Study a Master's in Europe Scholarship - 2021 Finalists

We couldn't be more proud to present the 2021 finalists for our Study a Master's in Europe Scholarship at educations.com.

These candidates stood out from thousands of applicants as outstanding examples of up-and-coming, globally-minded leaders who are pursuing Master's programs in Europe. They are listed below in the order that they confirmed their program enrollment.

Maria Jose Treviño Gonzalez

Mexico

Pursuing an MA in Outdoor and Experiential Education at the University of Cumbria in the UK

Hailing from Mexico with a desire to take public education outdoors, Maria was drawn to the UK for it's 40+ years of research and experience surrounding experiential and outdoor learning.

Maria's background:

For almost 20 years, Maria has been involved in experiential education programs and co-authored one of the few books on the topic available in Spanish. She belongs to the U.S.-based Association for Experiential Education and has co-founded the Latin-American Experiential Education Collective. In this capacity she has organized international conferences, and for many years has participated in creative sessions and shared experiences with colleagues around the world.

Currently, she actively promotes the discipline, teaches facilitation and experiential practices, and leads efforts to disseminate and professionalize Experiential Education in Mexico and Latin America.

Since March 2020, when we globally shifted to virtual, she has designed and led several online sessions for teachers in several countries, promoting a more participatory and experiential approach to class design, as well as training in how to use several online tools for active participation.

How Maria chose her country of study:

After pioneering outdoor experiential education, the UK has remained a central player in the field. Universities, Non-Profits, Organizations, Forest Schools, Outdoor Curriculum and even a professional body - the Institute for Outdoor Learning - are involved in the growth and expansion of the field.

How Maria plans to become a globally-minded leader:

Mexico does not offer university courses in her field and most classrooms remain traditional. With the onset of remote learning through the pandemic, students, parents and teachers have become frustrated due to the static nature of remote learning.

With her education, Maria hopes to promote experiential and outdoor education schools and education policy in Mexico and the world. She plans to help traditional schools adopt more innovative approaches that inspire, engage and detonate curiosity, as well as develop a closer connection with our environment, our heritage, and our role in creating more inclusive societies.

So Justin Juk Man

Hong Kong

Pursuing an MSc Health Psychology at University College London in the UK

An aspiring health psychologist from Hong Kong, So plans to enhance the public and community system in dementia care and develop a dementia and age-friendly city.

So's background

Coming from Hong Kong where Health Psychology is a lagging discipline, So has developed a passion for the many ways that a more robust Health Psychology influence could impact his community.

How So chose his country of study:

According to the 2015 Quality of Death Index by the Economist Intelligence, the United Kingdom ranked at the top in hospice care of over 80 countries. London, in particular, scored the highest in the 2020 Dementia Innovation Readiness Index amongst 30 cities around the world. The UK is also home to national research such as the “English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)” for which So plans to volunteer. The UK is also home to transnational research such as UCL’s ongoing project named “Social determinants of dementia in the UK and Japan” which So finds inspiring and hopes to be involved in.

How So plans to become a globally-minded leader:

So hopes to become one of the global leaders in dementia care by collaborating with international researchers in the field. He plans to promote different nations working together to develop technology for early detection and treatment.

Hussain Ali Sheikh

Pakistan

Pursuing an MSc International Heritage Visualization at the Glasgow School of Art in in the UK

Hussain's mission is to preserve local to make it global. His goal is to challenge society to realize the positive impact of investments in heritage as a cultural pursuit.

Hussain's background

Raised near the cultural splendor of Multan, an ancient city in Pakistan and an important global trading center in medieval Islamic India Hussain dreamed of becoming an architect and landed with the conservation team at the 400-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site of Lahore Fort. His years-long experiences have taught him that world heritage is a shared treasure, which requires a collective effort from individuals representing global communities.

How Hussain chose his country of study:

Combining deep heritage across timelines, Scotland is a pillar of conservation and heritage, pursuing projects at home and abroad. It is famous for its world-renowned reputation of inclusivity and one of the international development partner countries of Pakistan.

How Hussain plans to become a globally-minded leader:

Hussain aims to build upon his understanding that responsible heritage management catalyzes bridge-building and advances culture as a tool of development. In addition to being used as a trampoline for cultural tourism, Hussain believes that our heritage also acts as a reminder of human thought and development in the past, stretching an opportunity for us to visualize what we could be capable of in the future. Hussain sees his place as a global-minded leader as respecting and integrating a cosmopolitan ethic, embracing core values of global citizenship, and of course - preserving local to make it global.

Alisha Mahtani

Indonesia

Pursuing Human-Computer Interaction Design in the UK

Alisha plans to research cutting-edge technology in accessibility design to help bring the pleasure and community of digital gaming to more people.

Alisha's background

Growing up in Jakarta and now living and working in New York, Alisha will study Human-Computer Interaction Design with the mission of utilizing cutting-edge experimental technologies to make gaming more inclusive for anyone with visual, motor, auditory, speech, or cognitive disabilities.

How Alisha chose her country of study:

Widely known as a leader in technology and academic research, the UK is also notably dedicated to urban and digital inclusive design, the UK is also ranked as #3 in the most disability-friendly countries for vacation and is a global leader in urban accessibility.

With accessibility as a national priority, Alisha is drawn to the UK government as a pioneer in providing and promoting guidelines to assist in digital accessibility.

How Alisha plans to become a globally-minded leader:

Alisha hopes to blossom into a field expert in order to lead future projects that emphasize the importance of diversity in design: ensuring digital platforms that can assist and be utilized by anyone, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, or disability.

