Chien-Lin Chen - Master of Agribusiness
Taiwan

1. Why did you decide to study in Australia and specifically at UQ?

I decided to study agribusiness in this beautiful university because Australia is famous of its rich natural resource, especially agricultural resource and UQ is considered as one of the top universities in agriculture research in the world.

The Master of Agribusiness program in UQ offers many different types of courses, and each course has taught me professional theory and practical knowledge. Through this program, I have prepared sufficient ability for my future career.

2. What do you enjoy about your program and why?

The Master of Agribusiness program at UQ offers many different types of courses, and each course has taught me professional theory and practical knowledge. Through this program, I have gained sufficient skills for my future career.

The ICTE: ESP-Bridge English Program (BEP)  provides a great opportunity for students like me who need to improve their English language skills. The 10-week program did not only improved my English language skills, but also prepared memy courses at UQ.

ICTE-UQ's professional teachers and variety of learning activities made my learning easier and more efficient.

Hayato Nagai - Master of Business (Advanced) in International Tourism Management
Japan

I chose UQ to undertake my postgraduate study not only because it is one of the top tourism research institutes in the world but for its multicultural study atmosphere and Brisbane’s great living environment.

I have been in Queensland since I first arrived in Australia in 2008 and I'm having a great time at UQ. I am now fully confident that my decision to come to UQ was a brilliant turning point in my life.

Hayato Nagai is from Kobe, Japan. After completing his bachelor degree at Keio University in Tokyo, Hayato moved to Australia to do a Master of Business (Advanced) in International Tourism Management in 2010 at UQ' s School of Tourism. He is now doing his PhD at UQ.

Laurence Ledrut - Master of Engineering
France

I was amazed by the career section of Student Services. I attended many career workshops to help me prepare my applications and get ready for my work hunt.

I had a lot of contact with the career advisors who I found very open and ready to help anytime. They really made a difference and added so much value to the workshops. I did casual work at the Advanced Water Management Centre (AWMC) at UQ as a laboratory assistant, and part time work for Smart Staff International as a Safety Systems specialist.

My career goal is to become a competent Process engineer for an Australian company as soon as I finish my Master of Engineering in November 2010. I certainly think that this Master’s degree and the specialisation in chemical engineering have given me the adequate tools to perform efficiently in my future job

Laurence graduated in November 2010. She is currently working as a Process Engineer for Hatch – a global multidisciplinary management, engineering and development consultancy.

Robert Apunyo - International WaterCentre (IWC) Master of Integrated Water Management
Uganda

When Robert Apunyo heard about the Master of Integrated Water Management from the International WaterCentre (IWC), the unique program sparked his interest.

With a background in Social Research at the Institute of Makerere University in Uganda, Robert felt that the program would give him the necessary skills to promote integrated water management in his home country.

"At a national level I intend to implement an ecosystem management approach in the management of wetlands and my skills will be relevant in increasing the capacity of the communities to pursue the whole-of-water cycle approach," he said.

"At a regional level, I intend to provide leadership to promote the adoption of an integrated water management approach by influencing policy reform and general work practices."

Robert finished the program in 2010 and returned to Uganda where he is applying his knowledge to solve complex water problems with a holistic approach.

Every year, IWC offers scholarships to a small number of candidates who are accepted into the IWC Master of Integrated Water Management. Find out more about the IWC scholarships.

Sylvia Frain - Master of International Relations, Peace and Conflict Studies
USA

I wanted to earn my Masters in a multicultural setting (outside of the United States or Europe), with students and faculty from across the globe.

I became aware of UQ's International Relations program through the Rotary World Peace Fellow's Centre. I couldn't be happier with the diversity of my program and the high calibre of faculty and students.

The best part is the feeling of cooperation. To be studying peace studies with people from numerous countries and perspectives is exactly what I wanted from a Masters Program. We aren't just listening to lectures, we’re also incorporating all of our international experiences to solve problems, discuss and grow.

This far in my Masters Program I’m discovering everything I thought I knew, I didn't really. This is truly forcing me to step outside my comfort zone and push aside my assumptions.

Isabel Cerón Castaño - Master of Urban and Regional Planning & Master in Regional Development
Colombia

I chose UQ because it is an academically prestigious and research-hungry university, which is all you aim for when deciding where to do your postgraduate studies. Brisbane's weather is also a plus.

I came from Colombia to study a Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree at UQ's School for Geography, Planning and Environmental Management.

Wanting to develop my knowledge of regional areas further, upon completing my first degree, I jumped straight into a second Master degree in Regional Development.

My studies at UQ were fundamental in landing my first job as a Junior Consultant with the Property of Economics team at Urbis.

I first entered the company as a student planner, while doing the last semester of the Master of Urban and Regional Planning, and then continued to work with them part-time while studying the Master of Regional Development.

Isabel excelled during her studies receiving a number of awards including the 2010 Queensland Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) Excellence award for Outstanding Student Project (Tertiary), where she worked as part of a team on a policy-design exercise to transform Brisbane into a 24-hour city.

She also presented her thesis paper titled ‘Towards Better Conceptualisation in the Design of Monitoring Systems for the Urban Form’ at the recent PIA state conference and received a Merit for her work in the 2011 PIA awards.

Now that she has finished her second Master degree Isabel has decided to stay in Australia and is moving to North Queensland to take up a position as a Strategic Planning Officer with the Mackay Regional Council.

Jorge Acevedo - Master of Environmental Management
Mexico

1. Why did you decide to study in Australia and specifically at UQ?

I decided to move to Australia because it is globally recognized by its environmental leadership. I chose the University of Queensland because it offered the best courses in carbon management and sustainability business practice

I did look into several university programs in Canada, USA and Latin America and I could not find anything better than the UQ program

2. Is studying in Australia what you expected it to be and why/why not?

Studying at UQ is one of the best choices I have made in life. The Master of Environmental Management at UQ provided me with opportunities to network with minor and major stakeholders in the area of my interest. 

3. What do you enjoy about your program and why?

During the last semester of my Environmental Management masters degree at UQ I developed a research project on Blue Carbon Opportunities in Mexico. This project links mangrove forest rehabilitation to a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

I was then selected to promote the benefits of blue carbon projects and to highlight the active participation from UQ SMART at United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2012 (UNCCC – COP16).

The experience provided me with the opportunity to see and hear great personalities from climate science; such as Nobel Prize winner Dr Mario Molina, Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Dr Pachauri, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

As a participant I was able to make contact with leading NGOs such as Wetlands International, Conservation International, WWF, CDM Watch, and several others.

Similarly, I had the opportunity to share visions and perspectives of climate change issues with students from other top universities such as Yale, Harvard and San Diego Universities.

4. What would you like to do after graduation and what skills have you gained from your program which will allow you to pursue your goal?

I am working as an Environmental Scientist for E3 Consult’s Brisbane office, a subsidiary of CDM Smith; which is a global environmental and engineering consultancy providing all range of environmental services, contaminated land solutions and engineering strategies for a variety of projects worldwide.

The program taught me how to think multidimensionally. When thinking broad one has the capacity to understand interconnectivity, be inclusive and offer a comprehensive approach to environmental problem solving.