So, you’re thinking about doing your Master's degree? A Q&A with Sumati

How I was able to specialise in my passion and area of interest 

My interest in the intersectionality of gender and development issues faced by both men and women inspired me to choose my degree. Through the Master of Applied Anthropology and Participatory Development program I have gained an understanding of these issues and I am able to use my my acquired knowledge to work on gender issues both in Australia and overseas.

I was drawn to the subject area, the dynamics of gender issues and challenges, for three main reasons: first, from my personal experience of growing up as a woman in a developing country like Nepal; second, from my time of working in the mainstream media in Nepal; and third, my previous work experience. I have worked in the field of refugee settlement services in the past, with my main focus being providing settlement support and services to women and girls arriving in Australia on humanitarian visas. So working with these girls and women who have fled violence and persecution in their home countries made me aware about the gender dynamics in conflicts and development practices. It inspired me to pursue further studies to learn more about current development and international development practices through gender perspective.

The Master of Applied Anthropology and Participatory Development master’s program allowed me to focus my studies on my passion while also preparing me for a more specialised career.

Why I came to ANU to pursue postgraduate studies

I decided to undertake a postgraduate program at ANU because I wanted to be a development practitioner with specialisation on a topic that I was most passionate about. I knew that a postgraduate degree at ANU would give me an opportunity to learn practical skills and gain extensive theoretical knowledge, and help me get into the area of my career interest and achieve my career objectives.

The degree that I am undertaking has a good mix of in-class studies, on-field experiences and research subjects. I was able to do coursework, undertake an internship, participate in an international field school and also write a thesis in my final semester - all as part of my degree. This made my experience of postgrad studies at ANU more enjoyable and less stressful.

What's next

I have been offered a position on 2018 Graduate Program at the Department of Social Services in Canberra. I will be commencing my new job in February 2018. In future, I hope to work on social development policies for the Australian government and build a career in the field of humanitarian settlement, and gender and development policy and program implementation.