Hello!
I have been working for environmental NGOs in Russia and current political situation in my country is not promising at all. To continue career in this field (possibly abroad) I need competitive education.
Would be grateful for comment and for a piece of advice!
Erasmus Mundus scholarship, Masters course "Sustainable Forest and Nature Management".
Why did you choose the course and specialization? Write personal statement of motivation (up to 4000 characters).
I have decided to apply to the Sustainable Forest and Nature Management program because I want to get competitive European education that would allow me to develop a career in an international nature conservation or sustainable development organization, as a project coordinator or an expert.
I wish to devote myself to nature protection in general and forest conservation in particular. I already have significant background in this field, including ecological education, experience of fieldwork and research, and successful work experience in NGOs. Now I realize that I lack up-to-date education to grow further.
I am especially interested in studying theory and practice of sustainable forest and nature management and conservation. To do my best to reconcile resources use with nature conservation and save pieces of wilderness is my personal challenge. In fact, most of my life has been connected with nature.
I have chosen specialization Management of forest and nature for society in the University of Copenhagen because I have always been interested in exploring the ways how reconcile forest use with nature conservation; how to make alternative resources, like ecotourism and ecosystem services more attractive for society.
To do my best to apply responsible nature use practice is my personal challenge. In fact, most of my life has been connected with forests.
I grew up in a small town in Karelia, the region famous for its ancient forests that are being ruthlessly destroyed by industry. That is why, when I was 19, I came to a local NGO SPOK to join old-growth forest protection campaign, at first as a volunteer, and then as a project coordinator.
In SPOK I made inventories of old growth forests and collected data for establishment of the new protected areas, that took many weeks in forest expeditions. The work I am most proud of was organizing several courses for logging companies in Karelia to train them how to conserve key habitats of endangered species.
I was responsible for working out the training program, and this included selecting routes and examples of key biotopes in the forest. I realized that did a good job when after two hours' drive I lead our students to an old-growth spruce stand that the workers already started marking for logging. The company had to cancel logging only because we arrived.
I collected material for my thesis work in old-growth forests too, it cost me two summers knee deep in swamps.
After that my career in nature protection was interrupted with financial crisis-2008 and I moved to Saint Petersburg to earn for living. I have always been easily adaptable to change and open to new possibilities, so I passed this period learning a trade of interpreter, writing for a news agency and volunteering for forest conservation in my free time.
And this experience turned to be rewarding, when two years ago I heard that Greenpeace was looking for a press officer for its new Arctic campaign. Now in Moscow I feel closer to where the decisions are taken: I develop international media campaigns, organize media tours and investigate environmental crimes together with leading newspapers.
Work with Greenpeace taught me a lot, for example, how to stay in one team with dozens of people from all over the world. It became a stress test too, because we, just like many NGOs in Russia, are kept under high pressure from authorities. When our 30 colleagues at the Arctic Sunrise were seized by armed commandos, I was responsible for communicating the story 24/7 and that was exhausting.
Now I am eager to make a new step - to develop my own campaign. And I would love to return from the office work in Moscow city closer to nature.
I believe the global scope and interdisciplinary training that Sufonama provides would help me to do it. It is no secret that Russia lags far behind Europe in environmental science and nature protection. That is why I wish to get education in Europe to be able to apply new skills and enthusiasm in my own or any other country.
I believe that I am perfectly capable of studying this course, and my skills in communications and research would help me to cope well.
Maria, a word of advice, concentrate on presenting the need for your advanced studies based upon your current work experience rather than falling back on a reference to work experience you did when you were 19, and a volunteer as that, because it does not really impress the reader to know such things. Instead, you should be highlighting your current career path and discussing any and all accomplishments that you have within the field. The essay itself already presents a solid view of yourself as a potential student. You have represented yourself, your reasons for advanced studies, and your desires or future goals very well. There is just a need to improve upon your professional image by removing any references to work or volunteer work you did while still in college. Remember, you need to impress the admissions officer with your current work experience, what you did in school no longer counts. As a masters degree student, you are already a seasoned professional in the line of work that you have chosen. That is what the reader wants to know about because that will prove that you have the potential, need, and ability to complete your advanced studies.
