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Racha is currently working at the Ministry of Investment. Here she shares with us her success story:
‘I had the pleasure to be a Chevening Scholar in 2004/05, doing an MSc in ‘Politics of the World Economy’ at the prestigious London School of Economics (LSE). In fact, my living and studying experience in the UK fulfilled my ambitions at many levels.
Studying at the LSE represented for me a unique venture. Being at a world-class university gave me the chance to work under the direct supervision of universally recognized professors in my field of study. Moreover, the ‘self study’ approach employed by UK universities in general, and by the LSE in particular, added to my experience. It stimulated me to enhance my research skills and to really benefit from the wide range of academic and public libraries and research institutes in London.
On the social and cultural level, having been a one-year resident at one of the most cosmopolitan cities of the world added a lot to my profile. Though I had had prior experience of living and studying abroad (France: 1998–1999), London was a unique experience for me as it presented a wide multicultural pool of international students and residents - all in one place. Honestly, the first time for me to meet people coming from the very extremes of the globe was in London. I met people from countries as geographically distant from Egypt as Nepal and Cuba. I felt like I was learning at every single moment; not only by going to school, but also by simply mingling with such a rich diversity of nationalities. This has undoubtedly helped widen my scope of thinking to become more open about what is beyond the borders of my region and background.
On a personal level, my studying and living experience in London enriched my personal skills in two ways. First, before I was a student in England, my academic experience was mainly shaped by a French education. I studied at the French Lycee in Egypt, then at the French department of Ain Shams University. I did a first Masters in French at the University of Paris, France. Accordingly, my choice to go to England for a second Masters was for more than academic reasons. I wanted to open my horizon to a new language and a new academic system. Thanks to the Chevening Scholarship, I am currently as comfortable in English as in French, in terms of both language and academic skills. Second, the experience of living on my own was inspiring. Living autonomously in London helped me to better develop my sense of budget control, independence and decision making. This is unfortunately something we, Egyptian youth, miss the chance to develop because of our culturally close links to, and dependence on, our families.
I have very good memories of my Chevening scholarship year in the UK. My academic and personal experience of studying and living in the UK added a lot to my profile. This has been positively reflected in my career development path. As a government official in the area of international economic affairs, my graduate studies at the LSE deepened my knowledge in fields of direct relevance to my work responsibilities.’
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