Shreya Paudel came to the UK from Nepal to study for a BA in International Politics at Middlesex University in London. He got involved in UK student politics, was elected as President of Middlesex University Students’ Union and after finishing his BA he was elected as the National Union of Students’ International Student Officer where he served for one year. Now in his fifth year in the UK, Shreya is a Chevening Scholar studying for a Master’s in Conflict Studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). In a recent interview with UKCISA, Shreya talked to us about his experience of being an international student in the UK.
Why choose the UK?
The infrastructure in Nepal to study science is much better than to study arts and humanities.. I wanted to study politics and I couldn’t do this in Nepal because the infrastructure there is weak and people look down on the study of politics. If you study politics in Nepal, then it is almost as if you could not do anything better than that! But ironically, now the political system is what is strangling Nepal. I came to the UK because my uncle lived here and he suggested that I study at Middlesex.
Why politics?
My parents were teachers and my father became a human rights activist in an NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation). My parents wanted me to study and learn about the world. I got the idea of social justice from them. I was always interested in politics. In grade 2 when I was about 8 years old, the class teacher asked what we wanted to do in the future and I said I wanted to be prime minister. There was no looking back!
Working in the UK
I lived with my uncle for the first three months but I didn’t want to be a burden and also I wanted some independence but I didn’t like living alone in the UK. I didn’t know how to cook, I’d never paid my own bills, I’d never worked. I got a job in a furniture store helping with the accounts but it took a lot of energy so I left and became a cleaner at the university. Compared to my life in Nepal, my way of living here was very different. It was very very difficult. You should only come to the UK if you have enough money. You need to be able to study here peacefully without financial stress.
I think I worried about things too much when I first came to the UK but I believe that things will turn out to be good. You have to be optimistic about life. Whatever will happen will happen for the good. There are butterflies and rainbows in the world. I need to worry less about the world; about my family and sometimes the best option is to just let it be. But it’s what drives me too. There is a balance somewhere.
UK Student politics
A friend encouraged me to get involved in student politics and I ended up running for President of Middlesex University and then I won. I gave my best but it was a major shock to me!
Student politics is about idealism and working for what you think is right. If you can’t be idealistic in student politics, where can you do it? Where is the space? Student politics is a platform to talk about what you really believe in and I spoke about what I really believe in and people voted for that. I believe in the free movement of people. Inthe mainstream politics of the UK , people want to discriminate between students and other migrants; between good and bad migrants but I don’t believe in that. I spoke for all migrants and that was why students voted for me.
Master’s at LSE
My parents wanted me to study for a Master’s in the UK and at first I didn’t want to but I changed my mind – especially as in the UK this is only one year so I applied for a Chevening scholarship and had to return to Nepal for the interview. I feel very fortunate. It’s a great thing to get a Master’s from the UK, especially on Conflict Studies, which would be important for a post war society like Nepal. The thing about getting a Master’s is that I will now have that until I die! This year there are eighteen Nepali Chevening scholars in the UK because the UK government tripled the Chevening budget. Last year there was just one Chevening scholar from Nepal. I applied to LSE because the name is really big and name really matters in Nepal. But also I applied to LSE for my BA and didn’t get a place. But now I am here!
In Nepali there is a phrase called ‘sichchha bumi’ (शिक्षा-भुमी )which means ‘land of education’ and for me the UK has been ‘the land of education’ so I am really really grateful to the people here.
The future
As a Chevening scholar I have to go back to Nepal but that’s good because I miss living there. I really want to go back. By Sept 2016 I will have been in the UK for 6 years. I want to go back to Nepal and stay there for a few years. I might travel again in the future. Nepali Chevening students are a new network for me. There are lots in Nepal. If I really have some ideas to do something, then I could connect with Chevening scholars worldwide. There’s too much focus or emphasis on planning in Western thinking. For my future, I don’t have a plan. I’ve never had one. I am a spiritual person. I just go with the flow and I might reach the ocean but I don’t know where or how I will reach it.
More information
Chevening Scholarships
If you would like to get involved with NUS International Student campaigns, contact NUS Policy Officer (International), Alaa Elaydi. For information about recent International Activist Network activities see the NUS website. You can also find out more from the Students' Union at your institution.
