My experience as Global Development BA student by Maryam

Hello! My name is Maryam and I was part of the first ever cohort of graduating students on the BA Global Development programme here at York! I hope this blog post tells you a little bit about why I loved this course and how it has helped me after graduating.

a photo of student maryam graduating on stage

PBL, Optional Modules and Global Development Dissertation

As someone who left Sixth Form not entirely sure about studying just one single subject, Global Development stood out to me due to its interdisciplinary nature. Teaching on the course spans multiple different departments - from Politics to Sociology, and from Economics to Geography, I was able to choose a variety of modules across 3 years of study.

What really set Global Development apart was the use of the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model in the classroom, a student-centred and peer-led approach to learning. Utilising this method meant that the classroom was an amalgamation of different viewpoints, backgrounds and privileges, allowing me to challenge myself and grow. The collaborative learning environment in seminars nurtured my critical thinking skills, thereby sharpening my ability to engage in productive debate with my peers and allowing me to refine my interests as each term passed. This unique way of approaching learning was supplemented by regular masterclasses delivered by an expert or professional within the development field on topics like political journalism.

My time on this course culminated in the individual dissertation project in third year. Having chosen a range of undergraduate modules like ‘Gender, Environment and Global Poverty’, ‘Contemporary Politics of South Asia’ and ‘Economics of Sustainable Development’, I wished for my undergraduate dissertation to authentically reflect both my academic interests and my cultural heritage. The flexibility and variety of Global Development allowed me to choose a topic that I really enjoyed, while also capturing the complexity of Global Development as a subject. Thus, my dissertation concerned the ways in which women workers exercised agency to challenge marginalisation and labour exploitation in the gendered space of the tea plantation in Sri Lanka and India. My study of gender within my undergraduate degree and dissertation has informed the way I approached academia thereafter, encouraging me to regularly critique the production and distribution of development knowledge.

International Field Course, Cross-Cultural Exchange & Further Studies at LSE

I was able to apply these new reflections to a practical context when I participated in a field research trip to Ghana in March 2023, during which I acquired a thorough practice-based understanding of the issues that we had learnt about within the classroom. This trip was truly a highlight of the BA Global Development programme for me, since I was able to work closely with the University of Ghana to plan a project, collect primary data and present our findings to local stakeholders. This trip allowed me to engage in cross-cultural exchange with students from the University of Ghana, and also encouraged me to pursue postgraduate study in this field. I am beginning my Master’s at London School of Economics and Political Sciences in September 2024 and will be pursuing the MSc in Gender, Development and Globalisation - this is an interdisciplinary programme that focuses on integrating the theoretical analysis of gender with questions of globalisation and development.

Careers in Global Development

Upon graduating, I sought out a career where I could apply the interdisciplinary tools I gained during my undergraduate degree to practical settings in meaningful ways. Because of the various disciplines that Global Development combines, the career opportunities are truly endless. I worked as Resettlement Project Support Officer for West Northamptonshire Council where I am responsible for providing administration and business support to their Refugee Resettlement Schemes. I supported the coordination of arrivals in West Northamptonshire under the Homes for Ukraine scheme and the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS). I believe that the Global Development programme at the University of York was vital for a role like this since it provided me with the ability and skills to empower vulnerable groups to access and realise their rights without compromising their agency.

I hope this post has given you a flavour of what Global Development here at York offers!

Maryam :)