Chevening scholarship - 3 universities courses
As a Civil engineer, I observe that we are deprived of technical abilities to provide well-designed buildings to withstand the destructive force of natural disasters because Myanmar lies in seismic zone. The November 11, 2012 M 6.8 earthquake North of Shwebo, which damaged buildings and killed a dozen people, proved that Myanmar is at risk from major earthquakes. To prevent such disasters, seismic design is important and necessary. Besides, Myanmar needs advanced and reliable infrastructures to welcome investments from other countries so as to improve national economy. Therefore, my main educational goal is to deepen my knowledge in Civil engineering and seismic design so that I can apply techniques learned from the UK to provide structurally-stable infrastructures as well as to ensure the infrastructure development. To reach my goal, I have decided to choose these three universities.
I have chosen the University College London to persuade MSc (Civil Engineering with seismic design) because it covers all general Civil engineering subjects, with earthquake engineering being a specialized subject. I observe that its compulsory subjects include seismic design, structural dynamics and vulnerability, resilience and project management, which all meet my preference. Besides, I am impressed by its research quality since it ranks first in UK for research strength (Research Excellent Framework) and ranks 10th according to QS World University Rankings (2021). Furthermore, UCL is the diverse global community located in centrum London where I can engage with multicultural community and create strong academic network with world-class professors, students and experts.
I have selected the University of Glasgow since it has a dedicated history of research, ranking 2nd in UK and 1st in Scotland in Civil Engineering according to Complete University Guide (2020). This course can bring me advanced analytical and problem-solving skills related to a range of sub-discipline of Civil engineering so that I can apply them in solving multi-disciplinary issues. I would like to get involved in the weekly speaker training of Glasgow University Union where I can enhance public speaking and leadership abilities by learning from world top debaters. Moreover, Glasgow is one of the friendliest cities in the world and also the most vibrant city for international students where I can learn Scottish culture, enjoy shopping, music and nightlife and explore street art, widening my horizons.
I have chosen the University of Birmingham because it is one of the top universities that offer best Civil engineering programs in the UK. It is a member of Russell Group where I can do research in cooperation with other top UK universities, creating professional networks with them. I am interested in its structural and seismic engineering modules as I can use this knowledge to implement earthquake tolerant infrastructures in Myanmar. Furthermore, Birmingham is one of the greenest cities in the UK where I can explore natural sceneries.
I believe that I will acquire necessary skills from these programs which are essential to implement the projects needed for infrastructure development which plays a key component for thriving sustainable economic development of Myanmar.
