Finding a family home from home: postgraduate student profile

After taking an undergraduate degree in architecture in her home country of Rwanda, Amelie (MSc Global Urban Development and Planning) wished to study for a master’s abroad – her dream came true when she secured our Equity and Merit Scholarship.

On settling into Manchester

"Moving to Manchester was my first time not only in the UK, but also in Europe! As soon as I saw a student ambassador in a purple University t-shirt at Manchester Airport, I was relieved.

"I came to Manchester early to take pre-sessional English classes. Within a week or two I had made friends. The session also allowed me to find out how the University works; it was great to have the time to get used to the environment before classes arrived."

On life in halls of residence

"The benefits of living in halls are that you don’t have to worry about the practicalities, and there’s always someone to help you if you have a question. The ResLife team is also great – you can always call them for advice.

"I live in a flat of eight people and it’s really cool. We all come from different countries – Nigeria, China, Jamaica. We share experiences – and we especially share our food!"

On international networking

“Manchester’s Global Development Institute runs a lecture series – it’s not part of my course, but I attend because they’re really interesting, all about development, inequalities and poverty. As someone who comes from a developing country, those concepts are realities for us. They’re also a great opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds.

"As part of my degree I’m going to the Technical University of Berlin to learn about applied international planning. We will network with students and meet people from the planning authorities in Berlin."

On taking Manchester knowledge home

"When I first came here I walked around the city and explored the ‘old and new’ architecture of Manchester. The city incorporates the old buildings into the modern architecture – it’s really different from my country.

"Now I can combine knowledge that I gained back home, about the building materials we use, with the planning knowledge that I’m gaining here, and see how we can make housing more affordable and create more effective policies in Rwanda."