We have three of our current students, one of which is a graduate as well with us today. And from three different masters that we offer, including the International relations international dispute resolution and global public health masters. We do also have another course that we offer, which is the International public policy masters. Please do let us know if you have any questions regarding this program, and we'll be happy to answer those for you. At the end of the session. We will also put our survey for you. We would really appreciate if you could stick around and just answer those for us. We will start by introducing ourselves and telling you a little bit about ourselves. Firstly, my role is to ensure that all of our prospective students have all the necessary information. Make sure that they are choosing the correct course for them. Also, as a course advisor, I am here to support our students with their application. And ensure that they feel ready to start their studies at the start of the academic year. Can I kindly please ask our students to introduce themselves? Emma, can we start with you, please? Hi, everyone. I am Emma. I'm a graduate student, so I graduated last summer with a degree in International relations. I did the online course here, which I found was really helpful in terms of getting me into my next role. So I soon go into a public affairs role. So having that kind of experience really helped me get. Thank you, Emma. Jen, could you take over, please? Hello my name is Jenn. I'm an online Queen Mary student for the course of Global Public Health. I just started in May this year. My background. I'm a medical doctor by profession. I'm originally from Malaysia by currently live in London. Many reasons why I chose global public health. It opens up a different perspective and world view of medicine, which a clinician doesn't have. It gives me a lot of insights from an administrative as well as the social justice that's happening around the world. And I'm glad to be part of the cause. Thank you. It's very much for that. And please. Hello, everyone. My name is Nina. I'm originally from Bulgaria. I'm living currently in Germany and studied there. Law normal life. The second state exam. And after that, I started my program in international dispute resolution in May. So I'm at the beginning of this journey, but I think so now it's really satisfying because of the career perspectives, the people that we can meet. We are able to meet from different international backgrounds and legal backgrounds. And it's just an experience that. Will make us, I hope, better professionals and better people in the end of the day. Thank you very much for that. You are definitely right. And let's move on to the next slide. And so what is exciting about study and of course, online with Queen Mary online. And Emma, could you kindly take this one for me? Yep sure. So like I'll be on air mentioned the prospect of meeting people from all over the world and from having classes and something like international dispute resolutions or international relations with people who live across the globe. It's just really interesting in itself. Also, the lecturers, a lot of them work in industry, so they have that kind of experience and those connections as well. And the lecturers that we had all had sort of different skill sets and it's just great being able to talk to them about things that you're interested in getting their insights and reading recommendations. I really enjoyed the course and like, yeah, I also think it made me better in my professional life, but also like a more well-rounded person. And I've met classmates that I'm now friends with. They live in London. So we hang out together. And I still talk to people from other countries on my course about different issues that are coming up. So it's great to get that perspective. So it's kind of like a learning that continues after you've left the University. And I think that we marry is kind of really installs that sort of curiosity and you'd want to learn. So yeah, I'm really glad to have done the course. It it was really good. Well, thanks, Emma. I'm excited because I just thought that this journey and learning that how you finish and getting all of that insight makes me just want to go on more. The reason why I chose online is because it's practical, you know, for people like us who has work as well as family life. And this is the only platform that will enable us to attain a postgraduate degree or even maybe a tertiary education is fantastic because we are learning with a very good University. The name itself is Queen Mary and it's nice and I look forward to meeting with more people across the staff as well as the classmates. I mean, I'm in the middle of my module too, but I've already met many, many classmates who are very, very they are so kind and so good and generous in sharing knowledge. And this is part of the virtual learning experience that I find so engaging. Thank you. Thank you both. You've made very good points there. So why is a degree in your course attractive to your industry? Diana and Jen, could you take this one for me, please? I can gladly start. The point is, international arbitration is an area that is not so much studied in Germany and you have to specialize in it. And there's just a little number of people who are qualified in this area. So because the whole study of law is so general and in order to do this qualification, it is really important to have a law degree. So to show not only your client but also your employer that you have the knowledge. And it's not just theoretical and it's not just concentrated