me. The award

means a great deal to me. The financial benefitsare obviously very welcomed, but I also had aconfidence boost from winning the award.


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Erin McGirt - MA Urban DesignI chose to come to Oxford Brookes because ofthe outstanding reputation of the School of theBuilt Environment. In speaking with peoplewho were familiar with urban design inEngland, many of them said they believed

Oxford Brookes was the best place to studythe subject in the country. Also, I felt like theUniversity appreciated me most for what Icould contribute to the program which onlymade me want to join the community more.

Isabel Barratt - MA PublishingThe MA Publishing at Oxford Brookes isinternationally renowned, and the departmentis closely linked with an Industry AdvisoryBoard, to ensure the course is up-to-date andrelevant to work in this dynamic field. Thereare also strong ties with the Society of Young

Publishers Society and the Oxford PublishingSociety, with scheduled talks and discussions,and frequent opportunities to meet people whowork in publishing.

The staff are friendly and supportive, and aswell as being entirely approachable, they takea genuine interest in you and your concernsand questions. I would fully recommend acourse at Brookes to anyone, and the fact thatscholarships like the John Henry Brookes

award are offered further goes to show theUniversitys commitment to student provisionand care.

Jelena KucenkoMSc International Real Estate Management

I was advised that Real Estate programme hereis rated top nationally and internationally this isthe main reason I chose Brookes. Furthermorethe university is well located with a veryfavourable environment for a young person.

I am getting to know so many people and newthings each day. I just enjoy being here.

Jing LiaoMSc in International Business Economics(Received John Henry Brookes and SimonWilliams Memorial Scholarship)

I was an undergraduate student at Brookes. Ilike the teaching methods at Brookes as well asthe learning atmosphere. It has great facilitiesand provides great support for internationalstudents.

I am very excited and also very grateful forreceiving both the John Henry Brookes andSimon Williams Scholarships. Being recognisedby the School makes me feel extremely happy. Itmeans a great deal to me. This is hugeencouragement to me and has been a powerful

Built Environment Scholarship winners and staff (from left to right) Madiina Nakibenga, Ruth Collins(Senior Postgraduate Administrator), Nadia Tithi, John Johnson, Almaz Fiseha, Mars Street (Dean),Catarina Bentes, Jamie Elwin (Senior Lecturer), Olivia Ablordeppey, Lamyea Ali, David Evans (Head ofGraduate School), Lucinda Lay and Ihiri Lilian Vitale Oyaha.


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motivating factor, encouraging me to put evenmore efforts into my studies.

John JohnsonMSc Environmental Assessment and

ManagementHaving spoken to a professional in my chosencareer path, who recommended the course atOxford Brookes, and visiting the open daywhere I had a chance to meet the lecturers, Iknew that this was the place for me!

I was absolutely delighted to achieve thisaward, as I had no expectation of receiving it.It definitely helped me to study at OxfordBrookes for two reasons. Firstly, and mostimportantly, it gave me the financial aid toundertake full-time study. Secondly, learning

that I had received the award was a massiveconfidence boost. It made me feel that I waswanted on the course, and really gave methe self-belief to go on and put my all into thedegree.

Omer Javed - MSc Software EngineeringThe John Henry Brookes Scholarship meansa lot to me. It is the feeling of honour and thefeeling of achievement. This is the best thingto motivate students to do their best instudies.

Technology scholarship winners and staff (fromback to front, left to right): David Evans (Head ofGraduate School), Farina Salih (AdministratorPostgraduate Courses), Denise Morrey (Dean),Rafael Licen Santos, Mario Martinez Mendez andOmer Javed.

Lizzy Solomon JatulaMSc FinanceI decided to study at Oxford BrookesUniversity because of the excellent reputationit has as the best modern university in the UK.The outstanding record of Brookes Business

courses is also one of the factors thatmotivated me. I have also seen past studentsof the School excelling in their careers. ThisScholarship meant a great deal to me.

It has gone a long way to ease off some of thefinancial burden from me. Through thisaward, I am encouraged to put my best in tomy studies, devoting all my time to theprogram without the distraction of a part time

job.

Solongo Tsogt- MSc RehabilitationAfter visiting a number of differentuniversities, I found that Oxford BrookesUniversity was the most welcoming, wellorganised and internationally recognised forhigh quality, innovative teaching methods.Moreover, there is a lot of support forInternational students.

