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Every month, Study International invites you to a conversation with an international student, graduate or professor about the beauty, boldness and benefits of studying abroad.

  1. Want to study and work in Japan? This Malaysian answers all your biggest questions

    26 JAN

    Want to study and work in Japan? This Malaysian answers all your biggest questions

    Maryam: Hey guys, welcome back to the Extra Credit Podcast. To all first-time listeners, this is a series where we discuss the beauty, ins and outs of studying abroad with fellow international students, graduates, and faculty members from around the world. I'm Maryam, your host, and today we'll be exploring the exciting life of being an international student in Japan. Everyone's familiar with the country's iconic cuisines, ancient traditions, and inescapable pop culture trends like anime, manga, video games, and more. But for many study abroad hopefuls, Japan is, most importantly, home to world-class universities and quality education as well. On that note, our guest for today, Hazman Baharom, has a lot to share about living, studying, and working in the famous Land of the Rising Sun. As a lecturer for Malay Studies at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Hazman has long been curious and passionate about the study of language and culture. In fact, he even speaks six languages, including Japanese, and works on the side as a professional translator, having produced the official Malay translation of best-selling and award-winning Japanese novel, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop. But before all of that, his journey to Japan began as a bright-eyed international student, just like me and you. Hazman, welcome. It's so lovely to have you join us today. How are you? Hazman Baharom: Ah, thank you for having me today. I'm good. Maryam: So Hazman, since 2021, before you kickstarted your career in Japan, you were and still are completing a PhD in political science and government at Waseda University. Hazman Baharom: Yeah. Maryam: That's quite a change from your previous study abroad experience, right, as a Bachelor of Economics student in the UK? So, tell us, why Japan? Has it always been one of your dream destinations as a student? Hazman Baharom: Yeah, thank you so much for the question and thank you for inviting me for this podcast. Well, I guess, when I was in high school, since I studied Japanese for five years, since Form 1 to Form 5, Japan has been one of my preferred destinations to go overseas. But when I got the Yayasan Sime Darby scholarship after my SPM trials, I was offered to [go to] the UK. So then, I was like, okay, I'll go to the UK first. And then, my dream to go to Japan was buried for a while. But after I came back to Malaysia in 2018, I represented Malaysia for one of the programmes called Talk with Muslims, organised by Japan Foundation. So, Japan Foundation selected 10 students from Southeast Asia and two from Malaysia. One is me and the other one is Dr. Raudah. She is currently, I think, in the US. So, I came to Japan, and then we discussed a lot of things about Japanese culture and Muslim culture. And I got to know my supervisor during that time, my PhD supervisor who is Japanese. He is an expert in Indonesian Islamic movements. So, if you listen to him speaking Indonesian, you will think that he is an Indonesian, but he is actually Japanese. So yeah, that's my PhD supervisor. So, that's one of the reasons. My research now is about the Malaysian Islamic party, PAS. Uh, I think since there is a similarity between both of our interests, I selected to study here. Second, I am obsessed with Japanese literature and that is why I translated Japanese novels. So, I think, why not come to Japan since I will have, like, [an] unlimited supply of Japanese literature to read, right? So, yeah. So, these are my two biggest reasons coming to Japan. Maryam: So, you will say that, doing your PhD in Japan is kind of like your second chance at studying in your dream country. Hazman Baharom: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, it became a dream country, and then it was buried for a little while. And then, I guess, my trip to Japan under Japan Foundation, back in 2018, reignited that dream somehow.  Maryam: Nice. Okay, but you also won a full-ride postgraduate scholarship under the MEXT scholarship programme.  Hazman Baharom: Yes. Maryam: Yet, in 2024 alone, almost 10,000 students applied for the MEXT scholarship, but only six applicants were recommended. So, Hazman, can you share with us your secrets and tips behind securing such a coveted slot? Hazman Baharom: Mhmm, thank you so much. I love to do this because I think a lot of people deserve to get this, but many of them just don't have enough information on how to strategise their application. So, I guess, the most important thing is, be clear about what you want to research about. For example, if you are planning to do your PhD in Japan and you are planning to do something related to, well, I don't know. Now, probably the most famous idea that people are talking probably is about AI, right? AI in education, AI in economics, AI in whatever. So, if you are researching AI in Japan, you need to be clear about what specific aspect of AI you want to research about. So, the Japanese professors, being experts in that field – they want to know about what you want to do, right? And they want to know that you are passionate about what you want to do. For example, when I was applying, my research proposal was to research the impact of the Japanese occupation on the Islamic institutions in Malaya. So, be clear about what you want to do in your research project.  