Instructions:
Please be as precise as you can when writing your Supporting Personal Statement. Do not repeat yourself and do not exceed the word limit (600 words). You should make sure that you address the following issues in your personal statement:
You must address the following questions in your personal statement:
1. What is your main motivation for applying to the IMSISS postgraduate degree?
2. How will your educational background and/or work experience inform your engagement with this programme?
3. How will this programme support your future career development?
- You should outline your motivation for choosing the IMSISS programme (i.e. how it complements and develops your previous studies; how it relates to your career path; how it relates to your personal and academic interests).
- Explain why you think you are a good candidate for the programme given your previous studies and the courses offered on the programme in both years. Briefly indicate what you see as being the topic of your year 2 dissertation (this can change later).
- You should highlight your participation in conferences, internships, non-governmental organisations, summer schools, and other socially sensitive or political activity; as well as any prizes/awards received even if these activities are not specially connected to the area of Security, Intelligence and Strategic Studies.
"In this new century, we must recognise that the security of one nation is the security of all." Inspired by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's words, I am pursuing the International Master's in Security, Intelligence, and Strategic Studies (IMSISS) with a unique perspective as a Sri Lankan Tamil refugee and a Canadian intelligence officer, to address global security challenges from a global perspective.
Displaced by Sri Lanka's civil war, my childhood exposure to terrorism and conflict fostered my enduring commitment to protecting others. This prompted me to join the Intelligence and Enforcement Division of the (NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY X), advancing from Intern to Enforcement Case Officer. Having experienced security both as its subject and its practitioner allowed me to recognise its interconnectedness and how Canadian security is directly affected by global impacts such as terrorism, mass migration, and cyber insecurity. This allowed me to value the need for international perspectives anchored in human rights, and to approach intelligence analysis with awareness of how state responses are interpreted, resisted, or legitimised by affected populations.
As the first woman in my family to graduate from university, I achieved an Honours Bachelor's in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology at XXX University. My Bachelor's was shaped by both coursework and leadership, as I founded the XXXX, a student organisation enhancing justice through educational and charitable initiatives. Leading the XXXX while volunteering with the XX Women's Centre and the XX Rehabilitation Centre enhanced my cross-cultural sensitivity & collaboration among diverse groups. These experiences will inform my IMSISS engagement, as I bring initiative and intersectional perspectives to discussions, research, and teamwork. My focus on security was solidified through my Bachelor's dissertation, XX Financial Cyber Sextortion XX of XXX (2023). This independent study examined a global security threat driven by psychological manipulation and digital misinformation. Applying Cyber-Lifestyles Routine Activity Theory and a systematic literature review, I analyzed open-source data linked to high-risk sites, discussing susceptibility, investigative barriers, and prevention. Following my presentation at the XXX Research Excellence Days Conference, the study has been cited by the XXXX Research Institute in ongoing discussions. Throughout this dissertation, I strengthened my analytical, writing, and problem-solving skills grounded in evaluating ethical implications & policy approaches to transnational cybersecurity. I intend to apply these across IMSISS's research placements, internships, and by joining The Security Distillery.
Across the (work experience XXX), my engagement with asylum seekers and migrants affected by foreign conflicts has strengthened my multicultural awareness of global dynamics. Conducting time-sensitive intelligence analysis on terrorism and human rights violations required not only analytical rigour, but ethical judgement in balancing risk, due process, and humanitarian obligations. These skills are directly applicable to graduate-level study, in which I intend to bring discussions grounded in intelligence practice. My dual security perspective as a former asylym seeker turned intelligence officer will further shape my contributions to IMSISS, where I aim to challenge purely state-centric threat models by integrating insights from migration, trauma, and post-conflict societies.
Building on my interests in organised cyber-threats, I intend to specialise in Security and Technology, and Radicalisation, Terrorism and Organised Crime with IMSISS. Participation in the Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge and Charles University's Mentoring Programme under Professor Mgr. Jan Bečka, who has expertise in national cybersecurity, would support my IMSISS dissertation on the use of Artificial Intelligence by Violent Extremist Communities in impacting geopolitical stability. As a growing global threat connected to hybrid warfare & radicalisation, my focus on these themes would support my progression within Canadian intelligence as an Intelligence Analyst able to deliver strategic assessments on cybersecurity & radicalisation. In the long-term, I seek to join globally mandated organisations, such as the UN, INTERPOL and NATO. IMSISS is uniquely suited to my profile as both a practitioner and a displaced person, offering the theoretical depth, international exposure, and interdisciplinary training required to analyse security threats that cross borders, domains, and communities. Guided by intelligence skills, research goals, and as an experienced independent traveller, I am prepared to contribute meaningfully to IMSISS.
