Alumni Success
Our graduates are working globally in a variety of roles. Here are some examples of what people have achieved:
- Chief Expert working in the civil service in Kazakhstan
- Political Consultant working for a public affairs company in the UK
- Director of an early education school in Canada
- Plan and Policy Analyst for the government in Thailand
- Chief Executive Officer for a research institute in Sudan
- Country Manager for non-profit in Kenya
Vuthika Hang's story, MA Public Policy 2016
Graduate Vuthika has already had a long and successful career as a Deputy Director General for the Ministry of Economy and Finance for the last five years. They tell us of their challenges and fondest memories of studying at Nottingham.
Studying at Nottingham was the right choice for the career I wanted to get into. The time spent interacting with the students, and especially the professors was special to me. I was able to learn from them but also allowed me to improve my cognitive thinking, and the ability to frame my written work. It was useful when I returned to work as I dealt with lots of writing in my role.
My biggest obstacle was the ability to frame an argument in a second language. However, upon reflection and feedback, I was able to improve and did well in my assignments, especially the dissertation.
Currently, as a Deputy Director General, I am responsible for the preparation of the legal and regulatory frameworks for Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) management in Cambodia. This includes the law on PPPs, the standard operating procedures for PPP projects, capacity-building development plans, and regulatory matters of the PPP program. In addition, I oversee and supervise the Department of Project Development.
The degree from Nottingham is well recognised and reputable and the skills I’ve gained on the course, have certainly contributed to my career success and attributions.
Nariman Elgendy's story, MPA Public Administration 2022
Alumna Nariman is thriving since graduating from the MPA. She works at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Doha as an Associate Programme Officer. She tells us about her experience studying at Nottingham.
I chose to study the MPA because I wanted to advance my career, and open doors to higher-level positions in government, non-profit organisations, and international agencies. I wanted to equip my professional experience with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in roles such as policy analysis, program management, and public service leadership.
My favourite module was Policy Analysis by Dr Steve Iafrati. The main reason I enjoyed this module apart from my passion to learn about policies, was Steve. Steve is the best mentor I have ever met. He has a special way of disseminating knowledge and engaging students in policy conversation in class. In addition, he was always supportive and open to help and provide advice outside the classroom.
I now work at the United Nations in operations. Joining the United Nations is challenging and requires not only holding a masters degree but also critical thinking skills which I largely enhanced during my study at the University of Nottingham. My postgraduate studies helped me to organise my thoughts and learn how to build my points of discussion to support my argument which helped me a lot during the interview stage.