I must say that it was really amazing for me to learn the academic persuasion, teaching technique, British culture and moreover their politeness towards international students,' said Syed Rabius Shams.
I am Syed Rabius Shams. Since my childhood, I had a keen desire to pursue my higher education from abroad. I was not sure about choosing the country and course which would be suitable for me. But in the end, I selected the UK for my post-graduation study destination after giving a number of thoughts and consideration on my personal as well as family interests. I chose the UK from the perspective of exploring the richness of British education and to be acquainted with cutting edge research technique alongside discovering the latest and creative innovations.
During my undergraduate course at the University of Dhaka, under my coordination, students of the department of International Relations clinched the British Council's 50th-anniversary grant to conduct a research work on Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord (CHT) in 2003. In this connection, I had the chance to meet with top management of the British Council. I also had the privilege of working in the 'Connecting Futures' initiative of the British Council, where a few students from the UK came to participate in the gala ceremony held in 2005. I had a long discussion with them about the English education system and it is these two unique experiences which greatly influenced me to pick the UK as my destination for higher studies.
After completion of my graduation, I worked for several private entities and media houses to acquire work experience in Bangladesh. After a search and having a subsequent assistance from PASS (Professional Advisory Services for Students) at the British Council, I finally got the chance to enrol myself in the Advanced Professional Diploma in Management Studies (Edexcel Level 7, BTEC) at ICON College of Technology and Management and later on transferred my credits to Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2011 to complete my MBA. Parallel to my study, I worked for several organisations like Icon College, Network UK, Youth Initiative UK (YIU) and volunteered in Praxis Community Projects, and had the opportunity to visit most of the UK. I must say that it was really amazing for me to learn the academic persuasion, teaching technique, British culture and moreover their politeness towards international students.
I experienced that the UK has a multicultural society as well as affluence in academic rigour. It has a vibrant and a long history of excellence in education that is known all over the globe. I can’t forget the memories of enjoying the famous British summer, snowfall, parks, castles, some world-renowned art galleries and museums in the country.
I returned to my country in 2014, founded my own communication start-up business named NewsfeedPR. I realised that in addition to my studies, the international exposure I gained was equally valuable. More precisely, the British culture helped me develop my way of thinking, behaviour towards people and changed the view of seeing things in different ways. I really feel proud of being a UK graduate and now a media entrepreneur. I am also an alumnus of the Bangladesh UK Alumni Network (BUKAN), and it has helped me develop my professional network in the country.