Category: Travel

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An Interview With Instagram Competition Winner Adrian Moftakhari

Summer School Image

Adrian Moftakhari was a student at this year’s Undergraduate Summer School and was the winner of our ‘Summer at King’s’ Instagram competition.

So please tell us a little bit about yourself.

How could I define myself… ? mmh well that’s a good way to start this interview! I would simply say that I’m Adrian, a Swiss/Iranian bloke studying law, dancing tango and painting soon to be masterpieces when my nose isn’t buried deep into textbooks… I’m also a big fan of beers and coffees (especially when the company’s good!) astronomy and theatre. As a Swiss guy, I love skiing, cheese, chocolate and great watches (how typical…), but I can only afford the first ones haha!

This year I’ll be turning 22 and should have the first part of my studies in the pocket: the Bachelor’s degree. I’ve done all my studies in Switzerland so far, except for a couple of months Down Under to learn English when I was 17 (if you haven’t been there yet… you’re really missing on something pretty sweet!); I do hope I’ll be studying abroad again soon, it’s always a great adventure.

You’ve studied at King’s College London on the Undergraduate Summer School. What made you decide to pick King’s and the module you studied?

I’ve known King’s College London for a couple of years already, a friend of mine was studying there at The Dickson Poon School of Law and I have to say that it was really tempting. At the time I didn’t have the grades to get into King’s, I didn’t work hard enough in college. So I’ve always wanted to give it a try later on. My current school, the University of Geneva, offered its students scholarships for a couple of summer schools around the world; this included King’s, so what better way to finally try it?

What brought me to King’s in the first place is its marvellous reputation around the globe as a Law School as well as its location- the heart of London,  a city I’ve been fascinated with for a long time. So this Summer School gave me the chance to 1) study at King’s for a while, 2) live in London for three weeks and be able to see what it’s like (oh and it’s awesome by the way), 3) acquire some valuable knowledge on a specific subject.

This subject was “International Commercial Law”, as for now I haven’t had any class on the subject back in Geneva, so it was a great way to discover that branch of law. I wanted to know how international commerce was legally covered and I think that this class gave me a pretty wide and complete overview on the matter. I’ve broaden up my legal knowledge a little bit and I now know that it might just be something I’m interested in for my future. Those kind of classes let you discover things you might just not have the possibility to back home or back to your university, so it really was something good for me I think as I’ve always been interested in the matter.

What have been the best parts of studying at King’s this summer?

There was no BEST PART, I can’t choose anything as everything had value in its own intricate way. Of course I met great people there, made heaps of new friends and some of which I’m still in contact with every day. Sad thing is they all live pretty far, but it’s not that bad as I have a place to crash wherever I go now. I think meeting people is one of the core aspect of a summer school, if you don’t do so you’re definitely missing something, because they are what is left when you go back home and will always give you a big heart-warming feeling linked to your souvenirs.

But it has also been a time for me to walk around by myself, to take the time to get lost in London, immerse myself in the different cultures of the city and breathe in all it had to offer. Actually, definitely not all, there’s so much to do all the time, this city is alive and moving fast, very fast. Coffee shops have been a daily routine, check out the Fleet Street Press Coffee (on your right to the way to the Maughan Library) as I’m a big fan of flat whites, always a sweet way to start the day.

London is a town of culture, which means that you have to go see some shows and visit a couple of museums at least, so I’ve done that. But if you know some locals they’ll bring you to the “tourist free” spots of town and that’s where you finally get to see some real London, from the little bagel places to the hidden parks and the best spot for a sunset over the Thames… there’s plenty of things to do outside of the official guide. So yeah… so many great parts came with this summer school, and that’s without mentioning the actual studying and all the partying.

What will you take from your experience here at King’s back to your home institution?

This class has given me an opportunity to get a little extra experience in my curriculum vitae as well as general knowledge on the matter of commercial law. It was not easy even if we did not go too far in the subject, so much had to be covered. But now I know what it is about and will be able to continue my studies with a better understanding of what I want to do in the future. There is so much fields of law you can specialize into, and it’s all very broad, so you’d better know what you want early because studying it will take you a couple of years. So now I know a little bit more, my choices will be taken a little bit more enlightened.

What have you been up to since leaving King’s?

Since I’m back I’ve taken a week off with a visiting friend, but otherwise I was doing an internship in a law office in Lausanne. It’s now over and I have about a month left until the classes start again so I think I’ll allow myself some time away from the studies as I think I’ve done enough for one summer!

For those students considering studying at King’s for the summer in the future what advice would you give them?