The John Henry Brookes Scholarship hasbeen a great support to me in paying my

tuition fees, and eased the financialcircumstances of moving overseas. Theaward has encouraged me a lot.

Thomas Jacob - LLM in International Tradeand Commercial LawI decided to study at Oxford Brookes for thefollowing reasons: Good law department Many students in Oxford and it iswell-known across the world Brookes is one of the greenestUniversities in the UK

The University has many internationalstudents Oxford has many historic buildingsand is close to London

This scholarship recognises my previousstudies and work experience. It helped me tostudy at Oxford Brookes, because without it Icould not afford to come here.

Vice-Chancellor's Scholarships

Wendy Osgerby - MA Creative Writing

I had completed the Diploma in CreativeWriting at Oxford University (ContinuingEducation) and wished to continue mystudies. Locally my choice was betweenOxford University's Masters in CreativeWriting and the MA at Oxford Brookes. ThisMA was far more attractive in terms of contacthours and content. The ethos of the course isentirely different. I knew from the way that Iwas treated at the interview that this was thecourse for me.

This award has enabled me to carry on

studying a subject that I am totally engagedin, without committing myself to poverty,which would otherwise have been the case,


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as my only income is a small pension.

I was very surprised to receive theVice-Chancellors Scholarship, and I feelprivileged and extremely grateful. It has been

an enormous boost to my confidence, and isdriving my determination to succeed.Individual staff members on the MA CreativeWriting are all research active, highlymotivated, approachable and encouraging, asI expected. I think that the standard ofteaching is as good as that in any otherinstitution, and considerately superior tosome. There is a good mix of students interms of ethnicity, age and social background.We are quickly becoming a 'group' as wegrow more comfortable with each other. Thelist of visiting speakers is impressive, and is a

valuable addition to the course programme. Infact everything has lived up to, or exceeded,my expectations.

Eva Johanna Rode - MSc PrimateConservationWithout the scholarship it probably would nothave been possible for me to come herebecause as well as the tuition fees, there isalso the high cost of living. I am very gratefulfor this award because it allows me tobecome an expert in conservation and dosomething really meaningful for myself and

society in the future.

Abbey Santander Scholarships

Catarina Bentes - MSc Spatial PlanningThe main reason I chose Oxford Brookes wasthe detailed description of the course and

each one of its modules, particularly the urbandesign specialist route. From what I saw onthe web site, it struck me as a very goodcourse in terms of content and structure. Ialso researched other schools and OxfordBrookes was ranked as one of the best, apartfrom being an RTPI accredited course.

Mario Alberto Martinez MendezMSc Advanced Engineering Design(Received Abbey Santander and JohnHenry Brookes Scholarships)The possibility of developing my biggest

passion, design, made me decide to study theMSc in Advanced Engineering Design atOxford Brookes. There is no better place tostudy it than a university surrounded by someof the most important automotive companies.In addition, the facilities here allow thestudents to put into practice all the knowledgeobtained during the lectures. The city wasalso a factor in my decision, because OxfordBrookes is situated in one of the mostimportant cities in the UK.

To me, this award was the key to open the

Universitys door, without the help of the

Built Environment Scholarship winners and staff (from left to right) Susanna Simpson (Santander

Universities Retail Director), Matias Cristobal Pascuali Tello, David Evans (Head of Graduate School),Erika Regina Nobre Alecrim, Robert Mottershead (Abbey Santander), Julia Helena Diaz, EdwardTrewhella (Oxford Brookes International Director), Catarina Bentes, Mario Alberto Martinez Mendez,Claudia Sanhueza, Rafael Licen Santos, and Cristobal Sanchez Flores (Abbey Santander).


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scholarship I would not have been able tocover the fees. It opened up the possibility forme to study a masters degree that willchange my life.

I do not have words to describe theexperience that Im having being part of theOxford Brookes community. Starting from thelectures, the facilities, and environment, andending with my classmates, everything hasbeen better than I could have thought.

School ScholarshipsArts and Humanities

Liam Smyth - MA Creative WritingDe Rohan ScholarshipBeing situated directly between Birmingham

and London, Oxford Brookes University is in agreat location, plus Oxford is a great city in itsown right, with a distinctly bohemian edgemingling with a rich academic tradition that Ifelt would prove an inspirational place tostudy. All of the tutors on my course arepublished in their specialist fields and I wasexcited at the prospect of being taught byauthors I have long admired.