Number two, I would suggest that you try to create connections before you try to apply, especially for the embassy recommendation. It would help if, for example, you already have a kind of professional connection with some of the professors that you plan to work with before you apply, because they are the ones that will recommend you for the scholarship. So, it would be helpful, in my case, before I applied for the scholarship, I already translated some books about Islamic institutions in Malaysia and I made connections with my current supervisor through my translation work. So, using that connection, it would be easier for me, professionally speaking, to reconnect with the professor later when you are applying for the scholarship. So, that's how you play with professional connections. Create professional connections in your field and that might help you in securing the scholarship. The third one, which I always share with people who are applying for the scholarship is, in your application, try to find a way that your research can benefit both Malaysia and Japan. Maryam: Yeah, or your home country instead, if you’re not Malaysian. Hazman Baharom: If you are from Malaysia, try to find a way that this research will benefit Malaysia and Japan at the same time. So, that will be more appealing to the panel of the scholarships at the embassy, if you are looking for [an] embassy recommendation. So, these are the three biggest things, I guess, that you need to prepare for the scholarship. Maryam: Those are fantastic tips. I assume that, you know, since you mentioned creating or building professional connections before applying, I think that also influenced your choice of university as well to attend. Hazman Baharom: Yes, yes. It influenced my decision to choose Waseda University. I got accepted into four universities, but finally I chose Waseda University because of the professor that will supervise me, and at the same time, Waseda is also known as one of the best places in the world if you wish to study Japanese literature. So, I can do my research while fulfilling my hobby of taking Japanese literature classes. Maryam: Nice. You're just enjoying the best of both worlds there. We love to hear it. Okay. Alongside your MEXT application, what else would you say would be required from students who wish to study in Japan with or without a scholarship? How did you prepare your own application? Hazman Baharom: Right. Okay. Personally speaking, I would suggest you keep an open mind because, the Japanese way of doing things will be a lot different from where we come from. For example, both of us are from Malaysia. So, for example, the bureaucracy in Japan and the bureaucracy in Malaysia might be quite something. It might be challenging for many people who are not familiar with that kind of bureaucracy. So, that's number one for everyday life. Number two, I would say, if you are living outside of Tokyo, you might need to learn some Japanese. If you live in Tokyo, it would be okay if you don't speak fluent Japanese. You still can live. But outside Tokyo, then it would be a challenge. That would also be one of the requirements, I would say, for you to live comfortably in this society.  Next, I would say, Japan has a lot of opportunities in terms of jobs. If you have a master's and you are doing your PhD, and then, your master's [is] related to things that the Japanese really need, like, for example, English education or English language, right? It can really help you to get some jobs that will help you in your life here in Japan. Try to look at how you can maximize your own certificates or whatever that you have before in the Japanese job market. Because I think all of us are familiar with the statistics that the Japanese are losing their younger population. So, they would need more workers from abroad, especially the professional workers. So, I would suggest that – people from the Asian countries, when you come to Japan, try to look at your certificates and your qualifications. They might land you some jobs to keep you going here.  Maryam: I would say language is also a pretty important requirement there. I mean, even if you're studying at a university in Tokyo, that would be one of the main deals, right? Hazman Baharom: Mm, yeah. If you are studying in universities in Tokyo, I know some people that don't know Japanese at all and they can survive, because in Tokyo, many people can speak English. Imagine Kuala Lumpur, right? Almost everybody can speak English. Even though Tokyo-wide, [their] English is not as good as English in Kuala Lumpur, but they can understand you, and they can reply to you in English. But outside of Tokyo, it will be c

