A Camberwell resident celebrated an important step in his legal education this week when he graduated from Birkbeck.
Chukwunwikezarramu (Zarra) Okumephuna on his graduation day
On Wednesday (20 April), Chukwunwikezarramu (Zarra) Okumephuna received his Master of Law degree at the college’s formal ceremony in Senate House, Bloomsbury.
The 39-year-old Bethwin Road
resident enrolled at Birkbeck following his completion of a Bachelor’s Law degree at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), however he had concerns about the expense of a further degree.
“Getting a Master’s degree in Law was very important to me as I want to progress on to a PhD, but the cost nearly deterred me,” Zarra said.
“Fortunately, Birkbeck’s payment flexibility and study pattern ensured that I finished within one year. I successfully finished the programme via payment by installment without getting in any debt.”
Since moving to London 10 years ago from his home town of Nteje, Nigeria, Zarra has held a strong in interest in Law.
He said: “The reason I chose to concentrate on Constitutional Law – focusing on Islamisation of the Political Process in Pakistan – and Criminology during my LLM is because of my ambition to eventually work in either the educational, charity or political sector, as an academic, policy adviser or a parliamentary aide.
“It is this all-encompassing and ecumenical nature of Law as a discipline that attracted me towards it and I have no regret in doing that, even though it might take a while to fulfill my ambition.”
Chukwunwikezarramu (Zarra) Okumephuna
During his studies at Birkbeck, Zarra volunteered with the British Refugee Council on the Development Desk, which involved engaging with refugees and other stakeholders in the sector including donors. At the college, he also served as the student representative for his course, and held down a job in retail. Juggling these numerous commitments was hard, but worthwhile, he explained.
He said: “The fact that I balanced both my work and study is the reason I succeeded in the programme. I was able to translate my work experiences into my studies and that was very rewarding.”
This week, Zarra joined nearly 200 fellow postgraduate students from the college’s School of Law at a morning graduation ceremony held in Senate House’s Beveridge Hall.
He said: “I’m delighted to have made this achievement. It was my dream as a young man to do this and I am pleased that today my dream is a reality.”
Looking ahead, Zarra plans to undertake an MPhil/PhD researching the relationship between law and religion in Pakistan.
Hear Zarra talk about his experience at Birkbeck:
Find out more
This is awesome. Thanks to Birkbeck for being part of this great journey to becoming somebody tomorrow. I had a very good time in Birkbeck that is akin to the greatest show on earth. The professors are dedicated and have within their DNA the ability to turn ordinary class discussions into extraordinary moments.
I promise to always remember you whenever and wherever I make it. That’s a promise and I will fulfil this promise in a big way, one day in future. Thanks again. I love you. I cherish you. You are the apple of my eyes!