Simply put, I would not have been able tocontinue studying without this award. The factI have been given this opportunity has made

me determined to work hard and do my bestto excel both personally and academically.

Arts and Humananities Scholarship winners andstaff (From left to right): Julia Diaz, CraigRichardson (Director of Postgraduate Taught) CaraAcred, David Evans (Head of Graduate School)and Isabel Barratt.

Polly Silk - MA in PublishingHachette Livre UK Publishing Scholarship

I would urge anyone considering the BrookesPostgraduate Publishing course to apply and

to find out about the excellent fundingopportunities that are available early on.

Built Environment

Almaz Fiseha DemissieMA Development and EmergencyBrookes Africa Scholarship Scheme

(BASS)Oxford Brookes is one of the few academicinstitutions I have learnt of who value relevantfield experience. I was accepted to theprogram based on my 34 years of relevantdevelopment and emergency work and not onprior qualification (degree).

The scholarship means a great deal. It gaveme the lifetimes opportunity to get thequalification I have dreamt of all my life. It willalso open up opportunities for me tocontribute more to the field. If it had not been

for this scholarship, I would not have beenable to afford to come to Oxford Brookes.

My experience of the University so far hasbeen amazing. Coming to live in anothercountry is a huge step. Becoming a student atan advanced age is also a challenge.However, the support system at the Universityis so good that I did not feel lost oroverwhelmed by any of it.

Madiina NakibengaMA Development and Emergency Practice

Martin Wilkinson ScholarshipWhy Oxford Brookes? First was the uniquecourse of Development and Emergencypractice which is not in any other university inUnited Kingdom. Secondly was thescholarship from the Martin Wilkinson Fundwhich inspired me the most because I did nothave enough money to enrol at the beginning.

The scholarship is a great opportunity to me,being from a third world country where peoplestrive to meet basic needs, with hardship dueto illiteracy and poverty. It will be great to pass

on my knowledge thus empowering them toengage in sustainable community-baseddevelopment work.

Rebecca BurrowsMSc Historic ConservationSchool of the Built Environment Part-timeScholarship

Brookes was actually the only university thatdid this course. There are similar ones butmost of them are much more expensive andnot approved by the Institute of Historic

Building Conservation. I work for EnglishHeritage and two of my colleagues have


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previously completed the course, and onlyhad good things to say about it. It seems avery hands-on course with lots of site visits,support from staff and a high rate ofemployment.

This scholarship is very important to me; Iwould not have been able to attend universitywithout it. I have not been with EnglishHeritage long enough for them to subsidisemy course and I currently have two jobs tomaintain myself. I feel very privileged to havebeen given the opportunity to study here andimprove my career options.

Trang CongMSc International Real Estate ManagementJones Lang LaSalle Educational TrustInternational Award

After working with Savills Vietnam for 3 years,

when I decided to pursue a Master degree inthe UK, I was careful to compare the optionsand choose a university that met my criteriafor teaching quality and ranking, as well asthe environment of the city. Brookes was atthe top of my list. My managers andcolleagues who used to study and work in theUK also gave Brookes strongrecommendations. This is one of the leadingmodern Universities with a very up to datecurriculum.

The Oxford city itself is a beautiful city to live

with amazing heritage and architecture. I wascompletely convinced that I could have thebest opportunities in my choice of real estatein this university and in this city. And it hasbeen proved that I made a good choice.

A number of generous scholarships will be offered for September 2010 entry onto Brookes Masters programmes. For further details, please visit:

http://www.brookes.ac.uk/studying/finance/support/pg_homehttp://www.brookes.ac.uk/studying/finance/support/pg_international

School of Arts and HumanitiesResearch Students' Winter Symposium - Saturday 12 December 2009

9.30 to 4.30pm, BG11

Research students from across the School of Arts and Humanities will be presenting papers atour Winter Symposium on Saturday 12 December. If you would like to join us for what isalways a very interesting and enjoyable day, please contact Charmian Hearne, ResearchStudent Administrator at [email protected]

Launch of New MA in Film Studies

In September 2009 Brookes launched thenew MA in Film Studies: Popular Cinema,with the help of Oscar-winning specialeffects expert Ben Morris, a member of theteam that worked on The Golden Compass.