    33 min
  2. Dreaming of publishing a book? This YA fiction author got her head start in the US

    28/10/2025

    Dreaming of publishing a book? This YA fiction author got her head start in the US

    Maryam: Hey, what's up guys? Welcome back to the Extra Credit Podcast. If it's your first time tuning in, this is a series where we speak to international students, graduates, and faculty members worldwide about the beauty and perks of studying abroad. I'm Maryam, your host. If you're active on BookTok and Bookstagram, or if you’ve simply got a passion for writing and dream of breaking into the publishing world, our guest, Mae Coyiuto, has some tips to share with you. From all the way in the Philippines, Mae Coyiuto is best known as the author of the teen romance novel, Chloe and the Kaishao Boys, named one of the New York Public Library's top 10 books for teens in 2023. The story itself is one I'm sure many of us can relate to. A high school girl in Manila named Chloe wishes to attend college in the US, but her overprotective dad keeps setting her up on arranged dates. Why? To keep her from studying abroad. Now, just like the main protagonist of the book, Mae Coyiuto herself dreamed of studying in the US. And fortunately for her, she did. Mae, welcome. We're very excited to have you here with us today. How are you? Mae: I'm good, thanks for having me. And I feel like you should be the one to pitch my book to other people. That was way better than what I usually do (laughs). Maryam: (Laughs) Now, in your book, while Chloe wants to study animation in the US, she faces some pushback from her father and family members who want her to study back home in the Philippines, just like her cousin, Peter, right? Mae: Mhmm. Maryam: As someone who shares the same heritage with Chloe and who has also studied in the US yourself, was this theme inspired by a true story or perhaps your own experience? Mae: Yeah, actually, when my friends would read the synopsis of the book or the, I guess, the description before reading it, they would always be like, “Mae, are you Chloe?” Uh…it's not an autobiographical book, but I did borrow a lot from personal experiences from observing a lot of Chinese-Filipino girls growing up also. I actually just wanted to write like a young adult fiction story that starred a Chinese-Filipino girl in Manila. Because, like, growing up, I really loved young adult books. I loved reading, but most of the rom-coms that I would read always starred people in the U.S. or teenagers based in Western countries. So, this was kind of like my spin on, what would that look like if someone from Manila got to be the main character. Maryam: Oh, really cool, but were your parents supportive of your dreams of studying abroad? Mae: Yeah, I was very lucky. So, I'm the youngest of four siblings, and then my eldest sister actually studied abroad. She went to Singapore for college, and then I think a lot of older siblings would relate. I feel like they paved the way for it to become a bit easier for younger siblings to, like, do their own thing. So I think, if not for her, I wouldn't have really gotten the idea of, like, I could study abroad. But my parents are very supportive and they never really pushed back on me wanting to write. I think they just never expected that I would make a career out of it. So, I think a lot of people could relate when they want to do, like, a creative career. They feel like it's not usually seen as, like, a practical thing to pursue, or it's usually seen as a hobby. So that's kind of what I channeled when I was writing Chloe. Not really from my experiences with my parents, but more of like, from community, society, and like, that idea that doing something like animation or a creative thing is not something worth pursuing. I'm lucky with my own family. But yeah, I think it's more (of) what I observed from the community around me. Maryam: Interesting that you say that because in 2011 you were a Young Star columnist for the Philippine Star. So, writing has always been a huge passion of yours. But in 2012, you pursued a bachelor's degree in psychology at Pomona College. So, what inspired you to take a different path or pursue this field at the beginning? Mae: Yeah, so I really loved writing. I started writing when I was, like, nine years old or even younger. But then I always saw it as, like, something I enjoyed doing, and I was really exposed to – when I thought of, like, authors or books that are usually from international countries. So, I never really thought that I would study (at) college and then study writing. And none of my classmates were also doing that. So, I was so focused  – I'm sure a lot of people in your podcast could relate, that when you're trying to apply for a college, you're just so focused on that process of the application, of doing well in high school, that for me, I actually didn't think so much about what I wanted to do in college until I was there.  And then, so, when I got to college, I was lucky that I went to Pomona, and they encouraged students to take a lot of classes from different majors, departments, so that you could figure out what you wanted. So, I was lucky that I spent my first year kind of doing that, like taking classes. And I took a biology class, I took a film class, and I took a psychology class. And I really liked my intro psych class. And then, afterwards, there was a class on Asian American psychology, which...I never knew that was a thing. I didn't know, like, you could study, like, cultural psychology, and I super enjoyed that class and that professor became my faculty advisor. And I guess I ended up with psychology just because I really enjoyed the classes. But yeah, that was kind of, like, my college freshman trajectory. Maryam: So what was your experience like leaving home, knowing you'll be thousands of miles away from your loved ones for several years? Mae: Yeah, I was very lucky, in that aspect, that my sister was actually in LA. She was working at that time. So, at least I had family kind of close to me in college. And then I also had an aunt who lived in LA. So, I had some family, but I think I also – I don't know, maybe I just had delayed processing in high school that I was like, I never really thought about the fact that I was going to be so far away until I was already in college. And then, there's this part in the book where Chloe, the main character, is with her high school best friend and she kind of reflects on, like, the idea of everyone at home moving on without her. And I think that was some of the feelings I was having also early on in college, that, like, you could be in college miles away doing your own thing, but then you get, like, a sense of, like, “Oh, what's happening back home?” Like, everyone's lives kept on going as well. But you're not there to see how other people or the people you love from home grow. So, I think that's anyone who's ever left home. I feel like that's a feeling you have always even if so many things are happening for you elsewhere. You still have your home at the back of your mind. I feel like that's something I…I talk a lot about with my friends who also experience living abroad. Maryam: Did you face any challenges while you were there? I mean, other than the emotional aspect of being away from home. Mae: I think after college, like, I think especially right now in the US, I feel like a lot of international students are having trouble with, like, the visa situation of what happens after college. Like, there's this rule in the US that your job or internships have to be related to your field of study. So, like, sometimes I would want to get a job here or do, like, an internship here, but it wasn't related to, like, my major. So, that wasn't an option for me, and when I would apply for certain programmes or certain things, the requirement was, you had to be a citizen. And I guess, like, the reason why I also moved back home was, I was in the US still during 2020. So, that was when the pandemic was at its height. So, during that time, I think everything was just so unsure. And yeah, I think, like, a lot of international students go through this where the future might be very unpredictable. Like, a lot of things are not in your control. So yeah, I think, like, being there just made me like things where I can, like, predict what's gonna happen. But then, I think, being abroad with all those factors just made me kind of, like, trust in the process a bit more. But yeah, still working on that though. Maryam: Okay, speaking on, like, being, you know, able to predict what happens in the future, right, you mentioned just now that finding jobs in the US, like, you have to make sure that they relate to your major or your degree, right? But despite that, during your bachelor's degree in 2013, you also joined the Cinematic Arts Summer Program at the University of Southern California to study screenwriting and 2D animation. Mae: Mm-hmm. Maryam: So, did this summer programme reignite or fuel your passion for writing and storytelling?  Mae: Yeah, I guess going along the lines of me kind of just, like, trying to (be) like – My role model was my sister. So, she actually did this programme when she was in college. She did, I think it was the directing programme at USC – for a summer. And then, she told me all about it. And then, she even brought me to the USC film campus. And then, I still remember, like, going there and it just felt unreal, like that whole campus, especially their film department. You just felt like, “Wow, people who made movies actually went here.” And that was, like, the vibe you get. And, so, after my freshman year, I was thinking that I wanted to kind of make the most out of my summer, and then, I decided to apply for this programme. And I always loved film and TV. I think those mediums inspired my love for storytelling as much as books. So yeah, I think that's why I wanted to try out screenwriting and animation. I never really pursued them or did any classes on them before. But I guess it was just…it was really cool. I'm not sure if that reignited my love for stories

    24 min
  3. The international archaeology graduate turned guardian of human history

