Category Archives: Humanities and Social Sciences

“Birkbeck is an inclusive, diverse and supportive environment”

MA Film and Screen Media graduate, Charlie Gardiner, shares her thoughts on how studying helped her gain both personal and professional confidence, progressing her career in the film industry.

Getting started in the film industry

After completing my BA Hons in Film, I worked in and around the film industry: I was part of the studio team at a leading company in the casting world, an assistant at a voice talent agency, and a freelance film journalist. While my career was off to a good start, when the pandemic hit, I felt like I needed more: I felt the urge to go back to education.

When education fits around life

One of the main reasons I chose Birkbeck was because of the evening classes. At the time that I decided to study, I was working part-time and partially furloughed due to the pandemic, so I wasn’t sure how my timetable would look if I was called back into full-time work. It was a comfort to know that if my daytime work schedule changed (which it did), I could continue my studies. The fact that I’d always heard good things about Birkbeck was a bonus – I knew it would be a great place to study.

With studying comes confidence

Studying for my Master’s gave me the confidence to apply for jobs outside of my comfort zone. Not only did I have more knowledge about the industry, I had also proven to myself that I have excellent time management skills and drive – pursuing a full-time Master’s whilst also working full-time was no small feat! The experience helped me realise that anyone can achieve what they hope to if they set their mind to it. With my degree and new outlook in hand, I aimed to move into a more creative area of the film industry, ideally within the visual effects (VFX) or post-production fields and I achieved my goal – I’ve just accepted a new job as Talent Coordinator at ILM, a leading VFX company!

A positive learning environment

The diversity of the student body was also inspiring, with people from all walks of life coming together to learn. The inclusivity from the College was great – no matter someone’s age, background or culture, we were given support and space to share ideas together. I know a lot of students don’t say this, but I actually loved writing my dissertation! I felt completely free and supported to write about whatever I wanted to – I chose a subject very close to my heart which made the process so enriching.

Education can surprise you

I never intended to go to university in the first place, let alone go back to do a post-graduate degree. But Birkbeck was there for me when I was in desperate need of some structure and direction. To anyone thinking of studying: if you have the time, energy and patience to dive in, then do it. Why not? Birkbeck is an inclusive, diverse and supportive environment for anyone who wants to better themselves or simply celebrate a passion. I am both grateful and proud to have studied here, and I hope it opens up doors and builds others’ confidence as it has for me.

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Study MA Film and Screen Media

“I’m capable of much more than I ever imagined”

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Despite struggling with education due to illness, Chantelle Ewen had a dream of getting a degree in Criminology. She came to Birkbeck to study BSc Criminology and Criminal Justice in order to fulfill that dream. This is her story.

Since the age of 16, I’ve struggled with education because of my illness – a condition called Conversion Disorder – which causes neurological systems in my body to shut down, resulting in bouts of prolonged mobility issues, blindness, deafness and speech impairment. I constantly had to miss classes and struggled to do the assigned work. Some of my teachers told me to give up while I could, to just accept that I probably wouldn’t be able to handle further education, let alone higher education, and I almost believed them.

But then I discovered my passion for criminology. I remember being fascinated by the forensic science module in my BTEC science class. We had this presentation to do, and I went completely above and beyond for it. It awakened a burning interest within me – to know about the criminal mind, to understand the processes of investigation and more. I had this dream of getting a criminology degree, and I said to myself: you need to conquer every little thing, every obstacle in your way to do this.

It was someone from the admissions team of a different university who put me onto Birkbeck. They explained it was a unique university, which lets people work or parent during the day (I do both!), and study at night. That very same day I was told about it, I went to Birkbeck’s Bloomsbury campus to look around, and fell in love with it.

I came to Birkbeck and had a heart to heart with the very first lecturer I met. I explained my disability, my educational struggles, and my dream. They told me that I’d get the support I needed to make sure I could achieve my dream, and that they could already see me graduating. It had been so long since a teacher had words of encouragement for me; it was really emotional. Those words became a source of inspiration for me over the three years that I studied. Even when I had to miss a significant amounts of lectures, due to being bed-ridden or not being able to speak, I knew I would keep studying.

My lecturers helped me in every way they could to make sure I didn’t fall behind, and the Disability Support and Study Skills services for students at Birkbeck were excellent. I had access to special software that helped me write essays when I couldn’t move my hands, curated study sessions that helped improve my writing skills, and people willing to help me whenever I needed it.

I’m so grateful to the entire department for their efforts over my three years of studying. Unlike other tutors I’d encountered, they never turned their backs on me, and never allowed me to give up, even when the odds were stacked against me. I can now proudly say that I’m graduating with a degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice, which, back when I was 16 was something I never thought I’d say.

I’m excited for what the future holds. I’m eager to use my degree to get into probation work, working in courts and prisons, and eventually rehabilitation. I know it might be challenging, but why not? My time at Birkbeck taught me not to overthink things, and taught me that I’m capable of much more than I ever imagined.

