Recent Graduate Profiles
Comments on his Politics, History and International Relations Masters degree from Karamjot Singh Cheema (International Relations, 2006)
When I was first choosing a university for my Masters I was looking for something different to all other universities I had seen before. I found Loughborough, for me, to offer the ideal university experience at any level.
Throughout my time at the Loughborough, the staff made their best efforts to help me with any matter. I was treated like a mature student rather than another number. Loughborough also provided me with a valuable life experience, the campus acts as a university village with everything you could ask for at your doorstep, from shops to bars, and of course an excellent Students Union run by students for students.
After my MSc in International Relations I left Loughborough and now live in Brussels where I am working in the European Parliament as an intern for my local MEP. My experience and studies at Loughborough helped me prepare for my new job from sitting in on debates in parliament to writing reports. The Loughborough experience is something unique, but to experience it at postgraduate level provides you with the perfect opportunity to combine a great department with courses that bring out the best in you.
Karamjot (on the right) with Craig Bowley on the postgraduate Brussels trip, January 2006.
Comments on his Politics, History and International Relations Masters degree from Florian Vernay
(Policy-Making in the European Union, 2004)
Florian Vernay completed his Masters in Policy-Making in the European Union at the Department of Politics, History and International Relations (PHIR), Loughborough University in 2004.
I completed my undergraduate degree in France at an Institute for Political Studies, a typically French establishment teaching a wide range of compulsory courses from French Public Law to the Sociology of International Relations. I had always cultivated an interest in politics and social sciences, so I felt at ease in the Law Department at the institution.
However, after three years of intensive studies, I felt the need to focus my energy on my main interest, namely European studies. When I discovered my school had a partnership for postgraduate studies with the The Dept. of Politics, History and International Relations at Loughborough University I decided to enter the selection process.
Such an opportunity attracted many candidates and the competition was tough, but a Masters degree in my field of interest at one of the best universities in the UK was worth competing for.
My Masters was partly funded by a Loughborough University bursary, in accordance with a partnership agreement between the Politics, History and International Relations Department and my school in France. I was able to cover the rest of the costs through savings and with the help of my parents.
I was taught by excellent, easygoing academics, which made my study all the more enjoyable. As well as acquiring an in-depth understanding of the policy making of the EU, the programme has given me the opportunity to focus my work on the topics I am most interested in. This has shaped and sharpened my academic profile, providing me with the satisfaction to increase the limits of my own intellectual capabilities.
My Masters degree in Loughborough also led to my first work experience in the EU. During the traditional January study trip to Brussels I heard about a traineeship programme in the European Commission. Seven months after I had applied, I was selected by the European Commission to work for five months on a topic directly related to my dissertation.
After another traineeship in Brussels lobbying in a consultancy, I am now finalising my studies and adding to my professional profile with knowledge and experience of Central and Eastern European Countries at the College of Europe, Warsaw Campus.
Once I have completed my studies I plan to work for lobby groups and consultancies in EU public affairs in Brussels, with the hope of starting my own consultancy. I will be able to rely on the research and analytical skills, language capabilities and working capacities that I acquired during my studies in Loughborough.
In the field of EU affairs, competition for jobs is extremely tough. An undergraduate degree alone, even from a good university, is not enough. By contrast, and according to my own experience, a postgraduate degree from Loughborough has caught employers’ interest and opened up great opportunities for me.
Investing in postgraduate study is becoming increasingly necessary in order to obtain a challenging and rewarding professional position. Investing in a postgraduate degree at Loughborough gave me some of the crucial resources to get closer to my own professional objectives during this very challenging period of professional life.
I will never regret the time, energy and money I spent at Loughborough. My expectations were more than satisfied; I experienced the added value of postgraduate study in a positive academic environment.