    12/09/2025

    The international archaeology graduate turned guardian of human history

    Maryam: Hey, how’s it going, guys! Welcome back to the Extra Credit podcast. To those tuning in for the first time, this is a series where we speak to international students, graduates, and professors from around the world about the beauty of studying abroad. I’m Maryam, your host for today. If you’re a fan of Indiana Jones, The Mummy trilogy, and anything to do with the history of humankind, you’re going to want to listen to our special guest, Nurul Hamizah Afandi. Hamizah here is a museum curator at the Perbadanan Muzium Negeri Pahang in Malaysia. She visits museum galleries and archives, researches their collections of historic artefacts, and tailors different exhibitions and displays to attract new visitors to the museum.  But before she got here, she was a curious archaeology and anthropology student at University College London (or UCL) in the UK.  Welcome, Hamizah. We’re excited to have you here with us. How are you? Hamizah: I'm good. Thank you so much for having me here. It's truly an honour to be invited to speak on this podcast as well. Maryam: We’re glad to have you here as well. We're excited to learn more about, you know, what archaeology and anthropology is about. So alright, let's go back to the beginning before you started digging into bygone eras when you were just a senior high school student at Mara Junior Science College. Tell us, Hamiza, you were a math whiz who participated in the National Maths Olympiad. What suddenly inspired you to study archaeology? That's quite the switch in interest, isn't it? Hamizah: Alright. Yes, so, like you said, Mathematics has always been, I guess, one of my favorite subjects and, I guess, it's partly because I got the exposure from a very young age because my mom herself is a math teacher. So we've been, like say, my mom's teaching math for students who come over to our home to get, like, extra classes and things like that. So, I guess I can say that math was part of my life because I have this, like, huge family thing going around. But I guess, during my upper form of high school, at some point – we had to choose between taking biology or accounting for our SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia) subjects. Like, you can't take both. So, it was at that point that I started thinking more deeply about life after school, like what I want to do, um, for my career and so on, because, well, it's not the end of the world of choosing like either biology or accounting, but then still, it somehow can probably limit or restrict your options afterwards.  So, back then in school, we had to do this, ah, one test. It's called a RIASEC test and I did that quite a few times with – one of my aunts is a counselor so we did that together as well. So, it's one of those occupational personality type tests. So, every time I did the test, I got the same result. So, it basically stands for, I think, R-I-A-S-E-C stands for – was it realistic, investigative, artistic, social, entrepreneurship or something, and then conventional. So, I've always gotten the ‘I’ component very high, like, the – my marks for that component (were) very high. So, I guess I found out that I'm into careers with a very investigative nature of some sort. So, I guess it makes sense because Mathematics and Chemistry were two of my favorite subjects in school. And then they were like, with maths and chemistry, there's always, like, problems that we have to find solutions to and then you have questions that you have to find answers to. So, it's like, at the time, obviously you were not really like, familiar with research kind of thing, so I guess investigative is kind of like the best term to describe it. So, because of that, I tried to think harder about what (of) that has always interested me. So, I love watching crime documentaries. I love, reading crime, you know, books. In fact, one of my favorite novels is Sherlock Holmes. So it's during that time, I was like, okay, I think I'm into something related to, like, forensic science and something very, very research, very investigative of nature. So, um yeah, at that point, I was like, paying more attention to my interests: The books I read and, like, the movies I watched, to think about a career that I want to, like, go into. So, that's how it comes in the first place. Maryam: Interesting. I'm still wondering how, like, that ended up evolving into your interest in archaeology, because that's about, you know, studying what happened in the past, like civilisations from centuries or millennia ago. So, how did it get into that sort of, um, specialisation? Hamizah: Right, so, it started out as my personal interest in Forensic Science. So, basically, I was into, like, these crime documentaries and crime novels and stuff. So, I started planning to further my studies in Bachelors of Forensic Science or something related to that. But then, because I got a scholarship after SPM – so, I secured a scholarship by Yayasan Khazanah. But then, the one that they offered me is the one that they send students abroad, particularly to the UK and the US. So with that scholarship, there are limited options of unis that they send the students to because they only offer to send the students to top universities in the UK. So, I have, sort of, limited options of unis that I can choose on my UCAS application. So, because of that, um, I found out that (of) all the seven universities – seven UK universities – that they will send me to, none of them offered Forensic Science as a bachelor's degree. So, I sort of had to pivot my plan a little bit and sort of choose another degree that would still allow me to pursue Forensic Science on a higher education level – for example, masters – in the future if I want to still do Forensic Science. So, um, I did some research, digging out some information on the internet and trying to find what kind of degree that I can do as an option or alternative. So, obviously you can still do the hard sciences like Chemistry, Biology, and still pursue Forensic Science, but then I also kept coming across these two unfamiliar fields or terms which are “archaeology” and “anthropology.” And then, just looking into these two terms [more deeply], I found out that there are, you know, there are studies about human behavior. And then, there's like a huge overlap between Science and also Humanities. So, as somebody who has a wide range of interests, which is – I'm also interested in science, but at the same time, social sciences has always been something that’s of my interest as well – I think this is like a perfect combination of studies that I can do, and then still will allow me to do Forensics in the future if I want to. So, I ended up just going for the course and just finding out what kind of requirements, what’s the degree about in the UK, and what the course structure was like. Hamizah: I went to talk to my academic advisor in my A level college as well, and then also discussed this with my scholarship provider. And since everyone's fine with me doing Archaeology (and) Anthropology, so I just, yeah, “Go for it.” Maryam: That sounds really awesome. Was UCL one of many options? Or was it, like, the only university that was offering Archaeology and Anthropology?  Hamizah: So, in the UK, there are many universities that offer Archaeology as a degree, but the seven universities that were in my list or the ones in Khazanah’s lists were Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, LSE, King's and Edinburgh. And out of those seven, only Oxford and UCL offered this course. And yeah, I had to apply (to) some other courses not related to archaeology as well. I had to apply for Anthropology in LSE just as a backup. But yeah, those are the only two universities in the options available for me that I can apply to. So yeah. Maryam: And UCL's programme attracted you more, right? Hamizah: Mhmm, yeah, because I think, with UCL, I think being in London, I guess, they have more access to museums. They have, like, more access to libraries in London as well and then they have a lot of labs, so I was quite lucky and privileged because I was able to go to both unis because Oxford called me for an interview and then it had to be an on-site interview. So, Khazanah paid for my flight to go for the interview in Oxford and then, at the same time, actually two weeks before my interview in Oxford, we had this Open Day for (UCL) offer holders. I had the chance to go and look at how the university looked like, what the classes looked like, what the people there looked like. So, I resonated more with UCL at the time compared to Oxford because of the facilities that are available. And then there's a wider range of expertise in UCL as well. And then, I think, in the field of archaeology, UCL is one of the top anyways. So yeah, it attracted me more than other universities in the UK. Maryam: Tell us, what was your programme like? Were there interesting lessons, projects, and coursework? Hamizah: So, when I was in UCL, my degree was under the Institute of Archaeology, or we call it IOA. So, for the bachelor's degree, my department offered multiple different types of degrees. So, we had BA Archaeology. We had BSc Archaeology as well. And then they used to offer BA Egyptian Archaeology. But due to low demand, they have not offered the course anymore. And then, they also have BA Classical Archaeology and Classical Civilisation, but then the one that I took is BA Archaeology and Anthropology, which is like a joint degree. So, apart from modules that I had from the Institute of Archaeology, we also had the modules from the Anthropology department. So, it's kind of like, compared to other degrees offered by IOA, according to the seniors, it's like actually double the workload because we had more modules that we had to take. Because maybe the modules that we take can count for one credit for other people, but it counts for 0.5 credit because we had to also take modules f

