Zerene

After completing my undergraduate degree at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, I lived in Syria for two years. When the conflict started I relocated to Jordan and then to Lebanon where I spent the next four years working with humanitarian projects that focused predominantly on emergency aid and education for Syrians, Iraqis, Sudanese and Somali refugees in the region.  Here at Oxford I am doing a MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies. The MSc programme balances out my practical experience with theoretical approaches and valuable skills such as the refugee law and quantative methods classes. Although it was initially difficult to make the switch back to the classroom, I’ve come to appreciate the environment at Oxford that allows me to explore concepts without the pressure of having to implement activities immediately or satisfy donors.

Life at Harris Manchester is without a doubt my favourite aspect of Oxford, I am awed at the friendships I have managed to cultivate in such a short time and the openness and support of the staff. There is a strong ethos of social justice in the College that aligns with my own upbringing, and our close-knit community means we engage meaningfully with one another especially on controversial, topical discussions, while still rustling up great parties in the JCR. Even though I am only half-way through my time here, it is already evident that this is an experience that will leave an indelible print on my life.

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