He gave a lavishly illustrated Master Classon the films special effects. His presencehighlighted the courses distinctive quality

for combining theoretical and historical, aswell as professional approaches to popularcinema.

The MA in Film Studies accommodates localneeds as well as global demand. Plans areunderway to increase marketing to both localteachers of film and media, as well as tooverseas students, building on Oxfordsrecognisability and the teaching teamsexpertise:

Programme Manager Warren Buckland

(Reader in Film Studies) has published on awide range of topics ranging from StevenSpielberg to the cognitive semiotics of film,


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he teaches the MA Research Seminar inFilm Studies and oversees the DissertationProjects;

Alberto Mira (Reader in Film Studies), anexpert in the history of sexuality, Spanish

cinema, and Classical Hollywood Cinema,teaches the Narration in ClassicalHollywood cinema module;

Daniela Treveri-Gennari (Senior Lecturerin Film Studies), whose research interestsinclude post-war Italian Cinema, teachesthe Popular European Cinema module;

Paolo Russo (Senior Lecturer in FilmStudies), equally at home writing academicresearch (on Italian cinema, film genres,cyberpunk) as well as filmmaking (he is

also a screenwriter and script reader),teaches the Story Development module;

James Caterer (Lecturer in Film Studies), anexpert in British cinema, the international filmindustry, and film and television-related tourism,teaches a module on Professional Film Cultures(which develops an understanding of thefunction and development of the cultural

industries).

This is the first MA in Film Studies in Oxford (theUniversity of Oxford offers a rather idiosyncraticM.St. in Film Aesthetics). The team hopes toexpand the modules it offers in the comingyears, making Brookes an international centrefor the study of film.

Warren Buckland

For further details please visit:http://ah.brookes.ac.uk/filmstudies/postgraduate/

Oxford Brookes Pro Bono Scheme

Oxford Brookes Pro Bono Scheme Co-ordinators(From left to right) Rachael Butcher GDL,Nancy-Josee Ciakudia GDL, Jojo Lyall GDL andPhilip Kaisary LPC, pictured in Headington Hill Hall

Oxford Brookes student-led Pro BonoScheme is flourishing, thanks to the current

team of law student co-ordinators. Entirelyorganised and run by law students, with thesupport of one member of staff, the Scheme

has expanded to include 12 projects at local,national and international level. Participatingorganisations include: Amicus, AsylumWelcome, Citizens Advice Bureau,

CAFCASS, Human Rights Teaching Project,Innocence UK, Oxfordshire Family Mediation,MELCA, and Oxfordshire Youth OffendingTeam.

Open to all 750 law students across the LawDepartment, the Scheme offers students atany level a unique opportunity to develop theirlegal knowledge and skills, and to share theirexpertise with the wider community. TheScheme receives some funding to cover costssuch as basic training or conferenceattendance, and pro bono volunteers whocommit their time to organisations can alsobenefit from training within their chosenorganisation.

Law students at both graduate andundergraduate level who are interested inpro bono volunteering opportunities shouldcontact one of the Scheme Co-ordinators.

Philip Kaisary [email protected] Butcher [email protected] Lyall [email protected] [email protected]


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Postgraduate Society News

The Postgraduate Shout Out was designed

to bring together new and ongoingpostgraduate students over a drink andsome nibbles. The night went well and asignificant number of students signed up tothe society. There are now approximately100 members who meet socially on a regularbasis. Our events aim to cover a range ofcultural and social activities. For example,our morning coffee concert was a relaxedevent that opened up the world of historyand classical music in Oxford. On a differentnote our wine tasting evening inSummertown was a great fun night out.

Coming up we have a Pub Quiz starting onMondays in All Bar One in town which brings

together Oxford Brookes and Oxford

University postgraduates for a classic andmuch-loved pub quiz. The semester willculminate in a Christmas party in Harts Barin the Students Union on Thursday 17December, with a DJ and nibbles, and aperformance from the Circus Society!Tickets for this event are 12.00 to membersand 15.00 to non-members.

For further information and details of ticketsales, please email:[email protected] also available from SU Reception.

OBU Postgraduate Society


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F E A T U R E

Technology Masters Students receive Sponsorshipfrom Jigawa State Government in Nigeria

The School of Technology is forging closeties with Jigawa state in Nigeria thanks to anew programme of state sponsorship forhigher education and the arrival of threeimpressive international students.

