How many young people can admit that their stay abroad due to some negative factors was a mistake?
This is the story of Le Guttman, the winner of the British Council Award in 2018. The British Council Award is an award for outstanding achievement, which marks graduates from different countries, encouraging higher education in the English standard.
The pursuit of opportunity
The winner of the contest assures that you will quickly overcome any fear of living independently in a new country, and you should not give up your dream for fear of having a negative experience. Finally, this is a wonderful opportunity to make friends with the whole world, assures Le, to become more responsible and to open new doors to life.
What was the way of the British Council Award 2018 winner, Le Guttman?
The young man grew up in Bonn with his mother, where he learned important lessons with her help: to be open to change, to value friendship and to treat others with respect. She also became his guiding star in the world of books as well as in the real world. Thanks to his mother, the guy dared to dream about studying in Paris and London.
After school in 2013, Le studied political science in Mannheim, where most of the classes were in English. In addition, students could study abroad for a year. Le took advantage of this and in 2015 went to Trinity College in Dublin.
Le admits that at this stage he reconsidered the role of languages in his life. Earlier he perceived English as a tool to access the academic world, but then in Dublin he payed attention to the concept of “style”, which, both orally and in writing, plays an important role and can completely transform an idea. Suddenly, English - and the language in general - turned into a form of art, and Le began to use it outside the academic world, writing poems and stories in a language that was not his native.
Now the young man is going to receive a double degree in international development, conquering both Paris and London. In the coming year, he will master key concepts in a wide range of fields: agriculture, media, development economics or preventive diplomacy in Africa.
In May, he received his first degree at Science Po - the Institute for the Study of Politics in Paris - in September, he went for the second degree to London, at King's College. Le also wants to improve his Chinese, which he began to study during a three-month internship at Goethe Institute in Taipei, Taiwan.
An important part of his decision to study for a double degree, both in France and in England, was the study of two different approaches to training. Science Po is focused on more practical professional training. It also provides valuable information on the dynamics of international relations. In contrast, at King's College London, Le expects to receive a stronger theoretical base. These concepts perfectly complement one another.
Paris and London seem to the young generation to be modern, developed cities, where people are not concerned with prejudices and outdated dogmas. In such an environment creativity inevitably thrives. People from different cultural traditions live together and learn from each other. Taking into account the current political climate in Europe and many other parts of the world, Paris and London serve as important reminders of multiculturalism in action.
In order to study abroad, Le needed to pass an English test, and he chose IELTS, primarily because of the test structure and its academic approach. He preferred writing essays to short-answer questions. Everything necessary for the preparation is provided by the British Council, and the exam itself is adequately organized and runs according to clear instructions, which helps participants to stay calm. The IELTS test is often recommended because it provides the best opportunity to express oneself.
Le also has experience volunteering in Africa through the “kulturweit” program in collaboration with UNESCO. All volunteers receive financial aid and can participate in free seminars and language courses.
Participation in such projects develops a sense of global responsibility. It is becoming much clearer that in a time of globalization, nothing happens in a vacuum. A political decision made in Europe, even if it is unintentional, can potentially affect the life of any person anywhere in the world. During the period of volunteer work, Le eventually came to the conclusion that he wants to be a part of a new generation of practitioners in the field of development and education, inspiring other active people, looking for opportunities with a desire for enlightenment.
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