Choose a course that suits you and that will actually bring you something in your future, all classes seem interesting but do some research before on who is teaching you and what it really is all about. But in the end, you’d better take some extra days before and especially after the classes so that you can have more time to spend for a last party or museum tour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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My Summer At King’s- Alexandra Blanter

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In all honesty, I started off my two weeks at King’s a little shy, a little introverted and very uncomfortable. The idea of speaking in front of fifty people, of being thrust into a group of teenagers and being expected to mingle, was terrifying to me, and as anybody in my psychology class could tell you, my motto for the first couple of days was “hide in the back” and hope to be spared of the awkward small talk.

The thing about small talk though, is that it wasn’t as terrible as I thought it would be. All I had to do was start. After taking an embarrassingly long morning to muster the bravery, I said say hi to my desk partner, and next thing I knew, I was being introduced to people from Taiwan, South Africa, Dubai, Poland, Romania; people from all over the world. I even came across a guy my age who had been living twenty minutes away from me for the past 16 years.

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And as cheesy and cliché as it all sounds, the next two weeks were probably some of the most memorable and impactful I’ve ever had. Coming from a small school and never having studied psychology before, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. What I got was an hour of meditation (yes, as a class), the opportunity to hold a human brain, which was strangely more exhilarating than I thought it would be, and a whole lot of talking about people and their minds. Without exaggeration, I loved every day. While I came in being unsure about my future prospects, I left almost positive that I wanted to pursue psychology.

But if I had to leave King’s with just one word, that word, I think, would be grateful. While at King’s, I realised that my life could, in fact, reach beyond just high school, that there were possibilities and opportunities waiting for me outside those that I had come to know at home. Meeting my teachers, my ambassadors, people from all over the world, allowed me to see a glimpse of what, if I worked hard, my future could become, and it was a future that I couldn’t wait to be a part of. I grew and I broke out of my comfort zone. I gave an oral presentation in front of my class and, surprisingly, didn’t die. I wrote a paper and, surprisingly, won a prize for it. I started conversations with people I didn’t know, and now we relentlessly poke fun at each other’s Facebook photos and send each other Snapchats while sitting on beds 3000 miles apart.

So yeah, you could say I’m pretty grateful.

Alexandra Blanter

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Instagram Competition Shortlist

A few weeks back we announced the winner to this year’s Instagram competition. Adrian’s photograph was snapped whilst cruising the River Thames and was chosen as the winner, by the Summer Programmes Team, from 335 entries.

As promised we wanted to share with you the other amazing photos from the competition that made the shortlist. And here they are..

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Blackfriars Bridge

Somerset House

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Regent Street

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Instagram Competition Winner

First of all we would like to thank everyone who entered this year’s Instagram Competition. We received so many great entries from our Undergraduate, Pre-University and JESIE students and it’s been great to see all your interpretations of the theme Summer at King’s.

The Summer Programmes Team whittled down the 335 entries to just a few photos and voted for our best. And here is the winner…

Summer School Image

Adrian managed to snap this amazing photo whilst cruising along the River Thames at our Session One Boat Party. So well done Adrian for sending us such a great photo, which we all feel really captured our theme.

Over the next few weeks we will be sharing our Instagram competition shortlist with you all, so keep an eye for some more brilliant photos.

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An Interview With Author & Alumni Kudrat Dutta Chaudhary

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Kudrat Dutta Chaudhary studied on King’s College London’s Undergraduate Summer School in 2014 and has been extremely busy ever since. On top of studying Law, Kudrat had written for a number of magazines and newspapers and in July her debut novel Laiza: Sometimes the End Is Only a Beginning was released.

You studied International Relations and Criminology and Criminal Justice at King’s College London’s summer school, how did you find your experience?

My experience at the King’s College London’s Summer School was a life changing one and is something that I cherish to date and would continue to do so for all times to come. I thoroughly enjoyed both the courses that I’d undertaken, which were International Relations and Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Studying International Relations with such a demanding module strengthened my intellectual faculties and gave me an expert insight regarding understanding complex International situations to find reasonable and fair solutions. On the other hand the subject matter and teaching of Criminology and Criminal Justice helped me grasp issues that plague our society and how they can be dealt with effectively. Apart from academic learnings, I’d also want to highlight that the sort of holistic and diverse environment that the summer school provided me with to interact with students from all across the globe was definitely an experience of a lifetime.

Overall, after the completion of the summer school I found myself way richer in terms of knowledge and insight; something that I feel has made me evolve and wise in every way.

Apart from writing your novel, what else have you been working on since your time at King’s has ended?