For the first time Jigawa state governmentoffered local students sponsorship to studya Masters degree programme anywhere inthe world. Students from Jigawa state whohad gained a first class honours degree atundergraduate level were chosen to receivethis award. Three out of the four whoqualified decided to study their Mastersprogrammes at Oxford Brookes. MohammedGumel Ibrahim (MSc Mobile and High SpeedTelecommunications), Nasir Faruk (MScMobile and High Speed

Telecommunications) and Nura TijjaniAbubakar (MSc Software Engineering)began their studies in the School ofTechnology in September 2009.

These students are clearly relishing theopportunity to study at Oxford Brookes andin the UK. They are making the most of theirtime here. As this is the first year Jigawastate has supported students in this waythey are keen to repay those who have giventhem this chance. They also hope that otherstudents from Jigawa state may be able tofollow them to Oxford Brookes. Nuracommented: We hope to be the steppingstone of Brookes becoming host of Jigawastate students wishing to learn from thebest.

From left to right: Mohammed Gumel Ibrahim, Nasir Faruk and

Nura Tijjani Abubakar


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They were recently interviewed for theGraduate School Newsletter, and theirthoughts and experiences are describedbelow.

How were you selected to receive thisgenerous award?Mohammed, Nasir and Nura explained thatan agenda for education in Jigawa state hadbeen pursued in recent years by seniorgovernment figures. The commitment ofProfessor Ruqqayya Rufa'I, the StateCommissioner for Education, and Alh.Babangida Hussain, the Executive Secretaryof the Scholarship Board, was playing animportant role in the development ofeducation in the state. Early opportunities forstudents from Jigawa state to undertake

undergraduate-level overseas study werefollowed in 2008 by similar initiatives inrelation to Masters-level courses. These newPostgraduate awards provide funding for allexpenses including accommodation, tuitionfees, living expenses and air fares.

A prestigious ceremony attended by over5000 representatives from across the stateeducation sector, including headmasters anduniversity lecturers, as well as the Governorof Jigawa state and the Commissioner forEducation, was held on 21 August, 2008.

The event was a fantastic occasion to whichthe students families and friends wereinvited. It is hoped that the excitementgenerated by the day will encourage those inoffice to continue this commitment, andinspire other students to follow in theachievements of the sponsorship winners.

Nura explained that the State EducationDepartment had taken a very active interestin their progress since the students arrival atOxford Brookes. They had been contactedregularly by Department representatives

asking them for feedback about theUniversity and their experiences so far.They assured me that all reports had beenfavourable!

Tell me about your family andbackground.The students explained that Nigeria ispredominantly Muslim in the North andChristian in the South. It has a population ofone hundred and sixty million people and anaverage family has around seven children.The population of Jigawa state is

approximately five million.

The students described their familybackgrounds. In all three cases, their fathers

careers are/were based in local government(in state departments and in the judiciaryrespectively), whilst their mothers arefull-time housewives.

Mohammed is the oldest of seven childrenand has two brothers and four sisters. Oneof his brothers is a nurse and his othersiblings are students.

Nasir is the youngest of four boys. Two ofhis brothers work in Business and one isstudying at Lagos State University.

Nura has one brother and two sisters. Hisbrother is studying at the CanadianUniversity in Dubai. His younger sister is astudent at University in Kano, Nigeria, whilst

his older sister is married and is ahousewife.

How did you feel when you found out thatyour studies would be supported in thisway?Mohammeds comments sum up the feelingsof all three students:

One of my childhood fantasies wasto study in the UK, thinking that wasthe only way for me to be at the topof my career, but I didnt know wherethe opportunity would come from.

I just kept dreaming. I was surprisedand honoured the day I received thescholarship.

How did you first find out about OxfordBrookes and decide on your course?Nura studied a BSc (Hons) in Computingand Software Engineering, a course run inpartnership with Oxford Brookes, throughInformatics Education in Singapore. In thefinal year of the course students can chooseto have their degree validated by particularnamed institutions. Nura chose Brookes

because the modules on offer interested himthe most.

He was also inspired by David Lightfoots(Principal Lecturer, School of Technology)visit to Singapore. He said:

After David taught us a newProgramming language called

Zonnon, he was telling us aboutBrookes and how he treated hisstudents. Please allow me to quotehim saying I tell my students to doso and so , I advise my students

to do so and so ... and so on.I was really inspired by thecharacter of his teachings.From then on, I always


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prayed to further my studies atBrookes and become one of hismy students.

