Report from Ambassadorial Scholar

1.      Provide information about your study program, including your adaptation and progress with your studies. 

Since September 2008 I have been enrolled in an MSc. in International Development:  Environment and Development program at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom.  The program is administered by the Institute for Development Policy and Management (IDPM), a world-renowned educational facility in the School of Environment and Development. 

I feel very fortunate to be attending this program, as it enjoys a reputation as one of the premier educational institutions in the world.  I have been working on water development projects overseas, in East Africa and South Asia primarily, for the last several years and wanted to return to school in order to expand my knowledge and education in the field of international development.  Given my very practical background, I was interested in this program because I felt it would give me the broad theoretical background necessary to continue working effectively in this field.  To this extent, I have not been disappointed.  The program is excellent, and definitely lives up to its reputation.  Even at this early date, I feel confident that I am gaining knowledge and skills that will be beneficial to me in the future. 

The Master's program is one-year, course-based with a written dissertation.  I am currently attending four courses this semester - Perspectives on Development, Environment and Development, Environmental Economics, and Conflict Analysis - which I will complete in January 2009.  I will then begin my final four courses - Conservation and Development, Global Environmental Politics, Metal and Oil Pollution in Water, and Development Research - in February 2009.  Courses will finish in June 2009 and the dissertation will be submitted in September 2009. 

2.      Describe what steps you and your sponsor Rotarians took to prepare for your experience abroad.  How did this preparation help you to meet the challenges of living and studying in your host country?

I am fortunate in that there are two Rotarians in my sponsoring Rotary Club of Edmonton West who were born in Manchester.  Both gentlemen have lived in Canada for many years and therefore have a unique perspective of the cultural differences between the two locations.  In particular, I was treated to a brief education of football teams in the UK, of which Manchester has two teams in the Premier League - Manchester City and Manchester United, and instructed to cheer for City, as they are the underdogs!  I realize that this may not constitute as "preparation" to many people, but having lived in the city for a few months now, I can honestly say that this advice was invaluable given the level of involvement that football holds in the lives of most British people around me.  More than anything though, it served to illustrate that there are some very subtle but important aspects of British culture that I am learning about on a daily basis. 

While the cultural differences between Canada and the UK are certainly not as different as with other scholars, I have been pleasantly surprised at how many differences there are.  In particular I find it interesting how the language varies between the two countries, despite the fact that we are all speaking English.  There have certainly been instances where I have been confused as to what someone was saying to me, and vice versa!  As well, because Canada was colonized partly by the British, I find certain aspects of the British culture fascinating in terms of it being the origin of my own culture.  This is an element that I hope I continue to learn about throughout the course of my time here. 

3.      How have you been involved in Rotary since you arrived in your host country?  Please describe the ambassadorial activities in which you have participated. 

While I have been wholeheartedly welcomed by several Rotary Clubs in the Manchester area, as well as individual Rotarians, my main activities have been surrounding the establishment of a Rotaract Club within the city.  The Rotary Club of Manchester, in collaboration with several other Clubs in the city, has been interested in setting up a Rotaract Club for some time, but has met with little interest and involvement from young adults here.  As there are currently four Ambassadorial Scholars at the University of Manchester at the moment, it seemed to be the perfect opportunity to push for establishment of a club once again.  We are still in the early stages of it all, but I think this will turn out to be a very successful venture with wide-reaching advantages for many people, in the university and surrounds. 

We began with a general interest meeting in early November, with nearly 50 people in attendance, and have since elected a Board and begun regular twice-monthly meetings.  I am both a founding member and the elected secretary of the Club.  We will celebrate our official Charter on the 29^th of January, 2009.  Club Service, Community Service, International Service, and Professional Development Committees have been set up and the Chairs are already well on their way to ensuring that we all get the most out of the experience while committing to the service above self principle of Rotary.  I am thoroughly excited about my involvement in this venture and the possibilities it holds in the new year. 

4.      What are your first impressions of your host country and the people in your community?  Please describe culturally significant locations you have visited and opportunities you have had to share your culture. 

I feel that above all else, I must express my utmost gratitude to my host counselor, John Edwards, and his wife Anne.  Since I arrived in Manchester they have been incredibly welcoming, going above and beyond to help me settle in to my new home and culture.  They met me at the airport when I arrived, have hosted me for dinner, lent me kitchen implements to help me get set up in my university accommodation, offered to take me to various locations of interest around the country (an offer which I have been unable to accept at this time but I fully intend to do so on the future!), and generally keep in regular contact through email.  For this reason alone my first impressions of the United Kingdom and the people in my community has been overwhelmingly positive! 

John and Anne Edwards are Rotarians who exemplify service above self.  Likely because they have hosted several scholars in the past, they are in tune with the needs of international students as well as the obligations required of us.  John is keenly aware of his role as counselor and has been instrumental in helping me to share my experiences as an Ambassadorial Scholar while balancing the pressures of my studies.  That said, I have had several opportunities to share my own culture with other Rotarians in both formal settings - during speaking engagements - and informal settings - having been invited to several Rotary functions such as Charter nights and general meetings.  It is my experience that Rotarians in the United Kingdom are both knowledgeable of Canadian culture, and also extremely interested in learning more about it. 

Aside from my activities within Rotary, I have had many opportunities to share Canadian culture with my fellow students at the University of Manchester.  I live in a postgraduate hall of residence on the campus that houses 300 students, many of whom are international.  The Residence Association is quite active, organizing trips and events designed to allow the students in the hall to interact and share their own cultures.  Through this medium, I have met people from Australia, New Zealand, China, India, Brazil, Japan, Zimbabwe, Austria, Romania, Belgium, Ireland, Nigeria, Germany, Singapore, the United States, Malaysia, Iceland, Lebanon, Uganda, Iran, Switzerland, Norway, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Spain, Kenya, and Indonesia, as well as the UK.  To be honest, I am actually surprised at how few Canadians I have met during my studies!  This international setting allows for constant culture-sharing and I have not only told countless stories about Canada, but the amount of information I have learned about other countries is astounding.