Dalia Hussain

Tell us about yourself?

I’m a British Bangladeshi first-generation student. Before coming to City St George's, I was studying for my Bachelor’s of Arts in Law and graduated in 2020.

Completing my first degree during the pandemic was challenging, however, adapting my time management and working pattern allowed me to overcome these obstacles.

I wanted to continue my academic journey so I began studying MA International Politics and Human Rights, at City St George's, which has deepened my knowledge on the subject and improved my academic and professional skills.

What was your main motivation to undertake postgraduate study?

I wanted to challenge myself further and decided to pursue a master’s degree after the completion of my undergraduate studies.

I was aware that a master’s degree requires initiative and commitment, but I knew there were plenty of opportunities to learn and grow both academically and professionally.

During my postgraduate studies, I was a Programme Representative for my course and had the responsibility of ensuring students had their voices heard. This opportunity helped me develop and strengthen my leadership skills.

City St George's has provided several opportunities along the way to ensure academic and intellectual development and the growth of cultural, sporting and artistic interests through several societies.

Could you tell us about the modules you are particularly interested in one your course and why?

I thoroughly enjoyed the Human Rights aspect of my degree as it was a continuation of some of the modules I had done during my undergraduate studies, but in further detail.

In the first term, I studied ‘International Criminal Law: Crime and Institutions’, which examined how international law responds to the four core crimes which included genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression.

The module involved analysing real life case studies such as the Holocaust, Rwanda, Srebrenica and Myanmar genocide in depth.

It also provided a detailed knowledge and critical understanding regarding the development, enforcement and ruling of the International Criminal Court.

Additionally, another interesting module was ‘International Human Rights in Law and Practice’ because I had previously studied Civil Liberties and Human Rights as an undergraduate module.

During the module, we examined the agendas and strategies of the international community including international bodies, human rights lawyers and NGOs understand the impact of their role.

This module provided a clear understanding of how human rights have changed over the century and the importance of it in the 21^st century.

I also enjoyed the ‘Criminal Minds’ module as it involved studying the concept of evil from a criminological perspective by analysing real life case studies of extreme violence.

I was able to analyse the normality of criminal minds and proposed solutions in combatting such mindset.

Overall, these modules have enhanced my understanding and critical thinking further.

If you know what the theme will be, can you tell us a little bit about your dissertation and why you chose to address this subject?

Unfortunately, the crime of genocide continues to persist and pollute humanity, therefore I have decided to write my dissertation on the Myanmar genocide and the role of the International Court of Justice.

This is an ongoing 21^st century case which involves several factors such as statelessness, refugee crisis and human rights violations.

Therefore, addressing this issue will outline and provide a detailed explanation as to why genocide continues, despite all the rules and regulations enforced under international law to combat this.

This is a topic which resonates with me personally as Bangladesh had faced a genocide in 1971, which was one of the most abhorrent human rights transgressions.

The national flag of Bangladesh was officially adopted in 1971 to reflect the genocide; the green on the flag represented the landscape and the red disc represented the bloodshed of those who fought for independence.

What was the critical factor(s) in your decision to join your degree at City St George's, University of London?

I was informed that City St George's is extremely supportive in academic and mental wellbeing, and these services were easy to access. I often struggled with my assignment outline but my module leaders would happily support me to ensure I was able to perform well.

The support provided had increased my confidence and resulted in me excelling in my assignments.

Also, the diversity, equality and inclusivity at City St George's is great as I’ve been able to connect with people from around the world and made me feel a part of a community. Overall, my experience at City St George's has been amazing and has prepared me for the professional world.

What is the advantage of the combined subjects: International Politics and Human Rights?

Doing combined subjects at postgraduate level can be quite challenging as it requires learning different materials, however it has been engaging to learn different subjects in-depth and have the flexibility to choose from a range of modules.

I’ve even been able to expand my choices for my dissertation, due to studying a combined subject.

The course has improved my communication and organisational skills, especially when preparing for assignments.

Moreover, due to having modules that interlinked our classes with other courses, I had the opportunity to socialise with other students across the different schools at City St George's.