<h4 class="MsoNormal">Ahead of the 2025 ceremonies, we are pleased to showcase an alumni graduation story. Lenny Neale-Krommenhoek and Beverley (Bev) Appleby both graduated with a BSc in Nursing in 2015. However, they had actually met in Greece back in 2008. This is their story.</h4>
<h4 class="MsoNormal">Lenny (Lecturer in Nursing Sciences) and Bev (Wellbeing Advisor &ndash; Mental Health) both now work at UEA. They answered a few questions on their UEA journey. </h4>
How did you both come to meet in Greece in 2008?
Lenny: I was living on Crete at the time and Bev visited with her parents, who were our friends. This was the first time we met, and our friendship started straight away.
Bev: We got on so well right from the start - I remember Lenny saying I reminded her of a young version of herself at the time. I was very uncertain at that point what I wanted to do with my life, having had many jobs in differing sectors.
What inspired you both to study Nursing at UEA?
Lenny: I was already a nurse, having studied nursing in the Netherlands in the mid-1980s. However, I studied for a BSc nursing after moving to the UK and getting an opportunity to work at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.
Bev: I started my studies in 2011. I had been working as a support worker and team leader in a residential setting providing support to people with mental health difficulties and learning disabilities. It was this job that inspired me to seek a career in nursing. Having completed an Open University Health and Social care course I was accepted as a mature student into the 2011 cohort. We both went on to graduate in 2015.
How did you re-connect during your studies?
Bev: We did not really study together because we were in different areas of nursing, but we discovered in 2015 that we were due to graduate together. It felt special that it was by chance that we graduated at the same time, and I was very pleased to share this graduation experience with Lenny.
And how often do you keep in touch now?
Lenny: We work very rarely together, but our paths do cross when students need support. Privately though, we are still in contact. I attended Bev&rsquo;s wedding and was present during the birth of Bev&rsquo;s son.
Bev: It&rsquo;s wonderful that again our life paths cross, the highlights being: initially meeting in Greece, then sharing our graduation, amazing support from Lenny during the birth of my son and now both of us working at UEA and enjoying our jobs. Throughout, we have kept in touch and meet regularly to catch up &ndash; mostly we discuss our personal lives but occasionally the subject of nursing comes up in conversation. We remain professional and never share confidential details. As Lenny says the friendship doesn&rsquo;t really influence our professional paths - our nursing experiences are very different to date!

Ahead of the 2025 ceremonies, Lenny Neale-Krommenhoek and Beverley (Bev) Appleby discuss meeting in Greece and going on graduate together in Nursing in 2015.

Meeting in Greece and Graduating together 7 years later: Lenny and Bev's Alumni Story

