Studying for her MA Gender & Development, Faith Chiazor shares with us her experience of moving from Nigeria to the UK to study, and how she has settled into life at IDS.
Discovering IDS
Family, they say, is home. When I left home, the plan was to go and study. I had been leading the YARN Digital Disruptors project with the £5000 grant I won from Amnesty International, working with young people in Nigeria to form an active community and movement advocating for women’s rights and youths’ freedom of expression. I was in my comfort zone, but wanted to improve my life, so I decided to further my education.
In my search for the best schools for gender studies, I discovered that, the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), UK has been the first in the world for development studies for six consecutive years. Ranking first globally was amazing but maintaining that status for six straight years was mind-blowing. For a while, I paused and searched within myself, and I doubted whether I would be qualified for admission to this school. But I summoned the courage to peruse the IDS website. I read the prospectus and module expectations and researched the profile of IDS lecturers working on gender and development. The more I read, the more convinced I was to study here.
In 2022, I applied for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, and I chose just one school, the University of Sussex, to study the MA Gender and Development at IDS. I was awarded the scholarship!
Local to global
The pictures hanging on the IDS walls were inspiring, giving me that “hall of fame” vibe that stirred me to believe I would be remembered for something great someday. I walked enthusiastically and took my seat in front. It was my first day in class, new faces in a new phase. I was not sure how to act. You know that initial uneasy feeling, right? But the course convener came in with a broad smile and welcoming aura and started the class with a round of introduction, easing the atmosphere.
The teaching at IDS uses a learner-centered methodology that made me feel involved in my learning process. Students contribute their experiences, citing examples from various countries of origin, sparking insightful cross-cultural conversations and intersectional analysis of developmental issues as they affect us in varying geographies. In the end, we all agreed that so many of our experiences were interrelated or similar across backgrounds, though perspectives may differ. These commonalities brought familiarity and a sense of mutual connection that bonded us.
To improve this friendship, my class held a ‘potluck’, where we tried food from many nationalities and tribes. I enjoyed trying the food because I am open to new cultures and embracing diversity. Ever since, I have excitedly looked forward to attending class.
Seeking answers, finding me
I joined IDS seeking answers that would liberate me. I wanted to understand why I interpret things the way I do, to make meaning of the successful social movements in Nigeria such as #EndSars and #BringBackOurGirls, to find the type of feminism my personality and practice align with, and lots of other questions.
Over time, the academic and research programmes organised at IDS helped me to learn new approaches to real-life problems and broadened my understanding. They helped make complex readings, terminologies, and unfamiliar concepts less intimidating and more enjoyable.
It is incredible that what I am learning at IDS and what I have been experiencing practically at work in Nigeria are interlinking. I found answers to my questions, but further questions emerged. This is because IDS has taught me to think critically, intellectually engage, and question anything. The new me wants to know more and aspire to more – I am unlearning and learning in this ever-evolving world.
At Sussex, I contested in the Students Union elections and emerged as a Councillor Representing IDS alongside Chandni Sai Ganesh. IDS students were receptive and supportive and gave their votes. I am actively involved in politics in my home country and look forward to using the experience and skills I am acquiring at IDS to make meaningful contributions to policy, good governance, and development in Nigeria.
I am grateful to have chosen an environment where I receive support to thrive and advance positively towards my academic and career goals. I am also grateful for the extra-curricular activities, such as the First-Generation Learners meeting with Linda Waldman, the IDS Director of Teaching. As a first-generation learner, this meeting was very therapeutic. I had a refreshing conversation away from the conventional classroom environment, which motivated me, reminding me why I was here and deserved to be here. Everyone wrote their fears out, and we collectively looked at them and draft solutions. I listened to other people’s journeys, and drew strength from their experiences. It was a safe space where I felt healing from the nonjudgmental advice and encouragement from Linda, who said, “Faith, please be kind to yourself”.
Home away from home
IDS really is a global assemblage of everyday people like you and me, putting extraordinary effort into seeking progressive solutions to developmental problems.
My class has been my safe space, where I am encouraged to speak, and to contact lecturers or staff member. I once broke down in tears in class during a group discussion because the topic related to an experience I had that caused me fear and anxiety. My lecturer, Catherine Grant, walked up to me, squatted beside me, and reassured me with her words. She asked for my consent to speak with colleagues about how I felt, and I got emails the following day from lecturers reaching out to find out how I was doing, offering helpful suggestions to make me feel better. The support I received from my teachers, Catherine and Dorte Thorsen, is unprecedented. They repeatedly checked on me, asking how I was progressing with solving my challenge and what more could be done to support me. Happily, I got better with their support and encouragement.
Writing term papers during the festive season and biting cold can be challenging. However, IDS provides an academic support team for students, even during the holiday. I may not use them, but knowing they are there gives me the courage to focus on my work without worries. My supervisor, Jackie Shaw, helped me gain clarity on my research ideas, and with her supervision, there was no feeling of being lost.
And that’s not all the IDS did to make the work-fun mixed holiday a splendid experience. First, the IDS Christmas market brought various affordable items to our doorstep. Next, our class conveners, Priya and Chloe, brought good tidings of a night out for my cohort in Brighton, where Chandni and I entertaining our cohort with lovely poems! Then came the ever-hilarious pantomime show starring my talented friend Jose from Panama mimicking the IDS Director, Melissa. It was such an Oscar-deserving show. I had initially planned to visit Scotland for Christmas, but all these lovely treats made me stay back and save up because, at this point, the IDS has already offered me a lot more fun for Christmas. Oh, gifts? Yes, of course, I got gifts from the class Secret Santa, and I reciprocated by gifting another, too.
IDS did not give me the chance to feel homesick, emotionally stranded, or alone. Indeed, family, they say, is home, and when I left home, the plan was to go and study. But where we love and feel loved is home; now, I have met “family” on the global stage, and “the global becomes home.”