The MA in Asian and International Studies is a tri-campus MA programme, taught on the UK campus for the first semester and on either the Kuala Lumpur or Ningbo campus for the second one. Being passionate about the South East Asian region and its culture, I decided to opt for Malaysia for my spring semester and I am currently living in Kuala Lumpur. The KL Teaching Centre, where MA classes are taught, is located in the heart of the city (Bukit Bintang area) and it has modern facilities including study rooms and computers. It can be easily reached from the main campus by bus (free shuttle bus) or by train if you decide to live off campus.
The modules I chose for the current semester are all Asian-centred:
- 'The International Relations of South East Asia' focus on the actors, structures and processes that animate the region
- 'Development and Governance, building democracy in the developing world' has the objective to explore the processes that shape political regimes and enables the democratization process in developing realities
- 'Human Security', a module in partnership with the Red Cross- Red Crescent movement, focuses on humanitarian action, humanitarian diplomacy and disaster management with guest lecturers from the field including the Regional Director of the Red Cross and simulation of operational activities
The School of Politics, History and International Relations offers other less Asian-focused modules such as 'Global Political Economy', 'Field Technologies' and 'Research and Design methods'.
Being half way through the programme I am enthusiastic about the decision made: the MA in Asian and International Studies offers a combination of high quality education, practical experience in the region of study and personal growth. One of the main benefits of living (while studying) in Asia is the possibility to confront and verify (whenever possible) the concepts learnt in class and interact with other students from the region.
One of the other perks of living in Kuala Lumpur includes the possibility to easily travel around Malaysia and the whole South East Asian region during weekends and public holidays such as the Chinese New Year in order to experience (and not just study) the Asian culture.
The MA also offers the opportunity to have an £800 travel bursary in order to cover part of the travel expenses from the UK and back.
Carlotta Panchetti
Posted on Friday 11th March 2016