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Applied in Focus. Global in Reach
By ucqnafe, on 12 February 2017
A special blog post by Sam on the MPA student trip to Dubai to attend the World Government Summit is available on STEaPP’s news pages.
By ucqnafe, on 12 January 2017
Looking back over the first term of the MPA degree, it is worth noting at this point how much I and my fellow students have achieved – the number of assessments, the volume of reading and the personal development we have all conquered.It has been a tough first term. None of us had anticipated how difficult it would be and even with the wealth of professional backgrounds I eluded to previously, none of it could have prepared us. This is what makes the course great. Rather than sit in an overcrowded lecture theatre and be talked at by a professor for hours each week, we have been challenged, daily, to think differently, to practice our skills and apply our knowledge, to debate and discuss and even teach the professors too. Of course, this intensity is frustrating sometimes and especially for those students with other work or social commitments, managing our time has been an additional challenge. But it is totally worth it.
What got us through this challenging term was each other and the faculty. The cohort have supported each other a lot. We have a Whatsapp group-chat which is mostly full of questions about the course as well as countless memes describing our approaches to the work! We even organised a festive feast and a secret Santa (thanks to Angeliki), which was much needed to get us through the final week of the term. The faculty themselves have been so supportive. I myself alone have sent numerous emails to professors checking assessments, asking for more details and discussing feedback. The entire faculty respond promptly and thoroughly in such a friendly way.
Our second of two scenario weeks saw us organised into groups with an appointed leader and a brief to provide policy recommendations to branches of the UK government. It was another rigorous week and we learnt a lot about ourselves as well as each other.
The winter break was much needed to relax a little before writing our analytical policy papers(the major assessment for Term 1).
Looking ahead, we begin our electives soon and then we will get a chance to meet other students and delve deeper into our own interests. We have also received our travel arrangements for the World Government Summit in Dubai in February 2017 so the excitement is building and this is where the next blog will be posted from!
By ucqnafe, on 12 November 2016
For my undergraduate degree I majored in administrative management and law. At that point, I had to make a difficult choice – continue my postgraduate studies in law at Peking University in China or pursue a different path. I was tired of purely academic and theoretical learning and I really wanted a breath of fresh air that would broaden my outlook on social sciences so that I could reposition my career in a broad field and a more international environment.
The turning point for me was when a friend told me about the Master’s of Public Administration at UCL STEaPP. I looked up the STEaPP website to find out more, and read about their research into energy, technology and climate policy on the department website. Surprised by the programme name, the innovative and unique combination of science, technology, engineering and social science attracted me to apply. An idea popped to my mind: although I only had a background in social sciences, I could gain a lot from exploring science and engineering in relation to public policy.
Even though it was in late June 2016, and pretty near application deadline, I emailed Professor Yacob Mulugetta and MPA Coordinator Joe Fitzsimmons to ask about whether it was still possible to apply. Thanks to their encouragement and quick responses, I finally got the chance to start my UCL journey. (A reminder for all potential candidates: No matter how late it is, do not hesitate to contact with team and they will reply you promptly. Otherwise, you may regret losing a valuable opportunity!)
So far, the induction week and first term have been more challenging and rewarding than I expected. The language barrier is the first thing for non-native students to overcome. The different learning approach at STEaPP has required my to adapt a little, as I wasn’t used to the full-day seminars, frequent practical tasks, endless reading lists and different types of assignments. Every time I feel lacking in confidence or want to avoid challenges I just encourage myself to remember the reasons I applied in the first place: to jump out of my comfort zone.
In return for the challenges, the reward at STEaPP is the diversity of learning and experiences. This has provided me with the chance to break previous biases and establish a new thinking system. I enjoy the freedom to select my research interests from the four specific concentrations, which are not available from other MPA programmes. Additionally, the diverse background of both MPA students and teaching staff is very inspiring. It is a serendipity that students from Indonesia, China, Japan, Mexico, UK, Colombia and Canada sit in the same classroom. Both fresh graduates and students with work experience share and exchange their own understanding about policy issues. Experiencing this diversity refreshes my academic approach, enhances my skills in practical ways, changes my perspective on the world, and sparks new anticipation for my future career.