on the area in your country, but it's on an international level. But for me, it was essential if I want to work in this area, I have to have this degree. Oh, that's wonderful to know. You know, it's the same for me. I think as a medical doctor, I've only learned a part of what clinicians do, the practical part where we meet with patients. But there's this whole other side of medicine that is actually not known to many, and that's the field of Public Health. So this has opened up a lot of things about social injustice, about how clinical governance as well as policymaking. And it's a part of the administration, part of medicine that is very new and very attractive. And therefore, I believe by learning and joining this program can further equip me to be a better clinician next time. Perfect Thank you both for that. The next question we move on to is, what can I expect from the academics in terms of support? And I'm take this one for me. Um, Yeah. So the lecturers are really supportive. I was a bit sort of concerned at first because it's online and I did my bachelor's in person, but I found that still get that support and even more in some cases. So they're very responsive to emails. Like I mentioned, they also have experience in different areas and I found that they're sort of open to exploring your interests. So you can contact them about anything and they can give you reading recommendations. You also get a lot of dissertation supervisor support. So my dissertation supervisor was an expert in what I was writing my dissertation on and I quoted some of his books in my essay. And it was just really great to kind of talk to him about his ideas in virtually, face to face, kind of. So you get to talk to them about different areas that they've kind of researched and yeah, they're very nice. All of them are really nice and they kind of really install that sort of zest for learning and that passion for learning. Like it sort of shines through online when they deliver their lectures. You can see that they're really passionate about what they're talking about, and I think it kind of installs that sort of passion of international relations and for learning and exploring ideas and new as well. I can just add to what Emma said. There are so many amazing people that want to help you. From personal experience, I get more support than when I was studying life at a university, actually, because you're not only the lecturer, the tutors, even the technical support. Everyone answers your questions, your emails really fast, and they try their best to help you. And no matter what issue you have, you can always turn to someone and talk with them, and they are also on the platform. Countries are also these forums where you can share all your questions about the materials, about the weekly reading essentials of whatever it's on your mind and you cannot understand. Nobody will say, that's a stupid question they always try to answer. And they're so nice. Really I am so glad to hear your wife had and having such a good experience. So that's really nice to hear. And how is the course, impacting you on a professional and personal level? Jen and Emma, kindly take this one for me, please. So in terms of professional, I so I have a background in communications and journalism. So I really wanted to like specialize for my master's to get experience in something that I've been interested in a personal capacity for a long time, but that I haven't studied. So I think that one of the things that has come out of it is that my critical analysis skills are much better. So I can read materials that I was reading before, and I have a much better understanding of the kind of reasons behind like the disputes or like the sort of technical terms and the theories. So I can kind of expand on the ideas that I already had. And I think it's also made me much more confident in terms of communicating. Like I've met people from all over the world, I've talked to people from industries. So I think it's just given me much more of a confidence to kind of voice my ideas because University kind of makes you share your ideas. And like I said, everyone's so friendly. Nobody is ever like, oh, that's a silly point to make. You know, everybody is so supportive of your ideas and they challenge you to be better. So I had a really great experience in terms of building up my professional capacity at university, but also on a personal level, I think it's really improved my time management skills, doing a full time job alongside a part time degree I was really concerned about. But it sort of made me put these systems in place in terms of time management, which have helped me in my role as well in my working life. And also I think it's just made me a more well-rounded person as well as a more well-rounded student and worker. So I've been talking to people from all over the world and it's kind of opened my mind to things that I didn't know were going on, having just sort of lived in places in Europe. It's interesting to kind of hear what's going on in other countries and to hear different people's takes on things. And I think it's made me much more open minded and much more curious as well. Yeah as for me, I think what I gain from a professional point of view is that as a doctor, I can only treat a disease. But public health has opened me to question myself. Why is the disease there in the first place and how do we cope with this burden of disease? And why are certain policies make? Why do the health minister make certain policies or certain kind of rules? These are the things that we do not know. But as we learn and we learn