Yasmin Isabella Ayture
"The GGA sustainability has greatly enhanced my university experience because it gave me the opportunity to complete my first ever fully-funded research project which has really evoked my interest in research."
Course
International Tourism Management BSc (Hons)Entry year
2016"In my first year I studied GGA Sustainability as I believe that the world is becoming increasingly defined by materialism, yet this has a causal relationship with increased living standards and an overall increase in wealth worldwide with its roots of capitalism. However, I’m very in tune with how demanding new products to facilitate the lifestyles which we are accustomed to often contradicts with the need to safeguard Earth from man-made problems such as excessive waste in the oceans or the utilisation of key resources like oil.
I am positive that there are ways that sustainability and high quality human lifestyles, although ‘good’ is subjective, are possible and can be harmonious and thus I wanted to learn more about ways in which this could be achieved.
Also, having a study background of tourism means that the issue of sustainability compliments my degree very well especially because of the well-known air pollution emitted from the transport systems which facilitates tourism. Also, tourism has many social impacts which can sometimes make tourism within a destination ‘sustainable’ or not, so the social aspect is vital to consider too since sustainability is not just an environmental factor. I was very glad to see Sustainability available as an option for GGA.
"The GGA made me consider so many dimensions of sustainability."
It has really informed my degree because several of my essays in both 1st and 2nd year are with regards to sustainability and ethics relating to tourism practices thus my knowledge learnt in GGA sustainability has aided my degree coursework and sometimes exam work too.
The GGA made me consider so many dimensions of sustainability like water-scarcity, waste, chemicals and health, to day-to-day consumption patterns and lifestyle so it’s given me an open-minded view of sustainability and how it is a relevant topic for so many parts of life.
Secondly, completing the GGA sustainability has greatly enhanced my university experience because it gave me the opportunity to complete my first ever fully-funded research project which has really evoked my interest in research. My research question related to what makes individuals more likely to partake in sustainable activities, with a focus on researching what factors would most entice students to enrol in the GGA sustainability. I learnt so many skills like some simple qualitative and quantitative analysis, interviewing people, creating questionnaires, creating an academic poster, writing in the style of a journal and finally presenting my findings to an audience in the field of sustainability. It was an amazing experience for me and what I am going to remember most from being at University.
"We were very lucky to often have guest lecturers in who are active experts in the field of sustainability."
The programme is run primarily by Professor Angela Druckman who I was so lucky and privileged to have as my supervisor whilst completing my research. Professor Angela Druckman brought enthusiasm to every lecture and always encouraged everyone to ask questions and never be afraid to express our opinions even if they differed to others’ viewpoints.
I would really recommend engaging in as much class discussion as possible because I think its at these times that you can have the best ideas and realisations about a topic. I’d be open-minded and tolerant to other people’s ideas because sustainability is a complex matter and most people have slightly different ways of perceiving how their ideal world would operate."
Discover more about our Global Graduate Awards, including our GGA Sustainability.