    41 min
  4. How to break into the video game industry as an international student

    09/06/2025

    How to break into the video game industry as an international student

    Maryam: Hey guys, welcome back to the extra credit podcast. To those tuning in for the first time, this is a series where we talk to interesting international students, graduates and professors from around the world. I'm your host, Maryam. Gamer, guys and gals, if you dream of creating your own video games, we have a special guest today who can give us some insight on what to expect. Mody Ibrahim began his journey as a game development student at the University of Wollongong, Malaysia, back in 2013. Then, in 2017, he moved to Canada to pursue a Diploma in Internet Applications at Algonquin College, and he's been in the country ever since as an extended reality developer. It's been a long journey with many milestones, but this all began with his passion for video games. Welcome, Mody, we're so glad to have you here with us. How are you? Mody: Thank you. Pleasure to be here. Oh, I'm doing very well. Maryam: All right, okay. So, let's go back to the beginning. And by that, I mean how your personal journey started. Back home in Egypt, way before you booked your first flight to Malaysia, all right? Tell us, growing up, what was your childhood like, and how did video games play a part in your life? Mody: Oh, I certainly remember playing a lot of video games with my siblings, growing up like late night during summer vacation, when you know me and my siblings would play video games together, and I think that was something that initially launched me in that direction.  Maryam: That’s great. So how did this interest or hobby turn from just playing games into creating and developing them? Mody: Well, I actually sort of stopped, or rather started playing video games less in my early teens. But I remember distinctly when I was once on the internet and found this software called Game Maker. And it was this visual scripting game engine, essentially where you didn't need to code, and you just drag and drop blocks to form your logic. And I just downloaded it out of curiosity. And I remember I really wanted to move this square with the keyboard, to have it, like, stop moving when it touches another square. And I remember struggling with that a bit. And when that actually happened, I got this, like, huge dopamine rush, and I was like, I really want to learn more about this, and want to do this more. So while, like, I had an interest in gaming, I think it was more so the curiosity over, like, how video games are made, and how that process works, and all the nuances that go into it that actually got me really interested in the field. Maryam: That's so cool. Did you join any clubs or societies that sort of cater to that passion of creating for you? Mody: I certainly knew friends back then were likely interested in that thing, but I think there was a lack of kind of community specifically around that where I grew up, so I spent a lot of time on Internet communities making video games. Maryam: Well, really cool. Did you create any video games or any sort of, like, software or projects before you actually pursued a degree in game development? Mody: Yeah, yeah, I did. But it was very, very simple, kind of like, if you've ever been on NewGrounds as a kid, it was, you know, there were a lot of flash games and, like, really small stuff. And, yeah, I certainly have some projects from back then, but they were very simple. Maryam: So cool. Okay, so now, usually, for students who want to pursue game development or game design, the popular destinations to study overseas would be the US, UK, Canada or Japan. Why did you choose to study in Malaysia? Mody: Well, that's a very interesting question. Well, there were multiple factors at play here. First, I kind of knew I wanted to eventually move to Canada, as I have family here. So the second was, I knew, from the people I talked to and from what I read about the industry, that it's not an industry where what degree you have even matters. In fact, I don't know if this statistic is still true, but a few years ago, I read that 50% of those working, like, tech jobs in North America don't even have degrees in a related field. Like over 50%. And I don't know if that's still true, but, so I was more so focused on getting into a course that has a practical application – more hands on. So I emailed a couple of universities, and honestly, kind of felt the best about the Wollongong course. And yeah, it was awesome in that aspect. And there was also the added interest in Malaysian culture, because I heard a lot about Malaysian culture as well. And I've wanted to explore that as an experience, you know, as a stop in my life.  Maryam: Okay, so many people don't know what it takes to become a game developer. They don't even know what a degree in game development would look like. At a glance, if you were to create video games like Fortnite, Overwatch or The Last of Us, a lot of planning goes into bringing them to life. This includes brainstorming, ideas, storytelling, coming up with the game mechanics, character design and many, many rounds of testing before you even launch it onto the market. So as a former game development student, can you walk us through what your coursework was like. What was your favourite part about this course? Mody: Of course. So an important thing to really understand about game development is that if you're going into a game studio, there are three specialisations, and you essentially need to pick a domain. There is development, there is game design and there is art. So if you pick development, for example, you mostly won't be making the decisions on the story or writing the design documentation. Maybe you can, you know, participate in the design discussions and stuff. But if you're picking development, my course was mostly coding classes, so you're essentially doing more or less software development, but now you're also learning about the game engines and in my course, at Wollongong, good thing about having the other streams also taking their own classes is that there were many opportunities for us to collaborate on group projects, where in the second year, we actually in one. In the fourth semester, we had to make, for example, a 2D game project together, and in the fifth semester, we had to do a 3D game project together. We split into groups. And so that practical experience and learning how to work and communicate with the other streams was very valuable. And of course, usually in game development courses, you have classes that teach you other things about game development, like other areas, like marketing, for example, game marketing. But most of the classes, if you pick development, will be about coding. But some of the classes are more so the general framework to be able to ship a game, or, like, an idea of that. Maryam: So when you were there, were there any projects that you were really proud of? Mody: Oh yeah, certainly. I think for my final project, you know, we made like a pixel art site scroller, or that was, that had a bit of, like, action in there too, and it was really fun to work on. And we're exploring this concept, which is something I really wanted to make. Also, the collaboration project from one of the semesters, where we made a mobile party game that can be played by four players on one tablet with one button each. And that was really fun, because seeing, you know, people testing the game and having fun with it and laughing and so, yeah, probably these two were my two proudest projects. Maryam: I would have been proud of them too, because those sound really amazing. So, being a uni student, of course, with all the responsibilities that we have to shoulder independently, there will also be times of struggle. Were there any challenges you went through throughout your degree?  Mody: Certainly, it was never the coding classes. It was always, like, the other classes, like the, as I mentioned, that there was a marketing class, and it was absolutely necessary, but it certainly was not an easy class for me, because it was my first time doing like, trying to do like, market research and getting a proposal ready and just going back and forth trying to, like, really understand how to do that. Those were definitely more of the challenging areas. But I've learned so much and I really appreciate the class.  Maryam: So if I were to join a game development course like you, what are the major skills I would need to succeed in this course? Mody: So it's, and I've heard this many times before, and I fully believe in it. The most important skill, I think, in development is to be able to research a problem or Google. And, so let's say, for example, you have a requirement where you need to support 40 online players at the same time. A lot of developers won't walk into a problem like this, knowing the solution, right? In the end, your ability to really research how to do something like that and then take that and apply it to your own context is important. So, usually the best way to learn anything in development, really, is to have a project that you have no idea how to do, and then, sort of like, researching and piecing things together. And that's getting easier these days with, like, large language models, who will, you know, give you a strategy to tackle different problems, you know, like ChatGPT and, yeah, this, this really seems to be the case. Maryam: Those are really great tips Mody, thank you for sharing. Okay, so, being an international student in Malaysia, how did that experience go? Did you find it easy or challenging to adapt to a new country when you first arrived? Mody: Yeah, I think my experience in Malaysia was really great. Malaysia is a very, like, beautiful and rich country, and I was charmed very quickly with the culture, the food, the people. It's always going to be challenging to get used to being in a new place, but I think, you know, these challenges help you grow and mature a lot faster and become more self dependent. Certainly a lot of the culture c

