Meet Chinaza

Describing my degree to a future student

Global Conservation MSc is a programme that prepares you to tackle some of the biggest biodiversity challenges facing our world today. It gives you the expertise to understand and influence international conservation policies, while also equipping you to address real, on-the-ground environmental problems. What I love is that it combines both theory and practice, you learn about the Global Biodiversity Framework and the drivers of biodiversity loss, but you also build practical skills in areas like biodiversity assessments, spatial data analysis, and policy writing. 

My favourite part of my degree

I really enjoy how varied and hands-on the learning is. One moment I'm developing practical skills in things like biodiversity assessments and spatial data analysis, and the next I'm thinking critically about conservation policy and the social and cultural contexts behind it. That mix keeps everything fresh and engaging.

The social side of Newcastle

The social side of university has been one of the highlights of my experience. I've made friends from all over the world, including my best friend, who I met here at Newcastle.  

For fun, I enjoy hanging out with my course mates and flatmates; we spend time together, play cards, and enjoy each other's company. I've also explored a little of the city, which has been a great way to unwind.

Funding here at Newcastle

Receiving the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship was, without exaggeration, life-changing for me as it made possible something I had dreamed of for years. 

My journey to this point was never easy. Coming from a polygamous family and having been left to fend for myself from childhood, I funded my own education entirely on my own from college, through my undergraduate degree at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture in Nigeria, and every step in between.

My future after Newcastle

In the future, I see myself pursuing a PhD and building a career in academia. Research has been at the heart of my ambitions from the very beginning, improving my research skills was one of the main reasons I wanted to study abroad in the first place, and this master's has only deepened that passion. I picture myself as a researcher and, in time, an academic: someone who contributes new knowledge to the field of conservation, teaches and mentors the next generation of students, and helps tackle the global biodiversity challenges our world is facing.

Why you should choose this degree

I'd tell any future student that the Global Conservation MSc is a degree that genuinely matters. It doesn't just teach you theory, it prepares you to tackle some of the most urgent challenges facing biodiversity and our planet, working at the point where conservation science and real-world policy meet. You'll learn from world-class staff, engage with respected organisations like the IUCN, and gain a truly global perspective you won't find just anywhere.