Alumna Emina Osmandzikovic (International Relations and Politics, 2017) on how her career has progressed significantly thanks to her time in Cambridge
Emina is a Researcher at TRENDS Research & Advisory in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where she produces original research on topics within global security, foreign policy, geopolitics, strategy, economics and public policy. In the past six years, Emina has had an exceptionally thorough research and public policy experience in the MENA region, especially in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Acquiring Arabic skills and utilizing the language in her fieldwork, she has been able to further her research inquiry into the most acute issues for societies and policymakers, tackling future scenarios and socio-economic impacts, always striving to apply quantitative methods in the field she is passionate about, the latest one being the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations. Emina also spent several months conducting interviews with displaced Syrians and collecting data in Saudi Arabia, ultimately mapping out the Saudi system for reception of displaced populations as an alternative to the 1951 Refugee Convention in non-signatory countries.
“I am a Bosnian who was born during the war in the former Yugoslavia and raised in the post-war period. Most of my family members fled Bosnia as refugees during the war in the 1990s. My personal experience led me to develop a deeply personal bond with forced migration and propelled me to uncover its depths during my studies.
Overall, my year at Lucy was a truly cathartic experience. During my time at the College, I was the recipient of the Seamark PLC Award for my research fieldwork. As much as I grew as a young scholar of Politics and International Relations, Lucy Cavendish enabled me to transform as a person. There are many afternoons I spent on the top floor of the library, reading into the sunset, taken by the beauty of the college red brick houses and the surrounding greenery. The statue of books in front of the library is where my entire class took pictures with the hard copy of our theses, praying for good results.
I consider myself deeply honoured to have been a beneficiary of an award. I would not have been able to finalise my thesis had it not been for this generous funding and the people at Lucy Cavendish who truly believed in me and my skills. I feel proud to have been a part of that particular College at Cambridge. During my time at Lucy Cavendish, I truly pushed myself outside of my comfort zone by being in charge of the college bar. Managing such a high-demand enterprise while studying was a challenge. The lovely Lucy ladies made the experience absolutely worth it; I learned to manage an entire team and liaise between different groups of people in order to produce miracles when it came to bops.
Beyond my initial expectations, Lucy Cavendish instilled new values in my persona, galvanizing me to seek my own depths further wherever I happen to live and whatever I happen to do. And every subsequent year since I left Cambridge to pursue my career, the College keeps surprising me with its innovative outlook into the future of higher education”.
Your support during LucyGives Giving Week (18-25 October) will ensure more exceptionally talented people like Emina, with the motivation to tackle global issues in national and international contexts, can:
- study at Lucy, benefitting from being part of a world class research community and a unique and supportive College environment
- thrive in Cambridge - an academically-stimulating setting like no other
- progress into their chosen careers, going on to lead in solving some of the greatest global issues of our time.
What is LucyGives?
Together, we’ll raise funds during LucyGives (18-25 October) to help us level the playing field, ensuring those from under-represented or disadvantaged backgrounds can thrive academically and make the most of all that Cambridge has to offer. We’ll ensure they develop the skills required to achieve their career ambitions, so that they really can go on to make a positive impact on the world.
To get involved and to show your support please visit lucygives.lucy.cam.ac.uk