The journey to medical school can be daunting, particularly for students with limited guidance on starting down this career path. &nbsp;
The University of East Anglia&rsquo;s (UEA) Preparing for Medicine outreach programme is designed to provide transformative support for aspiring medical students, to equip them with essential skills, confidence, and clarity about their career path ahead.&nbsp;
Laura Flower and Imogen La Chapelle are two final-year Medicine students who previously participated in the programme. We spoke to them about how their residential experience supported their decision to study Medicine at UEA, as well as how the programme prepared them for the rigorous application process.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I am continuously grateful for the support it gave me&rdquo; &ndash; Laura &nbsp;
&ldquo;I was certain that UEA was right for me&rdquo; &ndash; Imogen&nbsp;
Now serving as mentors, they also reflect on the rewarding opportunity to guide future medical students on the same journey that shaped their own aspirations:
<h4>Was there a moment during the programme that gave you clarity and reinforced your ambition to pursue medicine? &nbsp;&nbsp;</h4>
Laura: &ldquo;While I always knew I wanted to pursue a career in medicine, I wasn&rsquo;t exactly sure what medical school would include or what would be expected of a medical student day-to-day, until I took part in the Preparing for Medicine residential.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Through the residential specifically, I was able to experience first-hand some of the activities a medical student would get involved in &ndash; from anatomy and problem-based learning with small group teaching, to learning clinical skills like CPR and basic life support. I absolutely loved my time there, spending &lsquo;a day in the life of a medical student&rsquo;, so this really affirmed that medicine was for me!&rdquo;&nbsp;
Imogen: &ldquo;I think the whole experience just made me feel incredibly supported and motivated to study Medicine at UEA. &nbsp;
&ldquo;Before the residential, I had done a lot of research into different medical schools and was still quite unsure about where I wanted to study yet after completing it, I was certain that UEA was right for me. Everyone was incredibly friendly throughout the experience, and I learnt so much.&rdquo;
<h4>How did the programme equip you with the skills and confidence to progress onto studying medicine? &nbsp; &nbsp;</h4>
Laura: &ldquo;As a first-generation university student and the only student to ever apply for medicine from my sixth form, I initially found the medicine application process terrifying. When I applied to the outreach programme, I was unaware of the entrance exam, scared of the interview process and intimidated by how competitive medicine was. In my mind, I didn&rsquo;t believe I was good enough to apply.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The &nbsp;programme myth busted the entire application process &ndash; making it clear, understandable and, more importantly for me, achievable. With the help and support of the Preparing for Medicine team, they helped me develop the essential skills and confidence for me to go on and apply for medicine. &nbsp;
&ldquo;In fact, it equipped me so well that I gained a place at all four medical schools I applied to, something I am incredibly proud of. I truly believe that I owe my place to the programme, and I am continuously grateful for the support it gave me.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Imogen: &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s likely I would still be studying medicine &ndash; I&rsquo;ve wanted to be a doctor since I was a young child and have always been very motivated to get into medical school successfully. However, the programme gave me much more confidence in myself and in understanding the application process. &nbsp;
&ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t just the residential itself, but also the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) study day, the mock interview, the personal statement activity. There was so much support throughout that getting into medical school felt much more achievable.&rdquo;
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/720x350/a6ff2066f6/workshop-720x350.jpg" border="0" alt="Participants from the 2024 Preparing for Medicine cohort in a workshop" width="720" height="350">Images: Participants from the 2024 Preparing for Medicine cohort in a workshop
<h4>Medicine is a demanding field &ndash; was there a specific challenge you faced during your studies that made you reflect on why you chose this path? How did you overcome it? &nbsp;&nbsp;</h4>
Laura: &ldquo;You&rsquo;re right &ndash; medicine is very demanding at times! In my fourth year at UEA, I completed a placement in oncology and palliative care medicine, and I found these specialties very emotionally challenging. For every patient that you can treat and help, there will be another where treatment hasn&rsquo;t worked and then your care focuses on quality of life, as opposed to quantity of life. &nbsp;
&ldquo;I often found myself speaking to close friends and family about how sad and helpless I felt, and I think sharing my emotions with others really helped me overcome how I was feeling. We also had reflection sessions at medical school, where we could discuss how we were feeling, and this gave us another chance to speak to a senior member of staff about what we had found challenging and how we could learn from what we experienced. &nbsp;
&ldquo;I met some of the most incredible people whilst studying this module and their stories made me reflect on why medicine is such a beautiful career, but also what makes life so very precious.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Imogen: &ldquo;The biggest challenge I have faced in medical school has definitely been my recent experience of revising for finals. I&rsquo;ve been trying to manage the stress of exams alongside placements and revision.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve found that the best way of overcoming stress and self-doubt is lots of communication with my partner and family, along with making sure to prioritise my mental health. If I am having a tough day and struggling with motivation, then I always try and take a step back to spend time on myself.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<h4>You're now acting as a mentor for other Preparing for Medicine students. How have you found this experience?&nbsp;</h4>
Laura: &ldquo;I am very grateful for the opportunity to have been a UEA mentor to other students for the past three years! As someone who has been through the programme myself, I find it very rewarding to further inspire future students to study medicine and give back to the programme that did so much for me as a student. &nbsp;
&ldquo;The application process to even apply for a medicine degree is a minefield and I think having a UEA medical student mentor (like me) to help guide students through the process &ndash; from day one of the programme to the day they collect their A-level results &ndash; is an enormous help!&rdquo;&nbsp;
Imogen: &ldquo;I have loved mentoring over the last couple years for the programme &ndash; it has been an incredibly rewarding experience to help aspiring medics, so many years after I was in the same position.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<a class="ui-button" href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/study/information-for/young-people/events/preparing-for/medicine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Discover more about Preparing for Medicine</a>
<a class="ui-button" href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/norwich-medical-school" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Find out more about Norwich Medical School</a>

Two final-year Medicine students, Laura and Imogen, share how their experiences on UEA’s Preparing for Medicine outreach programme supported their medical aspirations.