    25 min
  5. Women in STEM: From LSE to the top of the fintech industry

    21/03/2025

    Women in STEM: From LSE to the top of the fintech industry

    Maryam: Hey guys! Welcome back to the Extra Credit podcast. I’m Maryam, your host. If this is your first time tuning in to our podcast, let me give you a quick rundown. Every month, we talk to students, graduates, professors and people from academia about their stories, their insights, and their thoughts about the beauty and challenges of studying abroad. Today, we have a special guest, Monica Millares. She’s a trailblazer for women working (and thriving) in the financial technology market — or “fintech” for short. If you’re wondering what that is, think of online banking, e-wallets, virtual credit cards and other kinds of payment you can make that don't require you being face to face with an actual person. With a degree in engineering and management of information systems, she has spent many years growing her career around the world, from her home country in Mexico to the UK and all the way to Asia. Seven years ago, Monica moved to Malaysia to spearhead the launch of BigPay, which is one of the largest digital banks in South-East Asia today.  But before all of that, Monica here was just another ambitious international student like you and I. She travelled to the UK to pursue a Master’s degree in Management of Information Systems at the London School of Economics.  Monica, welcome! So glad to have you join us today.  Monica: Thank you, Maryam. The pleasure is all mine. Thank you. Maryam: Alright. I just want to let you know that I think your journey is really inspiring, seeing how far you’ve worked your way up to becoming a major industry leader after you graduated. We know that it takes a lot of grit and hard work to succeed in this field. For many of us, the experiences and skills we’ve gained during our student days often shape how we approach the real world. So, let’s go back to the beginning, alright, I’ll dive right into the questions, okay? Growing up, what was your childhood like? What was it that sparked your interest in engineering? Monica: Well, I had a good childhood. But at the same time, I was a nerd. I’ve always been a nerd. Since I was in kindergarten, I was the best in the class. So, my childhood was a lot about studying as well. I always got a diploma for “Best in Class” at the end of the year, from kindergarten all the way to middle school, high school, university, and then my master’s.  So, that’s part of who I am and I guess, because I was at the top of the class many, many times, when it came to the moment to decide what to study, engineering was kind of one of the things that people suggested to me. It’s not that I wanted to, but they were like, “Oh, you should study engineering because you’re good at maths, because you have good grades.” And that’s how I ended up doing it.  Maryam: That’s so great to hear but, yeah, sometimes, we do things because people tell us that that’s what’s good for us. But I’m glad that in your case, it’s something that you actually excelled in, so it became the right career path for you. So, back in 2002, you used to study Industrial Engineering at a local university in Mexico, but what made you decide to do a master’s degree in Management of Information Systems in the UK? Monica: Yeah, I guess, it was two things. One, my mother. She always said, “Hey, you have to continue your studies and, if possible, study abroad.” So, that was one thing, you know, like the push from parents. Then, the other one was — my first job was as an intern in the product team in a development bank. And well, my parents didn’t pay for my master’s. I paid for it. So, basically, what I did — it’s like, I had to get a scholarship, and the easiest way to get a scholarship back then was to study a tech-related master’s. At the end, I did not get a scholarship, but instead, I got a loan to go abroad. But same, I got it because it was a very technical field that I was getting into. Just practical. Maryam: Well, your mom wanted you to study abroad, but was it your choice to study in the UK or were there other options and other countries? Monica: Well, I looked into the US and the UK and Europe, but my mom passed away when I was way younger. So, it was not like she forced me to, right. She was not around. It was 100% my choice to go.  Maryam: As I know it, Management of Information Systems blends technical, scientific and business knowledge together. So, can you tell us a bit more about what sort of coursework you were doing? And which did you enjoy the most? Monica: Yeah, so, when I studied engineering, we had coding classes, right. And I enjoyed them. But then when I started working, I used to work a lot with the tech team within the bank, so my idea of studying my master’s was like, oh, I wanted to do the systems architecture in a company and be super technical. And when I got to LSE — basically, LSE was very social science-based as well, at least back then. So, the programme that I studied ended up being not technical. It was called Analysis Design and Management, right, so it was the social aspect of technology.  E.g. What happens when you introduce new tech to a company? You’re going to have resistance. How do you design it? Like, it was much more the human side, if you want, of technology that I ended up studying, which was fascinating as well.  Maryam: So, was there any sort of challenging coursework you had to do knowing that it’s more social science-geared rather than something that’s more technical? Monica: Yeah, like I said, it was not technical. With technical, I mean, it was not me learning how to code, how to build a software, right. It was technical in the sense that we were talking about IT. So, in that sense, it was technical, but it was not like hands-on writing software as such.  LSE is a very difficult uni, so every course was difficult.  Maryam: I can imagine that. So, you know, being in London is really exciting, but like anyone going anywhere new, the first few days and weeks can be super tough. What was it like for you when you first got to LSE? And what were some of the biggest challenges you faced as an international student while you were abroad in the UK? Monica: That’s a beautiful question. I think, at the beginning, it was super exciting. I was just extremely excited, so everything was like “Wow” and I got to London where I was staying. I was like, “Oh, it looks like Harry Potter!” So, I was extremely excited to be there, so I always saw the good things. Some of the challenging things at the very beginning was the weather. It gets very cold — especially, you know, in Malaysia, we’re used to the sun. Mexico is not as hot as Malaysia, but still. So, the weather was a big deal.  Then, of course, I spoke English, but my native language is Spanish, and when I got there, I couldn’t understand a thing. It’s because the accent was different. I was used to American English instead of British English, so I couldn’t understand it, really. And I was like, “Oh my God, this is so hard.” So, English was a barrier and then, I think the social part was not because the great majority of people in the class were international. So, this is a uni where the great majority of people are international. So, it’s formed where you have international friends all in the same boat. However, when I finished my master’s, 99% of my friends left and that’s when it was really, really, really hard. Because then I was in London on my own with no friends and it was rainy and gloomy and dark, and I was like, “Waaah, I don’t like it.” So, I went through what I call a quarter-life crisis and it was just because I didn’t have friends.  Maryam: Aww, that’s okay. Can you tell us a bit more about that quarter-life crisis? How did you cope with it, especially when your friends left? How were you able to rise above that? Especially being by yourself. Monica: Yeah. That was tough. I used to cry. I’m a crier. I don’t cry as much as I used to anymore, but I used to cry a ton. Basically, I wanted to come back home and my dad would tell me, “Monica, you don’t realise how lucky you are. So many people would love to be in your place.”  So, I have this saying: Sometimes, you just have to push through, right.  So, it’s not that I coped. I just have a large tolerance to pain, which is good and bad. But then, eventually, what I did was — I met a life coach. I went to one of his events. It was a dating coach. It was not just a life coach. It was a dating coach. I met him and went to a Saturday two-hour workshop and since then, I was like, “Oh my God, this is so good.” And then I started getting into life-coaching and “mindset” and basically managing my emotions, and that’s what really helped me. But before that, I struggled a lot.  Maryam: I’m glad that you were able to overcome it and I’m glad that those events worked out for you. Were there other students in your batch at LSE who were also struggling with the same things as you did? And also, I’m just curious, what was the student population like?  Were there a lot of women or female students who were also going through the same thing as you, especially when they’re, you know, studying STEM? Monica: Yeah, in my programme, we were, like, 5% women, but within the cohort of everyone else coming to LSE that year, there were, like, tons of women and such. So, I could say, my female friends were from the other programmes rather than from my own. Because we weren’t just like four, five, right, and I think most of us from “not cold weather” countries struggled a ton with the darkness and the weather.  I have a friend, Sarah. I remember we used to live in the same residency and then, at the end of October or the beginning of November — I don’t remember — on a Sunday, it’s the change of the clock. So, basically, it’s, like, you need to move the clock one hour, right? So it’s like daylight sa