I studied at The King’s College London Summer School in the year 2014 and ever since then two years have passed and these have been the busiest two years of my life.

Apart from comprehensively working on my debut novel, I undertook an Accreditation course in Mediation from the Australian Disputes Centre, Sydney in 2015. The completion of the course made me an accredited International Mediator which also means that currently I happen to be one of the youngest mediators of the world. Owing to this, I was bestowed with an opportunity to intern with Holman Webb Lawyers, Sydney in 2015 which was definitely a brilliant experience and a very augmenting one.

Then I got selected to intern at the Ministry of External Affairs, India in September 2015 wherein all my learnings from the course of International Relations came in handy. Then in March 2016, I interned as a Judicial Clerk at the Punjab and Haryana High Court which too was a very fulfilling experience not only as a Law student but also as human being who believes in social justice.

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Your novel Laiza- Sometimes the end is only a beginning, was released in July, can you provide us with a brief summary on what the book is about?

LAIZA- Sometimes the End is only a beginning is a fiction novel based in real time, of about 95,000 words approximately expressing all the emotions and dilemmas on a wide spectrum of feelings. It is deep, engaging and intriguing. Laiza represents the plight of a million women who may fall, get injured, but never back down.

It is a story that would introduce the world to the dark side of disasters; it’s a story that would inspire every reader to fight in life, no matter what. It’s a story that needs to be heard. The main themes of the book are Feminism, hope, human trafficking, Indo-Nepal relations, Nepali culture and self discovery.

Did your travels to London and your study at King’s inspire your writing in any way?

I personally feel that we are all a culmination of the experiences we have and the travels we make! So my travels to London would continue to be a part of my being and personality forever, irrespective of the fact that they’re mentioned in my writings or not.

Moving on to the inspiration I sought from my study at King’s. Issues of Feminism and Human Trafficking along with Indo-Nepal relations which are the main themes of my book are basically figments of International Relations. The book is very intense and hence it runs on a consistent background of Indo-Nepal relations and how they affected my protagonist’s life. Every detail about their ups and downs in the year 2015 has been mentioned in the book and analysis of true events to include them in my story was definitely the pedestal wherein study of International Relations helped.

Apart from this, I personally believe that I am a very positive person and for me the toughest aspect of writing ‘Laiza’ was to characterise antagonists! I believe I could do so along with providing every antagonist a back story as to why they became what they became because of being a Criminology student.

So to be very honest, I haven’t used my study and travels to London in the most direct ways to write the book, but they certainly have helped me at various points to twist, turn and knit the story with no loopholes so left to be plugged in the end.

For those student’s at King’s who are budding novelists what one piece of advice would you like to give them?

If you want to write and that’s what you’ve been wanting to do ever since, then START NOW. As Hemingway says, the first draft of everything is bad, so don’t let that dampen you, instead seek inspiration and go on to liberate not just yourself but also the one whose life would change after he/she experiences your work.

And please, don’t ever let anyone tell you that you aren’t worth it, Because you certainly are. Most importantly Free yourself from your own limitations before anything else.

You can now buy Laiza: Sometimes the End Is Only a Beginning on Amazon. And if you wish to contact Kudrat please so send her an email:kudratduttachaudhary@gmail.com

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Session Two Instagram Competition Highlights

Our Undergraduate and Pre-University Summer Schools are over for another year, and for all those who attended, we hope you had an amazing experience with us. We’ve had many entries to our Instagram competition, so before we announce the winner we wanted to share with you some of our highlights…

insta 2If you have entered our competition please do keep a look out on our social media pages, as well as this blog, as we will be announcing the winner over the coming weeks. Good luck to everyone who entered!

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Session One Instagram Competition Highlights

We hope you are all enjoying your time at the King’s College London Undergraduate Summer School. Or if you are a Pre-University student yet to join us we hope you’re getting excited. You may or may not know that this year we are running an Instagram competition. Our theme is ‘Summer at Kings’, so we want to see photos that represent your time at King’s. We want you to think outside the box with this and are excited to see what you come up with. Don’t forget to tag us in the photo and use this hashtag #SummeratKings.

And for a little inspiration here are some of the highlights so far…

Insta Comp Highlight

Happy snapping everyone and good luck.