The transformative impact of UEA’s ‘Prep for Med’ pathway

<h4>UEA graduates Keith Tucker (BIO75) and others were kind enough to submit this nostalgic document on the UEA Motorcycle club. They also request involvement from lost members of the group - see their last paragraph.&nbsp;</h4>
 This year sees the 50th anniversary of the UEASU Bike Club - as it separated from the University Car Club in 1975 and became a fully fledged university club/society in its own right. Back then, there was a significant membership of active bikers, who not only used their motorcycles as (relatively) cheap transport from their residences to the university plain or into Norwich, but who also rode them just for the sheer pleasure of being on two wheels. There were regular meetings and ride-outs on a Tuesday evening, and the support of like minded souls shared their knowledge to keep these motorcycles &lsquo;on the road&rsquo; within a student budget. One of the major events during this period occurred in 1980 when the UEA Bike club hosted the national rally of university motorcycle clubs in the &lsquo;village&rsquo;. Whilst memberships came from across UEA&rsquo;s faculties (and even a few from the Norwich Art College) it was quite surprising to many that the largest proportion of club members were from the School of Biological sciences.
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/1736x1336/674edd5ed3/1980-bikes-at-the-uea-village-rally.jpg" border="0" alt="A group of motorcycles out in UEA village" width="500" height="385"> A group of motorcycles out at the National Rally of University Motorcycle Clubs in the UEA University Village in 1980. During the period of the late 1970&rsquo;s and early 1980&rsquo;s some strong and lasting friendships were formed within the club, and indeed more than just a few marriages have occurred as a result. After a break of several years, a small group of ex club members started to meet up on an annual basis, one year in Norfolk, the following year somewhere else in the UK, then back to Norfolk again. Rather than these reunions shrinking over time, they have actually grown steadily over the last few decades as an increasing number of people have been joining in, rekindling old friendships and reminiscing about old times. And so, as this year sees the 50th anniversary of the formation of the UEASU Bike Club, we have a plan to commemorate this major milestone with a reunion event hosted at the <a href="https://www.angel-larling.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Angel Inn, Larling NR16 2QU</a>, from 19th to 22nd June 2025. This venue is able to cater for camping, caravans and motorhomes by arrangement, and there are several B&amp;B&rsquo;s nearby. Group breakfasts and a dinner are being organised, and there will be trips out to old haunts. It is also hoped to include a visit to the University campus amongst the activities, which will predominantly be arranged for the Friday and Saturday dates.
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/960x540/6d42f0f970/2013-in-the-square.jpg" border="0" alt="A group of UEA graduates on campus with motorcycles" width="500" height="281"> A 2013 UEA Bike Club reunion on campus The hope is that as many of the ex bike club members as possible will be able to come along, and it would be fantastic to hear from anyone who was in the club during this period but who may not have been in contact recently. Not everyone is expected to still be riding motorcycles and all who can join in will be made most welcome. It would still be great to hear from ex members who cannot attend - simply <a href="mailto:alumni@uea.ac.uk">contact the UEA Alumni Office</a><a href="mailto:@alumni@uea.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a> who will put you in touch, or apply to join the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2674460725" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UEA Bike Club </a>group on Facebook.
&nbsp;

On the 50th anniversary of the UEA Motorcycle Club, a group of University of East Anglia alumni look back at the group and their time studying in Norwich.