    30 min
  6. A fresh start in the world's best study abroad destination

    16/12/2024

    A fresh start in the world's best study abroad destination

    Shekinah Kannan: Hello, listeners. Welcome back to Extra Credit. Your podcast gateway into the world of international education. If this is your first time tuning in, we're here to uncover the ins and outs of studying abroad through the eyes of students, faculty and education experts from around the globe. I'm your host, Shekinah, and today, we're diving into a fresh start in what's widely considered the world's best study-abroad destination – Australia. More specifically, we'll be looking at how two of Australia's top universities have been guiding international students through new beginnings and why their upcoming merger into Adelaide University promises even greater support and opportunities. Joining me to discuss this exciting future are two key figures deeply involved in student engagement and support. We have Brendan Hughes, director of the student engagement unit at the University of South Australia, and Shawna Hooton, manager of international support at the University of Adelaide. Together, they'll walk us through how Adelaide University will shape a welcoming, innovative and supportive environment for international students. We'll talk about everything from choosing the right university to overcoming homesickness, making friends and preparing for a great career. So, without further ado, let's welcome them.  Hi guys. How are you today?  Shawna Hooton: Hi, Shekinah, thanks for having us on the show. It's great to be here.  Brendan Hughes: Hey, Shekinah, great to be here as well. Thank you. Good intro.  Shekinah Kannan: Thank you so much for making the time to join us, and we're really excited to know more about Adelaide University and, of course, how your respective institutions are supporting international students today. So, to jump right into it, Adelaide University's homepage opens with this line, “Launching the next generation of leaders towards their significant firsts.” By the phrase significant firsts, we know Adelaide University is recognising how important this transition period is. It's the first big decision to choose a subject to prepare for their first career, the first time they're choosing a university, the first time living alone, and so forth. Before we go into how Adelaide University supports students through each of these new stages in their lives, it will be great to know more about the overarching policy and philosophy that Adelaide University takes in supporting international students.  Brendan, perhaps you want to walk us through that.  Brendan Hughes: Sure, I'll probably go first with this, and then Shawna can contribute. But I think we also chose the term “launching” because Adelaide is going to be home to the Australian Space Agency as well. So there's some double entendre with the idea that we've got the Space Agency, we've got the newest university in the world and like you said, based on the histories of the University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide, which have been around for over 180 years, we are looking to build a more successful and contemporary future-focused teaching and learning experience for students, including international students. Adelaide University will become a member of the prestigious group of eight universities, which are the research-focused universities, but also really trying to balance that idea of research excellence as well as equity and accessibility. We're aspiring to be the best university in student employment outcomes. So that's some of our philosophies that you were looking for, and also to be in the top one per cent of universities in terms of world rankings. So, with the outstanding facilities and practices that the two universities currently have, we're going to build on those, I guess, again, with the theme of launching would be that launchpad towards going into the future and being future-focused. We're transforming our curriculum by making sure that it's industry-relevant and industry-informed. We're also going to be making sure that students, I believe most students these days, are looking for a university degree that can help them have an outstanding career. So really focusing on that career development, the work integrated learning, how they can become better, the best versions of themselves, and make the world a better place. Then lastly, just in terms of having a student experience vision for Adelaide University, we've developed one across the university that's been informed by our current students, that is essentially holistic and integrated in its approach. It's relentlessly pursuing accessibility and inclusion. We will collaborate and create rich experiences across our engaging communities and will integrate employability across the student experience. So this is going to achieve that student experience for our international and domestic students to come together at Adelaide University and to be able to have the most terrific experience that they can, which is recognising this is a big decision for international students and their families. Shawna, I'm not sure if you wanted to expand on anything that I might have missed.  Shawna Hooton: Well, just coming back to something that you said earlier about the vision being informed by our current students, I just really wanted to highlight that, because I think a big benefit of starting a new university off the back of two already really successful universities is we have all of these current students, and we're listening to them. We want to know the university that they want to go into in the future. And having that student voice and honouring and embedding that student voice into our vision, but also into our operational practices in the new university, is something that I think is really special, really unique to Adelaide University.  