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Bringing staff, students and internationally acclaimed artists together to celebrate Diwali

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The event, hosted by Birkbeck School of Science in collaboration with local Indian community ‘Adda’, attracted students and staff eager to celebrate Diwali and learn more about the folk culture and rural artistry of Bengal.

Group picture with Dr Ana Parejo Vadillo (School of Arts); visiting artists Prasenjit Bhattacharjee, Esha Chakravarty, Babu Fakir, Subho Karmakar; and Professor Sanjib Bhakta

As part of this year’s celebration of Diwali, Birkbeck was delighted to support an international community-based project between the Government of West Bengal, India and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The project, called Rural Craft and Cultural Hubs (RCCH), is a collaboration between the Government of West Bengal, UNESCO and selected ambassadors to promote folk culture and rural artistry of Bengal.

Three internationally acclaimed artists, Subho Karmakar, Babu Fakir and Saurav Moni, attended Birkbeck’s 2022 Diwali on Campus event on Monday, 24 October, performing and exhibiting a selection of arts and crafts to Birkbeck students and staff.

Professor Sanjib Bhakta, based at Birkbeck’s School of Science, and ambassador for the project was one of the event’s organisers. He explained: “Diwali follows the epic story of ancient India, ‘Ramayana’, to represent the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. The symbolism of Diwali is appropriately summarised in the simple act of lighting a lamp or ‘diya’. This is said to ward off evil and welcome the Goddess Lakshmi (the Hindu Goddess of wealth and prosperity) into the house. The positive vibe that comes with the Diwali festival continues to be highly needed in the current challenging environment around the world.”

An example of the traditional bites served during the event

Brought up in West Bengal, Professor Bhakta was excited to welcome the artists to the event and share with students and fellow staff more of his culture. The artists played Baul music of Bengal and wore traditional clothing. The Baul are a group of mystics from the Bengal region who mix elements of Sufism and Vaishnavism. Considered to be both a religious sect and a musical tradition, Bauls are a very diverse group with many sub-sects but their membership mainly consists of Vaishnava Hindus and Sufi Muslims. They are often identified by their distinctive clothes and musical instruments, which the artists at the Diwali event also wore.

The event was well attended, and some Indian students dressed in traditional clothing for the occasion. To reflect the importance of food in Indian culture, and particularly during Diwali celebrations, traditional sweet bites, fresh fruit and drinks were served alongside the entertainment.

“I had great exposure to leading scholars”

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Cobus Van Rooyen has completed three courses at Birkbeck and has credited the College community with exposing him to a “vast amount of knowledge and experience”; and helping him to achieve chartered status. Today, he graduated with a PhD in Geography. This is his story.

Cobus Van Rooyen

I moved to the UK from Cape Town, South Africa in 2000 and considered undertaking further studies at a UK university.

Given the fact that it’s very expensive to study full-time without an income, I was really happy to learn that Birkbeck offered part-time courses.  This allowed me to be employed while undertaking my studies.

The best part about studying was the fact that my peers were also in full-time employment and had a vast amount of knowledge and experience in our field of study to share. 

During my PhD research I also had great exposure to leading scholars and found much inspiration from their work.  The part-time PhD was immensely difficult but I am very grateful for my supervisor’s (Dr Joana Barros) support throughout this journey.  I definitely couldn’t have done it without her.  

Although the PhD process was less demanding than the MSc in terms of structure and short timeframes, it had its own challenges. 

Firstly, undertaking research in isolation is quite challenging and much self-motivation is required.  As a PhD researcher I also had to be very disciplined in how I planned my time to ensure I kept to the deadlines and targets I set for myself.    

I was offered a studentship for the first five years of my research.

Beyond that, my research was also made quite affordable through the payment plan Birkbeck offers, whereby fees can be paid in instalments. 

While studying part-time, I was in full-time employment as a GIS consultant in multi-disciplinary engineering. 

Eventually, my studies helped me achieve chartership and I currently function as Fellow and Chartered Geographer (GIS) (obtained from the Royal Geographical Society) and Chartered Scientist (obtained from the UK Science Council).

What was most memorable from my time at Birkbeck was the opportunities it presented me with.

I had the opportunity to present my research at the Association of American Geographers (AAG) conference in Las Vegas and also to visit MIT for advice on the urban simulation model I was developing.  I was also asked to co-author a textbook chapter with a professor from another university. 

I would like to encourage every person, thinking of studying at Birkbeck, to most certainly do so.

I am very relieved that I was able to complete my research successfully but I will really miss Birkbeck immensely.  Birkbeck contributed greatly to both my personal and career growth and I will always be grateful for the opportunity I had to further my studies there.

Further information:

Study Geography at Birkbeck
Read more about Birkbeck’s international student community
Find out more about studying for a PhD at Birkbeck
Research at Birkbeck