them, governance of it and it has improved my critical thinking skills as well as to appraise whether or not this law or this rule is actually good for medicine. So it is actually improving forward. Like the good saying, behind every man is a successful woman, but behind every good medicine there's always a good public health practitioner. So I hope that by this course I will get there somehow. We are all learning throughout the way. And the little piece of chance that we get is what I get for my personal achievement. Time management is one of them. I totally agree with Emma is really, really hard to manage time trying to sort all in and it's also besides that it's a personal achievement. You feel good that you're able to do something for yourself at this time, especially when virtual learning is a platform that's available now quite well, widely and it's practical for me. Thank you. Thank you. Bye I think you've touched a little bit on our next slide as well, and it ties in nicely with a question from Lawson. And so Lawson has asked since we have to complete many assignments as well as essays without stopping our work. Could you kindly give me some advice on the time management, which ties in with next slide? Very nicely. So Diana and Jen, could you take this one for me, please? Of course. So in general, it is a challenge. It's not easy because after working personally, I work for eight, 9 hours per day. So that means that after work I have to study on the weekends. Sometimes I have to do that. And there is a lot what you have to read before we even start doing an assignment logically. So it is a lot of work that you have to put in, but it gives you the opportunity to prioritize what's important in your life And what you have to spend more time on. Because if you just focus on learning, lots of people procrastinate and try to put things aside and do it at the last minute. But if now you have just the two hours per day. You're using them more efficiently than if you're doing it for 10 hours sometimes. So perhaps what I can tell him is to answer the question, just perhaps to make a list of the things that are really important and just to rank them, for example, what is important in the day. Also how to manage, perhaps. It is it is a question of. Your support system in a way, because if your family or friends, everyone knows you're studying, they will give you more time and they will know perhaps not two years. You won't give them so much of your free time, but at the end you have this aim, this goal, and you will achieve it. So perhaps talk to all the people in your life and show them that this is an important thing for you and you have to take the time for it. I totally agree with Nina. I think, first of all, you have to decide that whether this course is for you and whether you're able to give up a certain amount of time of your life, you know, for the cause. As for me, is very busy. Like, for example, you know how to manage. Time is different for everybody. I have three children. And yesterday I was reading my module and listening to the video podcast while I includes, you see. So this is part of that spectacle. It doesn't work for everybody, but this is how I slot in certain things though. The good thing about this course, is that it's very structured. You get your weekly learnings release every Friday. That's what my module I'm not sure about the rest, but so we get a bit of so I plan my time according to my timetable. On certain days I'll give to the three hours in the daytime and some certain days I give two to three hours at night. So and I set a target for myself that I want to finish this assignment, or I must read at least to this level before I do something else, you see. So as you said, as I said, family support is quite important. My children, they know that I'm right here having a meeting with you all and it's summer holidays and they are nicely watching Netflix. So I have a little bit of babysitters, you know, like Netflix and Disney plus, but it helps. So small things like this contributes to how you manage your time. I wouldn't want to set a specific rule to say that, oh, you must finish this. But this. And the good thing is that there's always tutors that you can email and they give you very prompt replies and responses. IT support has been great. There are times that when I want to do certain things online and the system just wouldn't work and they sort it out for me quite immediately. So I know that time is precious, so you need to do it at that time. And you know, once I've been working, you know, but they sorted it out for me. So that was quite a good experience for me. So time management is something that is individual, but I believe that if you really want to put your heart into it and you, you know, if you set realistic expectations for yourself as well, you see there's always time to catch up. During weekends, you just need to sacrifice certain things like movies or, you know, all things, but you know, what you gain is invaluable. So I hope that it helps you guys a bit. Thank you both and Jen. Well done. Honestly, I don't know how you do it with three children, but that's amazing. So onto our next question. What skill set is required to be a successful student? Emma and Diana, could you take this one for me? So firstly, I think you have to be quite curious and passionate about learning. So that's something that really sort of helped me because if I was working full time, I didn't want to think of this as like a chore or something that I had to do. So I had to kind of have that sort of passion for it to be interested in what I was studying