Brendan Hughes: And that's a good point, Shawna. Also, even in the creation of our Adelaide University, we've set up a student advisory panel where we actually have 20 students from each institution, making a group of 40 who come together every two weeks to be able to soundboard the different ideas that we're putting together in terms of curriculum, graduate qualities, services for students, the whole gambit. So, I think there has been a really informed student voice embedded throughout both the process and the ultimate delivery of Adelaide University,  Shawna Hooton: And that group includes a number of international students, doesn't it, Brendan?  Brendan Hughes: It does. Yeah. Shawna Hooton: That's awesome.  Shekinah Kannan: That's really, really cool, not something you hear of every day, but very refreshing to hear, I think, especially not just taking students' opinions into account for current practices, but for a whole new university, it's something quite special, and I'm so excited to know more about what their opinions have translated to later on in the episode when we talk a bit more about the whole student experience. But before we jump into that, let's reverse all the way to the very beginning, when students are looking at studying overseas and they're faced with these two big questions, “Which country should I go to?” and “What university should I join?” Based on your experience, Brendan perhaps you might want to start, what makes Australia stand out and gain its reputation as one of the most welcoming study-abroad destinations today.  Brendan Hughes: Yeah, well, someone who's from Canada, where it's really cold, I think the weather is a big appeal in terms of Australia having great weather, having great beaches, having great lifestyle, the safety factor, the idea that there's a lot of different things that's pretty exotic, in the sense that you can see kangaroos where you may not be able to see them anywhere else in the world, except in the occasional zoo or safari. But in terms of higher education and international students, Australia has what no other GA country has, which is legislation that provides consumer rights to international students. So this means that universities are held to the highest standard to be able to make sure that when delivering promises, that international students are able to make sure that those are going to follow through. So that, to me, is the biggest point of difference if I was talking or giving advice to an international student to be considering these across the many options that they would have in terms of why Australia is actually the biggest point of difference, not just again, because it's nice or the weather's nice, or there are fun things to do, but also because the education is of high quality. They're ranked consistently in the top 100 for universities, delivering on the student experience, and being able to have that has led to the fact that we do also have a multicultural community within both Adelaide and Australia in a broader context. So in that respect, I think that it's really a great choice for students to know that they can get an outstanding education that's going to deliver on their goals of getting their career. Shekinah Kannan: Shawna, I don't know if you want to throw anything in about the lifestyle there.  Shawna Hooton: Yeah. I mean, as Brendon mentioned, him and I are actually both from Canada. We've only met recently, even though we live in the same city, but we thought it would be quite fun to have two Canadians talking to our friends out there today about Australian universities and welcoming in the international student cohort. Just like Brendan said I mean, we have the quality education, but we also have the beauty, the exoticism of having palm trees. When I rode my bike to work this morning, there were beautiful palm trees, I went past the Laura Keats, which are beautiful green parrots swooping around. So we really have it all here in a very inclusive country. Though, the multiculturalism is something that is a huge drawcard for me. Just being able to interact with people respectfully from all different cultures, experie

    40 min
  7. How to become a better business leader

    14/11/2024

    How to become a better business leader

    Conducting "business as usual" is no longer enough. The UBC Sauder School of Business recognises how quickly the world is changing and encourages students to think beyond conventional practices and create innovative solutions to the grand challenges of our time — from climate change and consumption to inequality and the changing economy. Darren Dahl, Dean of UBC Sauder, joins us to share how UBC Sauder’s unique programmes and initiatives are empowering students to become a different kind of business leader – innovative, responsible and ready to make a positive impact in the world.

    28 min
  8. What happens when you combine two great Australian universities

    02/08/2024

    What happens when you combine two great Australian universities

    1 + 1 = 3 isn’t mathematically precise. But that’s just what the merger of two Australian universities — University of Adelaide and University of South Australia — to form the new Adelaide University is set to offer. It’s the fusion of two institutions and their centuries of experience delivering great teaching and experience to produce an even better offering for students. From a curriculum relevant to our time to real-world exposure, there’s a lot waiting for anyone who chooses Adelaide University. There’s much, much more as well, which is why we caught up with two leaders — University of Adelaide’s Executive Director - Future Students Shirley Chung and University of South Australia’s Pro Vice Chancellor: International Gabrielle Rolan — to get a sneak peek into what a “world-class education” at “a university for the future” really means.

    33 min
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About

Every month, Study International invites you to a conversation with an international student, graduate or professor about the beauty, boldness and benefits of studying abroad.

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  • Creator
    Hybrid News Group
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
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    © 2023 Study International
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