Meet Almira Yausheva, a current Master's degree student at the University of Turku and an UTUambassador 2023-2024!
"Hey there! I'm Almira, originally from Almaty, Kazakhstan. However, I did not arrive to Turku from my home country: I have been living in Czech Republic for about 8 years. Just last year, I decided to to change both the country of my stay and career. I said goodbye to my role as a Graphic Designer and came into the world of Education and Learning. And guess what? I don't regret it one bit!
Education and Learning programme focuses on different aspects of education, covering macro and micro perspectives. I believe the program suitable for those who are curious to learn about various areas of education before specializing for their Master’s Thesis.
As I wrap up my first year, I'm still exploring different elective courses and thinking about going for a Minor. However, I have chosen a topic of my Master’s thesis which will focus on Social-Emotional Learning in the context of higher education. I have even planned an Intervention, and I am glad my program and supervisor supported me with it.
In my free time (which isn't much these days), I'm into board games, photography, anime, cosplay, and just hanging out with friends. I also joined a couple of student organizations this year, ESN and KATKO, hoping to meet some new people.
I had my doubts about Turku, coming from bigger cities, but the past year changed my perspective. I've come to love the calm and cozy vibe of Turku. Plus, it's the people who really make this place special.
Feel free to reach out and chat about anything. I've got some stories to share, especially about student life and studies at UTU!
Instagram: almiraya.ed | LinkedIn: Almira Yausheva
Almira's study experience:
The field of Education and Learning is still new to me: before this, I was studying and working as a graphic designer. During my career, I had a chance to teach university students UI/UX Design, and since then I am in love with education field. My first encounter with the field was practical, and now I am catching up with the relevant research.
My most favourite class so far is Multicultural Education, where we study aspects of culture, discrimination and privilege. The class is engaging due to combination of various teaching methods and practices. Although it is a lot of work, I believe everyone should take it to become more self-conscious and culturally responsive person.
Future is still unclear to me. I came to a new field with an open-mind, and I want to explore all the possible options. My every day motto is to focus on today without predicting the future. I could imagine myself working in admissions, educational consulting, research, administration or as a university teacher. Will see what life brings me!
MDP in Education and Learning is a diverse program, which covers a wide range of topics and issues in education, from classroom level to the global perspective. What's also notable about the program is how international it is, which means you'll have the chance to engage in discussions with classmates from various corners of the globe and gain insights into educational systems worldwide. It helped me to gain new perspectives and knowledge about the education in general, while also allowing to specialize for my speficific career interests.
I would recommend my programme to anyone who is eager to learn more about the field of Education and is happy to know more about various aspects of it, from micro to macro levels. If you are interested in the career in research, definitely apply, as the program is designed to enhance your methodological knowledge and research skills.