and kind of listen to podcasts and look at a different view. So I think it's just kind of reminding yourself that it's, it's something that you're interested in and it's something relevant and it's something that, that matters to kind of having that sort of like zest for learning. I think is really important skill. And I think it's sort of being open to New ideas and also being open to being challenged. So having your ideas sort of challenged, which I found really beneficial during my dissertation practice when they were sort of questioning like, why do you think that? And it makes you kind of think and re-evaluate your ideas. I think, yeah, just being sort of open, being enthusiastic and being curious and just seeing it as something that's fun as well as something that will help you in your professional career. We agree with Emma. Furthermore, I would say because I'm coming from a German background, that discipline and organization, that's really good skills because you have to plan everything. And if you just go with the flow. You want, manage both working and studying, it's just a lot. And they say like 20 hours per week, but sometimes it could be more. And if you're not organizing, not prioritizing it, it won't be able. And what for me was also really important was patience, but not only with the different kind of people you meet, but also with yourself. Because sometimes I want to do more in a shorter period of time or to go further and to expand my knowledge faster. But it's just not possible because. I have certain capacity per day of energy, of concentration, of everything. So just be patient with yourself and do the best you can. And in most of the times, it's more than enough. Perfect Thank you both. Those are very good answers on that one and nearly at the end of the slides. So can you share any tips and/or best practices? I think we could all have a look at that one. So, Jen, can I start with you, please? Yeah, definitely. I think my peop for all of us who is aspiring to attain a postgraduate degree is that. Be realistic set expectations that are real to yourself. You do not have to compare with anybody or you know, we are no longer in undergraduate level where we have to compare, you know, things like this. But so be realistic with what you want, what you have at the moment. I mean, if you are moving house or you are getting married, maybe you would like to think that you want to postpone a bit, you know, but if you are in a stable place where you are just working, you have some family life that is quite stable. I mean, nothing major. Then slotting in a study is not exactly very difficult. It's just be realistic. Don't push yourself to heart. Everyone has a capacity like what I was saying and it's true. Believe in yourself and just do it. I definitely agree on that one. And following on from that as well, I think everyone should be open to ask for help throughout the whole journey from the very beginning. Ask for help whenever you need anything and everyone at Queen Mary will be more than happy to help you. Emma, could you carry on for me, please? So, yeah, I completely agree with Jen. It's setting those realistic expectations. Like when I first started, I think I was just sort of overthinking what I was able to do, and I felt like really inadequate because I had such big to do list. So I think it's sort of breaking things down into so far and helpful. So like on this week, I'm going to do x, y, z, kind of blocking time out in my calendar. So then I have the time to relax as well. I know it can be really difficult, but I think having the sort of self discipline to make sure that you're sleeping enough and you're eating properly and you're exercising while studying, and then everything just becomes easier in itself. At the start of my degree, I was working until 8:00 in the morning and it was just taking me longer to do everything. So I think it's being organized and kind of planning your time to the best of your abilities, that you don't feel guilty when you're relaxing and you're not too hard on yourself and you're kind of reminding yourself that the reasons why you're doing the course. Definitely and nayana. I absolutely agree with both Jen and Emma. What I can add to it to the list of important things and tips is perhaps to be open minded because. Especially for people from different backgrounds who have never studied in England. It's something completely new and perhaps not only challenging, but it could be it could provoke anxiety also. So for me it was like a different experience to discuss everything I was. What I learned and what I studied in Germany was there is this lecture in front of us. He's talking like for two hours and we're just listening and writing notes, and that was it. And now with my university, it's like we're there is a question and we're all discussing. We are on the same level in the way that everyone has his position, his or her position, and they can just talk about it without being questioned or without being looked from a higher level, like this way. But the thing is, it was also challenging because in my group there are also people with 10 or 20 years of experience, and for someone with no experience in the area, it could be hard. And there is this initial. Well, comparing yourself to the others and telling yourself, oh, perhaps I'm not good enough or I have to study more, but at the end of the day, no one expects this. It's a problem that starts from really from the ground and is building up. So just be open minded and try your best. And I think that not being afraid of this challenge is enough to be successful in it.