Daniyar Tussupbekov

daniyar-tussupbekov
Country / region
Kazakhstan

Daniyar studied within the Institute for Media and Creative Industries.

Daniyar studied our MA Global Communication and Development which is now called Global Communication and Social Change MA.

Why did you choose Loughborough University London/ your programme in particular?

Whilst I was taking a language course at one of London's Language Learning Schools in 2018, I was fortunate enough to register for an open day session at Loughborough University London located in the heart of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Ever since my visit to the London campus, I started to prepare myself to apply and to study there. Several months later, having had six unconditional offers from different Universities across the UK, I chose to study at Loughborough University London.

This MA programme was exactly what I had been looking for - an MA in Global Communication and Development programme. As an individual with a solid background in media and communications in Kazakhstan, this course really exceeded all my expectations!

How has Loughborough University London inspired you and helped you to progress in your career?

From the very first day I registered at this university and got my Student ID card, I continously looked over the website and LEARN pages and used this tool as my navigation aid on an everyday basis. From the first day of entering my student credentials, right up until my dissertation submission, the University's website and online portal became my everything. This was a must-have thing to be honest, especially if you are an international student. After graduating and coming back to my home country, I am still practicing these time management skills and task management habits I learnt whilst at Loughborough University London.

The overall facilities of the campus also encouraged me to explore the latest tech trends. For example, the check-in to modules (I mean the automated registration of student's presence at the lecture or at the seminar) is fantastic! I had an overall 90% attendance record (+/- 5 % leeway) so you can see by my attendance how interesting the academic content and teaching really was!

I would like to thank Professor Thomas Tufte, Jo Tacci, Toby Miller, Burce Celik and Jessica Noske-Turner for each and every lecture and seminar - I really was hooked by their teaching methods! The lecturers and guest-lecturers contributed to my personal and professional growth a lot. I hardly remember a time where I felt panicked or puzzled by the assessment methods which shows the levels of support on offer here. I would also like to thank Mrs Fatmah Lallmahamood for her continous support.

Tell us about your most memorable experience on your course

Modules such as Critical Studies in Globalisation, Media and Social Change, Media Audiences, Users and Markets, Media and Social Movements, Social Identities and Media, and others have all been really memorable for me. 

Another was the Collaborative Project. The purpose of the project was to test students on their real problem-solving skills. I was fortunate enough to be amongst a wonderful group of students from China and India and together we became a very creative team who were able to work collaboratively together. This project aimed to teach students to work together and collaborate in order to achieve their personal goals. This module was incredibly valubale to me and today I value the words of the curator Professor Rohit Dasgupta. Professor Dasgupta was my dissertation supervisor who pushed me and supported to create my best piece of work. As a result, I have successfully finished my dissertation and achieved an outstanding result.

If you are considering studying at Loughborough University London, my humble suggestion would be to do it and do not hesitate! It is a 100% student-friendly environment.

How has Loughborough University London supported your career development?

The reason I applied to Loughborough University London was to get my master's degree and study a programme that would fulfil my inner passion and strengths. As I have mentioned, I had prior experience in the television industry from the National Broadcasting Television segment - some people may argue that within this career their may be little space to maneuver or change careers.

However, having reflected upon my time at Loughborough University London, I now feel that my theoretical base and general understanding of current media processes has improved hugely. I now know more about coding and possible decoding processes taking place between broadcasters and audiences too. At the end of studying this programme, I was able to recognise patterns amongst media and the way it was constructed, such as representation factors, hidden propaganda, mediated social tension etc.

The industry I am in is quite competitive and progressive, so following graduation I was fortunate enough to recieve a promotion at my current company Khabar Agency. A few months later, I got promoted to Director of a Department. What I reflect upon now is that the key messages I learnt from my lectures at Loughborough University, such as the notion of Media for Social change which has become quite handy from my professional standpoint. The role of Loughborough and the MA programme I undertook has been incredibly valuable to me for both my professional and personal development.

What do you love the most about your current job?

Well, to this I would respond with my Grandfather’s words: 'No matter who you are or what you do, love what you do and do it the best way'. And to be honest, I am trying to act in this way.

There is a few things I love about my current role, the first being that in fulfilling my duties, I have a chance to deal with the overall international cooperation ties with various international broadcasting unions and organisations. Secondly, on daily basis, I curate issues on content distribution and movie acquisition. Thirdly, I am responsible for international broadcasting of two television channels of the Agency across the world. Due to my responsibilities I am able to travel the world and communicate with professionals and experts of traditional and digital media outlets, make friends, and contribute to local media.

In a broader context, as a team, we are working towards improving local television. The pandemic has highlighted the role of trust in traditional television and the impact it has on navigating audiences in sustaining a clear epidemic environment. Again, the knowledge and practical skills that I gained from Loughborough University London have rocketed my life immensely and giving me a strong platform within my professional development. I am now even considering doing a PhD in Media.