Ralph John Gil Labaclado

Philippines

Pursuing am MSc in Internal Medicine from the University of Edinburgh in the UK

Ralph is passionate about ensuring robust, high-quality healthcare is available to all who need it. He wants to find sustainable, low-cost solutions for bridging the income-healthcare divide in his home country: the Philippines. Ralph's work has taken on added importance in light of the pandemic and climate change.

Ralph's background

Ralph grew up in a geographically disadvantaged and disaster-prone rural community southeast of the Philippines. It was here that he found his passion for better healthcare and equal access for all Filipinos.

How Ralph chose his country of study

The UK is known worldwide as a leader in science as well as for the quality and depth of its internationally recognized institutions. He looks forward to increased networking from his education to develop innovative ideas and create novel and low-cost solutions for improving people’s health locally and nationally.

How Ralph plans to become a globally-minded leader

He plans to begin his work in the areas of Samar and Leyte, in his home country, by working to ensure that everyone in these areas has access to primary healthcare. In the medium term, Ralph wants to lead a healthcare institution that collaborates between local and international healthcare providers to create more inclusive health policies to those of all social statuses. In the future, Ralph hopes to join academia and lead a public health institute that facilitates collaboration between local and international organizations to provide equal opportunities to healthcare.

Suraju Ogundele

Nigeria

Pursuing a Master's in Data Science Machine Learning at Nottingham Trent in the UK

Suraju wants to secure more equal access to data science training in his home country of Nigeria. He wants to establish a company that provides more affordable, accessible sustainable data science training to Nigerians.

Suraju's background

Suraju holds a PhD in Industrial Mathematics and has a teaching career spanning more than a decade. He seeks to pass on knowledge wherever possible, and has set up tutorial sessions alongside his teaching.

How Suraju chose his country of study

Suraju was drawn to the UK as it's a hotspot of science and mathematical learning. The UK has a long tradition of opening up learning to people from all backgrounds and walks of life, and this is what Suraju wants to do in Nigeria.

How Suraju plans to become a globally-minded leader

Studying in the UK will help Suraju to build a more international network. He then plans to develop a sustainable data science training initiative by working with other data scientists across Africa. This initiative will then give young data scientists, in Nigeria and elsewhere, high-quality training without needing to study overseas.

Pauline Balder

The Netherlands

Pursuing a Master of Science in Clinical Embryology at the University of Oxford in the UK

Pauline is passionate about using science to enhance equality. She wants to use embryonic technology to help same-sex couples have children, both in her home country, the Netherlands, and elsewhere.

Pauline's background

Pauline studied Liberal Arts & Sciences at University College Utrecht in the Netherlands. It was here that Pauline developed her interest in biomedical science, and began exploring applying her knowledge to same-sex couples and their children.

How Pauline chose her country of study

The University of Oxford is home to a world-leading IVF laboratory, as well as world-renowned teaching standards. Studying at Oxford will help Pauline grow her career and become a prominent researcher in this field.

How Pauline plans to become a globally-minded leader

Studying in the UK will help Pauline become a globally-minded leader as it will give her access to a world-leading science community. Oxford is also home to many established, celebrated academics. Having access to this well-established international network would allow Pauline to further her dream helping same-sex couples start families of their own.

Annie Thomas

India

Pursuing a Master's in Transportation Engineering at the Technical University of Munich in Germany

Coming from Idukki, India, Annie wants to sustainably create a better and suitable transportation facility that will better connect her corner of India. She wants to develop her knowledge of transportation engineering so that she can make her dream a reality.

Annie's background

Annie studied Civil Engineering at mar Baselios Christian college of Engineering and Technology Peermade (MBCCET), Kerala. At university, she became involved in student life in her department, becoming the College Women Cell Secretary, Student Library Head of Civil Engineering Department as well as a Student Placement Coordinator. She graduated with the titles - B.Tech Academic Topper, Best Outgoing Student of Civil Engineering Department and College Individual Sports Champion. Her final year project sustainably tackled flooding in her school's parking lot.

How Annie chose her country of study

Annie wants to study in a country that is well-advanced in the field of innovative, sustainable engineering. That's why she chose Germany. Germany is well-known across the world as a leader in advanced engineering. One school at the heart of this is the Technical University of Munich, Annie's chosen school.

How Annie plans to become a globally-minded leader

Through studying in Munich, Annie plans to bring international experience into her infrastructure development plans. Germany is also a leader in sustainable development, meaning that she can work to ensure that her dream of a better transportation facility in her home town will be as sustainable as possible.

Shivani Nishar

USA

Pursuing a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Science at University College London in the UK

Shivani wants to play her part in reducing the use of incarceration in the US by learning from the UK's system of mental health care for justice-involved individuals.

Shivani's background

Shivani studied her undergraduate degree at Brown University. She began working with local organizations who provided medical care and peer support to individuals leaving the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institution. It was through this work that she realized the numerous ways Disability Justice principles can be applied to curtail our use of incarceration in response to mental health crises.

How Shivani chose her country of study

The UK and the US have similar histories of deinstitutionalization that played one of many roles in the mass incarceration of mentally ill populations. Through studying in the UK, Shivani hopes to look at community-based mental health care systems in her studies at UCL and become involved with prison pen pal organizations. This will give her a more global understanding of how to implement a safer mental health care system grounded in peer support to limit incarceration.

How Shivani plans to become a globally-minded leader

Through studying at UCL and working in the community, Shivani hopes to gain a deep understanding of all aspects of mental health care and how these different systems impact justice-involved people. She will then seek to implement these changes in the US to work towards eliminating our use of incarceration in the face of mental health issues.