My name is Malina and I am a Romanian native doing an MSc in Defence, Development and Diplomacy at the University of Durham in the UK. I completed my BA degree with a First Class honours in Spanish and International Relations at Nottingham Trent University in the UK and now I am looking forward to learning about and getting specialized in an area that tackles global conflict issues, risk assessment, development programmes, human rights and steps towards peace and sustainable development projects.
During my third year of undergraduate studies, I joined the Erasmus year abroad programme and I got the opportunity to study for an entire academic year at the University of Salamanca in Spain, where I had a rich blend of interesting modules, hence covering History and Art History, Spanish and French Literature and International Relations. As a result of my academic achievements, I was awarded as well a Placement diploma with Distinction.
I have always been passionate about learning foreign languages as this is how I felt I can reach out to and get connected to people from around the world and currently, I speak fluently English, Spanish and Romanian (mother tongue) and French conversationally. I look forward to learning
many other foreign languages and so develop my global awareness and cultural knowledge.
I have always enjoyed working with children, and as a result I was more than happy to undertake a series of volunteering programmes, which aimed to help out the children in need. For instance, in 2016 I volunteered and developed educational activities with the help of a qualified psychologist for the Star of Hope Romanian organisation, which is destined to children who suffer from various learning difficulties. This experience taught me how to adjust my actions and abilities in relation to their needs, in order to be able to successfully collaborate with them. Hence, I believe that my adaptability, flexibility and capability to learn from new experiences prove that I am a fast and dedicated learner who could embrace any type of challenges. Furthermore, I also voluntereed between 2015 and 2016 for two more Romanian organizations, namely Jurjac and SAREPTA, which aimed to help, both financially and morally, children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Hence, here I developed a wide range of educational and recreational activities, in order to increase their sense of belonging, civism and general knowledge.
As the 2015 Refugee Crisis became a global issue in which the humanity witnessed and became more aware of the dangers and the cruel reality of the conflict zones, I decided to join the UK UNICEF’s Children’s Champion Network in order to militate for the protection of the refugee children in the UK. Hence, I helped to spread the campaign’s messages and aims of ensuring that children living in areas of conflict can join their families safely and legally, and so avoid possible situations in which they risk their lives on terrifying boats or getting in the hands of traffickers or smugglers. Local MP’s and the government officials have the power to make a difference, hence I contacted online the Home Secretary Amber Rudd and asked for her support in ensuring the protection and raising the awareness of unaccompanied refugee children in the UK, across Europe and around the world.
I look forward to expanding my practical skills in other such future opportunities and thus become a steady advocate for human rights, peace building projects, social activism and social and infrastructural development programmes.