Juvena Jalal

I am from Bangalore, India and currently doing a PhD in Education, comparing the curriculum of Indian and New Zealand primary schools. I did my undergraduate study in India and then went on to a Masters degree in Educational Psychology at the University of London. After graduating I spent six years working in teacher education. My decision to come to Victoria was based on some important factors. International students pay domestic fees for PhD courses and have access to academic staff and scholarship opportunities.

Coming from India with my family was a big challenge. However, it was the excellent student support services that made it possible. Prior to leaving India I was able to enrol my son in crèche, my husband and I found work through the university’s vacancies webpage and the flexibility and understanding of university staff meant that I could start my research quickly.

Settling into Wellington life has been reasonably easy due to the compact cosmopolitan layout, access to amenities and friendliness of Wellington people.