Please be as precise as you can when writing your Supporting Personal Statement. Do not repeat yourself and do not exceed the word limit (600 words). You should make sure that you address the following issues in your personal statement:
You must address the following questions in your personal statement:
1. What is your main motivation for applying to the IMSISS postgraduate degree?
2. How will your educational background and/or work experience inform your engagement with this programme?
3. How will this programme support your future career development?
- You should outline your motivation for choosing the IMSISS programme (i.e. how it complements and develops your previous studies; how it relates to your career path; how it relates to your personal and academic interests).
- Explain why you think you are a good candidate for the programme given your previous studies and the courses offered on the programme in both years. Briefly indicate what you see as being the topic of your year 2 dissertation (this can change later).
- You should highlight your participation in conferences, internships, non-governmental organisations, summer schools, and other socially sensitive or political activity; as well as any prizes/awards received even if these activities are not specially connected to the area of Security, Intelligence and Strategic Studies.
"In this new century, we must recognise that the security of one nation is the security of all." Inspired by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's words, I am pursuing the International Master's in Security, Intelligence, and Strategic Studies (IMSISS) with a unique perspective as a Sri Lankan Tamil refugee and a Canadian intelligence officer, to address global security challenges from a global perspective.
Displaced by Sri Lanka's civil war, my childhood exposure to terrorism and conflict fostered my enduring commitment to protecting others. This prompted me to join the Intelligence and Enforcement Division of the (NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY X), advancing from Intern to Enforcement Case Officer. Having experienced security both as its subject and its practitioner allowed me to recognise its interconnectedness and how Canadian security is directly affected by global impacts such as terrorism, mass migration, and cyber insecurity. This allowed me to value the need for international perspectives anchored in human rights, and to approach intelligence analysis with awareness of how state responses are interpreted, resisted, or legitimised by affected populations.
As the first woman in my family to graduate from university, I achieved an Honours Bachelor's in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology at XXX University. My Bachelor's was shaped by both coursework and leadership, as I founded the XXXX, a student organisation enhancing justice through educational and charitable initiatives. Leading the XXXX while volunteering with the XX Women's Centre and the XX Rehabilitation Centre enhanced my cross-cultural sensitivity & collaboration among diverse groups. These experiences will inform my IMSISS engagement, as I bring initiative and intersectional perspectives to discussions, research, and teamwork. My focus on security was solidified through my Bachelor's dissertation, XX Financial Cyber Sextortion XX of XXX (2023). This independent study examined a global security threat driven by psychological manipulation and digital misinformation. Applying Cyber-Lifestyles Routine Activity Theory and a systematic literature review, I analyzed open-source data linked to high-risk sites, discussing susceptibility, investigative barriers, and prevention. Following my presentation at the XXX Research Excellence Days Conference, the study has been cited by the XXXX Research Institute in ongoing discussions. Throughout this dissertation, I strengthened my analytical, writing, and problem-solving skills grounded in evaluating ethical implications & policy approaches to transnational cybersecurity. I intend to apply these across IMSISS's research placements, internships, and by joining The Security Distillery.
Across the (work experience XXX), my engagement with asylum seekers and migrants affected by foreign conflicts has strengthened my multicultural awareness of global dynamics. Conducting time-sensitive intelligence analysis on terrorism and human rights violations required not only analytical rigour, but ethical judgement in balancing risk, due process, and humanitarian obligations. These skills are directly applicable to graduate-level study, in which I intend to bring discussions grounded in intelligence practice. My dual security perspective as a former asylym seeker turned intelligence officer will further shape my contributions to IMSISS, where I aim to challenge purely state-centric threat models by integrating insights from migration, trauma, and post-conflict societies.
Building on my interests in organised cyber-threats, I intend to specialise in Security and Technology, and Radicalisation, Terrorism and Organised Crime with IMSISS. Participation in the Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge and Charles University's Mentoring Programme under Professor Mgr. Jan Bečka, who has expertise in national cybersecurity, would support my IMSISS dissertation on the use of Artificial Intelligence by Violent Extremist Communities in impacting geopolitical stability. As a growing global threat connected to hybrid warfare & radicalisation, my focus on these themes would support my progression within Canadian intelligence as an Intelligence Analyst able to deliver strategic assessments on cybersecurity & radicalisation. In the long-term, I seek to join globally mandated organisations, such as the UN, INTERPOL and NATO. IMSISS is uniquely suited to my profile as both a practitioner and a displaced person, offering the theoretical depth, international exposure, and interdisciplinary training required to analyse security threats that cross borders, domains, and communities. Guided by intelligence skills, research goals, and as an experienced independent traveller, I am prepared to contribute meaningfully to IMSISS.
