Victoria University of Wellington is my home university and its prestige in humanities and social sciences is incomparable in New Zealand. Having searched migration-centred Master’s degrees all around the world for almost two years, I came across the University’s new Master of Migration Studies only a few days before the course was due to start. I enrolled without hesitation!

Our lecturers all have unique backgrounds and can offer special insights and expertise from their own research and life experiences. The classes are interactive, and our lecturers provide course resources in and outside of class that really help deepen our understanding of each topic.

The course coordinators liaise with lecturers around the university in various academic disciplines to deliver seminars on special topics of their expertise related to migration. This fills each course with interesting diversity of subject matters, and exposes us to an array of useful methodologies and approaches to study migration.

I am of a migrant background. We came to New Zealand in search for a better life as a family. My career goal is to dedicate my life in places going through humanitarian crisis, to advocate for refugees and the rights of displaced persons.

Today I work in the field of social advocacy where I have had the opportunity to provide one-on-one support to clients of many cultural origins and migration histories.

We are so fortunate to call Wellington our home. It is such a small city that is easy to navigate, with endless positivity from open-minded people who are unassuming and from all cultural backgrounds.

The vibe around Wellington is unbeatable. I am especially proud of the fact that Wellington, as the capital city of New Zealand, is so wonderfully receptive and inclusive towards refugees.

I feel that Wellington plays a leadership role in matters related to migration, and I cannot be more happy to live here than anywhere else.

I chose Victoria University of Wellington because of its reputation for educational excellence and top-notch faculty, offering the only Migration Studies degree of its kind in New Zealand. It has provided tremendous multidisciplinary learning opportunities and guidance, furthering my own academic knowledge and practical experience.

Studying a Master of Migration Studies has provided me with new tools and knowledge, and access to a topic that has been, is, and will continue to be so relevant. Migration impacts, influences, and transforms current and future generations of individuals, states, and communities.

This programme has exposed me to lecturers who are experts in their fields with a diverse range of experiences that have enhanced my own understanding of multiple disciplines. The University has also given me the amazing opportunity to experience and learn about Māori and Pasifika culture and language, and a variety of other cultures that make up this diverse university community.

Studying here means you get to live in a city that boasts beautiful open spaces, cultural diversity, New Zealand’s political heart, and probably the best coffee I've ever had. Its vibrancy is in the student community it has invested in, and the festivities and celebrations that embrace and promote diversity.