The British Council name triggers a rush of memories harking back to my childhood when an eleven-year-old schoolboy first set foot into the Fuller Road library – a seemingly magical world of knowledge. It was the first step towards becoming a bookworm – a quality that has helped me immensely through my life – and so began my journey with the British Council.
Hailing from O Levels and A Levels system, I was always aware of the efficacy of my education background in enabling me to realise my dream of studying in the UK one day. When I signed up for the IELTS examination in 2011, due to my school education I found the modules to be extremely straightforward and easily scored an 8.5 which subsequently strengthened my application for a Master’s degree. During the initial application stage, the British Council provided me with information and advice pertaining to university recommendations, visa processing, life in the UK, etc which proved useful for my applications.
I enrolled into the MSc in International Relations (IR) programme at Aberystwyth University in 2011 and thus began a journey of exploration, self-discovery and development. The education system in the UK was a revelation to me as far as how it fosters individualism among the students and constantly pushes them to engage in critical thinking. Having been used to studying in classes of thirty-plus students during my BBA, I was genuinely delighted to be doing classes in small seminar groups of six to eight students, sitting around a table and participating in lively discussions where everybody had ample opportunity to express their thoughts. It was the ideal forum to augment one’s knowledge through a combination of constructive debates and personal studies.
During my MSc programme, I realised that the UK has so much to offer for those passionate about learning and I felt I had only managed to touch the tip of the iceberg with my first Masters. Motivated by the desire to delve deeper into the field of IR, I decided to enrol into the MA in Security Studies programme at the University of Kent in 2012 after finishing my first Masters. This programme was much more intensive and I had the opportunity to study under some of the most accomplished minds in the field. In addition to the distinguished faculty members, I was overwhelmed by the amount of resources and learning material available to students through the library, online university access, etc. It all combined to deliver a truly incomparable experience of learning and self-development that would not have been possible to achieve anywhere else.
I returned to Bangladesh at the end of 2013 and almost immediately joined an international NGO. My education in the UK had furnished me with skills pertinent to research, analysis while helping me to learn to thrive in an international environment and I felt much more confident in communicating and working in teams with colleagues from different parts of the globe. After over two years, I became a part of the British Council family in 2016 and took on the responsibilities of Regional Coordinator, Commonwealth Scholarships & Fellowship Plan. It opened doors to completely new horizons and I look forward to the journey ahead. After coming back from the UK, I also joined the group ‘Bangladesh UK alumni association (BUKAN)’ of the British Council where I got involved with volunteering activities.