I am still early in my journey at UCL, but am gradually jumping out of my comfort zone and experiencing diversity. Going forward, I expect to discover more potential from within myself and to be surprised by what I learn!
By ucqnafe, on 12 November 2016
They say time flies when you’re having fun, so that must be what happened here? Right? It is with outright consensus, that my cohort and I believe we have been doing the course for a year now. We have had many assessments and so much reading that it cannot possibly be less than 2 months since our induction. Given that we spend almost 30 hours a week together, the students are more than just colleagues, but a 16-person-strong support network. We study, eat and study together and have become quite a solid unit. Our personal and professional backgrounds have been exposed further and we even discovered a published poet amongst us!
While these last 8 weeks have been challenging, perhaps an understatement, it is fair to say they have also been extremely enjoyable. This is most true when reflecting on the scenario week. The topic set for the week was Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) and the circular economy.
Everyone found something interesting about it and we all quickly fell into roles within our groups. Every team had challenges, from communication crises to pedantic procedures, yet we all made it through the week closer than before. We even had a surprisingly fun trip to a WEEE Recycling plant where the engineers of the group could indulge in donning a hard hat and hi-vis vest.
My personal experience has been great so far. I have found myself challenged by the programme. I am out of, what I thought was, my comfort zone and having to cope with the sheer volume of reading has been very tough. I am also working part time for a science communication company and balancing this, with the full-time programme has taken its toll. I am learning more about how to prioritise my tasks and make sure I am meeting all my deadlines but it is not sustainable and I am looking forward, to a hopefully slightly more relaxed second term. When reading week finally arrived it felt long overdue and I recall a conversation on our class Whatsapp that even by Monday everyone was still recuperating, which was nice to know we are all in the same boat. Coincidentally, I had the opportunity to go back to my undergraduate university during reading week to give a seminar to 40 students about science communication and policy. They latter part was based almost exclusively on the work from my time at STEaPP so it has already begun to be useful and we are only half way through the first term!
In summary, it has been great and I do not think it is possible to prepare for how intense yet thrilling it will be. The satisfaction of completing a mini-scenario and that first sip of cold beer on a Friday is truly rewarding.
By ucqnafe, on 12 October 2016
“Change the world,” they said. What an understatement. No sooner had the induction week began did my fellow students and I realise that Jason (Blackstock – co-founder and Head of STEaPP) was serious. The first session of the Master’s degree opened all our eyes to how wide, yet interconnected, the world is and that we were in a unique place to make a positive change. It’s fair to say that all the MPA students are in awe of the faculty and their achievements, yet despite their grandeur, they were so friendly and approachable, using every opportunity to engage with us on a personal level too. This helped foster a very close relationship among the students and the staff from the outset and has only grown since.
Our cohort have quickly got to know and appreciate each other’s incredibly diverse backgrounds too. I have a BSc in Biology at University of East Anglia, and since graduating have moved into science policy and communications, first interning in Brussels and then taking a place on the Robert Schuman Traineeship programme at the European Parliament Information Office in London. Among our cohort we also have engineers, public administrators, economists and even a lawyer, with students from Europe, Middle East, Asia and the Americas, so it’s clear that diversity is cherished.
We have become quite close quite quickly because of the intensity of the course. This was helped by a great induction week of workshops and activities (the highlight being the tour of Queen Elizabeth Park) which allowed lots of discussion about the topics, and about lunch!
Given the variety of backgrounds, everyone encountered something uniquely challenging getting used to the administrative side of things in such a huge institution as UCL. However, the team at STEaPP were on hand to resolve any issues that came up immediately, which meant we knew we were in good hands.
Given the stellar start to the course I expect it to continue. The draw of the practical scenarios and the star-studded lecture timetable mean we are set for interesting content but I already know I will learn much more than what can be taught from books, especially how to change the world.