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Undergraduate Summer School Week One In Photos

We can’t believe that one week has already passed for our Undergraduate Summer School students. And what a busy week it has been. We’ve had enrolment, a Thames Boat Party, a marshmallow competition at our Opening Social and a visit to the Warner Bros Studio Tour. And that’s on top of classes and module excursions. Our students have been very busy studying and enjoying the sights in London. So here are just a few photos of the Undergraduate Summer School so far…

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Throwback Thursday: King’s College London Undergraduate Summer School

Untitled designMy name is Chih-I. When I was a King’s College London Summer School student in 2010, I was only 19 years old. I decided to spend the summer at King’s for several reasons.

First, I intended to improve my English by fully immersing myself in an English-speaking country. Second, King’s was reported in the year to be one of the top 25 universities in the world. For a student like me who cares so much about the teaching quality and the academic environment, King’s immediately attracted my attention.

Moreover, the campus as well as the accommodation provided were just perfectly located in the city centre: close to Covent Garden, the Strand Campus was also three-minute walk from Temple Station; the accommodation on Stamford Street was next to Waterloo Station, one of the London underground hubs, which enabled me to reach anywhere in the shortest time. Finally, considering the diverse backgrounds of the student group at King’s Summer School, I knew that I would be able to meet people from all over the world, each one with different culture and life experience. This has definitely constituted an ‘added value’ for my King’s Summer School experience.

Although I majored in Law in my home university, I decided to study musicology at King’s Summer School. Studying musicology does not mean to learn to play an instrument, as opposed to what one may think. Musicology is the scholarly research on music, a branch of humanities. In the three-week course, we addressed various issues regarding the interaction among music/art genre/style, political environment, and urban development in London. Outside the course, we went to up to 5 or 6 concerts/shows/musicals in the evening. We then discussed some of the artistic elements in these performances with reference to what we had talked about in the seminars. As for my final essay, I explored the self-identity of different personas in Pucini’s opera ‘La Bohème’ in relation to the socio-economic context in Italy in the 19th century.

The summer school has exerted positive influence on my later life in different aspects. First, it allowed me to know better the higher education system in the UK, particularly in terms of types of supervision and support one student can receive from the professor. It was from that moment that I came up with the idea to come to the UK for my master studies. The experience of living in one of the biggest cities in the world was marvellous, needless to say.

However, the best part of the summer school, in my opinion, was that I have made friends from all over the world: France, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Russia, Taiwan, and the US, to name only a few. I have been able to keep in touch with some of the friends since the end of the programme, and have managed to pay them a visit in their countries, despite the distance. Some of them even helped me enormously with my master thesis. The wonderful fruit of our friendship was something that I did not anticipate before starting the programme at King’s.

Six years later, when I recall the old college days, I cannot help but be amazed by how the Summer School has strung our life together. Thank you King’s for creating such a superb memory in my life!

By Chih-I CHANG
Current MPhil student in Theoretical and Applied Linguistics at the University of Cambridge

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Pre-Arrival Information: Getting From The Airport

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With the first day of the summer school getting closer and closer, we wanted to provide you with a little bit of information on how to get from the airport to King’s College London, using various types of transportation. Don’t worry you can also find this information on our website too. There are a number of airports in London that you may arrive into so please see information on how to travel from each of these…

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London Stansted

London Stansted is a little bit out of London, so is a little trickier to get to and from. From here you can take the Stansted Express straight to Liverpool Street Station, which roughly takes about 45 minutes. You are also able to take coaches from this airport. There are a number of different coach companies that you can book a ticket with, but please be aware that travel times will be longer than a train.

London Gatwick

There are plenty of different options to choose from when arriving into London from Gatwick airport. If you want a train that takes you directly to Victoria Station then the Gatwick Express is the option for you. You are also able to take a normal train (Southern or First Capital Connect) to either Victoria, London Bridge or St Pancras. You can also take a coach from this airport and it is one of the cheapest options.

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London Heathrow

You can take the Piccadilly Line (Dark Blue) of the London Underground from Heathrow Airport all the way into central London. It takes around 45 minutes from and is the cheapest mode of transport from the airport. If you don’t fancy taking a tube you may also book a ticket for the Heathrow Express. It takes only 15 minutes and arrives into Paddington Station. Once here you can take public transport to your accommodation. Another cheap option would be to take a coach from the airport. National Express take you straight from Heathrow to Victoria Coach Station, which is in central London.

London City Airport

London City Airport is actually within London, which makes it very easy to get to King’s from here. You will need to take the DLR (Dockland Light Railway) from this airport into central London. To get to Waterloo from City Airport you will have to take the DLR to Canning Town. At this station swap to the Jubilee Line (Grey) and you will be able to take a tube straight to Waterloo station.

If you have any other questions about transportation from the airport please do contact us at summer@kcl.ac.uk. We look forward to seeing you soon.