Nura recommended Brookes to his friendsMohammed and Nasir. They thenresearched their particular choice of course

online.

All three students praised the assistancethey had received from David George,Postgraduate Admissions Administrator inthe School of Technology. Nura visitedDavid at the Education UK Fair in Nigeriawhere he received invaluable informationabout Brookes courses and the University ingeneral.

Mohammed felt that the MSc in Mobile HighSpeed and Telecommunications would build

on the experience he had gained duringindustrial training at Nigerian UniversitiesNetworking (NUNET) during hisundergraduate degree. He is passionateabout working in the telecommunicationssector.

What do you think about your courseso far? What do you particularlyenjoy/find interesting?All three students are finding their coursesextremely interesting and challenging. Theyare working very hard to learn new concepts

quickly in order to keep on top of eachmodule.

They enjoy learning from lecturers who theyhave found extremely helpful and alwayswilling to engage with them. They clearlyappreciate the support that they havereceived from academic staff who respondquickly to queries that they have about theirwork. The facilities in the School ofTechnology are beyond their expectations.They see the strong practical elements ofthe course as another positive.

Mohammed commented:Brookes has a very warm learningenvironment, which isacademically challenging. I wouldrecommend Oxford BrookesUniversity for anyone who wantsto be on top of their academic career.

What do you think about the Universityand living in Oxford and the UK ingeneral? What do you particularlyenjoy/find interesting?

Mohammed finds Oxford a verystudent-friendly place to live. He hasparticularly enjoyed meeting people fromdifferent cultures and backgrounds. He lives

in Clive Booth Hall with flat mates from arange of countries. and is learning to cookdishes from all over the world.

Overall Nasir feels the University works verywell. He enjoys playing football and has

gained a place in the Brookes first elevenNura particularly likes the Students Unionand the city itself. He says that Brookes is ahome from home and that there is alwayssomething happening to occupy him andkeep him cheerful.

What are your plans for when yougraduate from your Masters programme?Should Mohammed, Nasir and Nura gaindistinctions in their Masters, they have beenpromised further funding by Jigawa state tostudy a Research programme at Oxford

Brookes. All three students are keen to doso. They are incredibly driven and will clearlywork hard to achieve this goal.

When asked about their future plans, they allexpress the desire to return to Nigeria atsome point. Mohammed commented:

My plan is to go back to mycountry and help in buildingthe nation, but I want to go backhighly experienced and on top ofmy career. I can wait for anythingthat adds to my experience, be

it study or work.Nasir feels that practical work experiencewould be beneficial and enhance his longterm career prospects.

What do you miss most about home?Mohammed, Nasir and Nura all say that theymiss their families although being in regularcontact has made things easier. Nasir andNura both miss Nigerian food. They findBritish food rather bland and uninteresting bycomparison, and not as substantial orsatisfying! Nura is clearly rather disappointed

by English weather - especially the cold andrain! As temperatures in Nigeria rarely dipbelow 17 degrees, they have all purchasedwarmer, thicker clothes since arriving in theUK!

Meeting Mohammed, Nasir and Nura Igained a real sense of their lives andexperiences in Jigawa state, Nigeria. It iscertainly unlikely that they would have beenable to study in the UK, without this funding.They explained that it was a dream for manyyoung Nigerians to study overseas, but for

most it was just not possible. Whilst a highproportion of students were now studying inSingapore and Malaysia, where it is a lotcheaper, studying in the UK was still the


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ultimate goal. Funding from Jigawa state hasmade this possible for these talentedstudents. We are delighted that they chose

Oxford Brookes and wish them everysuccess in their future studies.

Judith Powell

From left to right: Alh. Sule Lamido (Governor of Jigawa state and Profesor Ruqqayya Rufa'i

(Commissioner of the Ministry of Education, Science & Technology, Jigawa state)

If you have any feature stories about our students and their journeys to Oxford Brookes.Please [email protected]

For further information about the Graduate School or about postgraduate study at OxfordBrookes University, with items for this newsletter, or for large print or alternative formats,please contact David Evans at: [email protected] or Judith Powell at:[email protected].

Happy Christmas

to you all

from theGraduate School

graduate school news-dec 2009

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