Adedamola Olajide

I am a graduate of international law with globalisation from the university of Birmingham. After my degree I went to the Nigerian law school for a year and qualified as a barrister and solicitor. I worked as a trainee associate for a year before pursuing a master’s degree in diplomacy and international governance from Loughborough University London. I wanted to explore a new career path in international relations.

Why did you decide to study at Loughborough University London? Also, what inspired you to apply for the course that you chose?

The academic support in the university has been excellent. It has been an amazing experience being taught by people who are experts in their field providing us with the best information and knowledge needed to pursue a career. My institute also has collaborations with organisations in London where we get to listen to other professionals speak about relevant issues within the field.

What interesting things are you learning?  Is there a particularly good project/ work that you participated in?

The international negotiations and foreign policy analysis modules have been very insightful. The international negotiations module gave a good insight into how negotiations work in the global space and was also very practical. We had practical sessions where we were made to negotiate with one another during the seminar. This helped to equip us with the various skills needed during negotiations. The foreign policy analysis module gave us an insight into the thought process of policy makers when creating policies. This made me realise that there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that ordinary people are not aware of.

What did you think of the social atmosphere on the campus and what was your experience of living in London?

The campus is a cosy one which is very different from what I was used to. Though not a large campus, it is very diverse. There are people from so many different parts of the world. The cosiness of the campus makes it quite easy to make friends because you tend to bump into the same people at the Here east bus stop, the elevator, or the cafeteria. Living in London for me has been fun and expensive. There’s always one activity or the other going on in the city so there is plenty of things to do depending on what you are interested in.

What piece of advice would you give to prospective students looking to undertake the programme that you studied?

After graduation, I would love to work as an international development coordinator, a policy analyst, or a political adviser. Modules such as politics in times of crisis and foreign policy analysis have given me the necessary knowledge and skills I will need as I pursue this career.