Degree and an award for Aslihan Aida Abdikoğlu

A UWTSD Lampeter campus student was celebrating today after graduating with first class honours and winning an award for her hard work.

Aslihan Aida Abdikolu graduated with a BA in Anthropology and International Development as well as receiving this year’s ‘Professor Alan MacFarlane and Sarah Harrison Prize for Anthropology’.  The award was established to highlight and recognise outstanding achievement in the field of Anthropology at the University. 

Having completed an associate degree in Intercultural and International Studies at Vancouver’s Douglas College, Aslihan wanted to continue her studies abroad. After speaking with the Global Engagement Team at Douglas College, she was given an opportunity to study further at Lampeter’s UWTSD. Aslihan Aida Abdikolu, commented:

“I knew I wanted to continue to follow a similar path, and I was delighted to be given the opportunity to study both anthropology and international development at UWTSD - I was very excited to start as it connects both of my academic interests.

I loved that these courses were extremely focused on the programme, every course I took contributed to my dissertation in some form as well. I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to learn in a much more personal and focused way.  I think it is the perfect course and method of learning for those that truly wish to dive into their studies and enjoy the process of putting in the work. 

All the courses I have taken and experiences the university have gifted me have contributed to both my professional and academic success. The whole experience at UWTSD and Lampeter also gave me quite a lot personally. Learning to live at a place I knew nothing about before falling in love with it taught me to cherish the small things and slow rainy days!

Some of the challenges were the initial culture shock I experienced in the first few months of living in Lampeter after being in big cities such as Vancouver and Budapest for so long.  Perhaps in the first few weeks it was even lonely at times, but the charm of Lampeter eventually took me under its spell and the people and finding my group of friends, as well as the kind staff at the university, contributed to making me feel at home rather quickly, so much so that I had tears in my eyes when I left my dorm.”

At the end of her course Aslihan had an opportunity to work as a research intern at Sazani Associates based in Carmarthen. She added:   

“Thanks to Charlene from Go Wales I was able to become a research intern at Sazani Associates in Carmarthen. The work experience has been so successful that with Sazani's encouragement I’m currently in the process of applying to follow a master’s degree at the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Institute for Research, Environment and Sustainability.

On top of that, Sazani offered me a remote position at their company as a researcher. That still feels like a dream and am so grateful for it.” 

For further information about the courses available on the University’s Lampeter campus please click here - https://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/lampeter/

Further Information

For more information please contact Arwel Lloyd, Principal PR and Communications Officer, on 01267 676663 / arwel.lloyd@uwtsd.ac.uk