Major milestone for University Motorcycle Club in 2025

Fin Brown, a BA Broadcast and Multimedia Journalism graduate, has been soaring to new heights in the world of journalism and documentary filmmaking. &nbsp;
His latest work, <a href="https://ueajournalism.com/2025/02/04/bomber-ray-the-last-mission/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bomber Ray: The Last Mission</a>, was nominated in both the &lsquo;Factual &ndash; Short Form&rsquo; and &lsquo;Craft &ndash; Writing&rsquo; categories for this year&rsquo;s <a href="https://rts.org.uk/award/rts-east-student-awards-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Royal Television Society East Student Awards 2025</a>. Louise Graham, another graduate of the journalism course, had her film &lsquo;Domestic Abuse: The Fight for Life&rsquo; nominated for the &lsquo;Factual &ndash; Short Form&rsquo; category.&nbsp;
These nominations are recognition of the dedication and hard work that went into bringing their powerful stories to life.&nbsp;
Ray Parke, the World War II veteran who embodied the heart of Fin&rsquo;s documentary, sadly died aged 99 this January &ndash; though not before Fin&rsquo;s fundraising efforts made his final flight in a Lancaster Bomber possible. Find out more about the story behind the screen: 
<h4>A story worth telling&nbsp;</h4>
Fin&rsquo;s inspiration for the documentary came from a deep-rooted interest in World War history and a desire to make these stories more accessible to younger audiences: &ldquo;I'd always been interested in the World Wars and realised that I was in the minority of people my age who shared that interest.&nbsp;
&ldquo;A lot of war documentaries are presented by older people about older people, which can make them feel less relatable to younger generations. I wanted to create something to show people that these stories are interesting, emotional, and can connect to anyone of any age.&rdquo;
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/720x350/4acce5e09b/l-r-fin-s-visit-to-ray-parke-on-his-birthday-ray-with-two-other-world-war-ii-veterans.png" border="0" alt="L-R: Fin's visit to Ray Parke on his birthday; Ray with two other World War II veterans" width="720" height="350">Images L-R: Fin&rsquo;s visit to Ray Parke on his birthday; Ray meeting with two other World War II veterans
<h4> Memorable moments behind the camera&nbsp;</h4>
The filmmaking process for Bomber Ray: The Last Mission was one-of-a-kind for Fin, with one standout moment being an invitation to the Netherlands, for filming at the site of the battle that Ray&rsquo;s story is based on.
Another was the emotional experience of taking Ray back onto a Lancaster Bomber in Lincolnshire and being on board while he taxied in the plane, accompanied by national TV media and a supportive crowd of cheers from onlookers.
Fin even got the chance <a href="https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2024-05-19/poignant-last-trip-on-lancaster-bomber-for-wwii-veteran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to speak to ITV Anglia about his role</a> in making the veteran&rsquo;s final flight possible.
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/720x350/1b9abb56f3/l-r-fin-brown-and-ray-parke-under-the-lancaster-bomber-ray-aboard-the-aircraft.png" border="0" alt="L-R: Fin Brown and Ray Parke under the Lancaster Bomber; Ray aboard the aircraft" width="720" height="350">Images L-R: Fin Brown and Ray Parke under the Lancaster Bomber; Ray aboard the aircraft&nbsp;
<h4> By far the most impactful moment though?</h4>
&ldquo;The best part of the whole filming process was, without a doubt, the friendship I formed with Ray,&rdquo; Fin shares.
&ldquo;It was an off-screen bond between two guys, 80 years apart, and that was truly special.&rdquo; 
<h4>UEA&rsquo;s role in shaping the film&nbsp;</h4>
Fin credits his success to the Broadcast and Multimedia Journalism course: &ldquo;The project wouldn&rsquo;t have taken the shape it did without the course &ndash; everything I did in the documentary was built on skills I developed at UEA.&nbsp;
&ldquo;From the multi-camera sequences and piece-to-cameras to the editing process &ndash; it was a culmination of all the skills and practices I learnt there.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<a class="ui-button" href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/undergraduate/ba-broadcast-and-multimedia-journalism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Study Broadcast and Multimedia Journalism</a> 
<h4>What&rsquo;s next for Fin Brown?&nbsp;</h4>
&ldquo;What's next is a good and exciting question. Currently, multiple things are all in the works at the same time!&rdquo;&nbsp;
Now a freelancer for Radio Suffolk and Norfolk, Fin is also developing a new podcast in collaboration with Help for Heroes, interviewing people with different combat experiences from all eras: &ldquo;We've got some exciting guests on, from D-Day veterans to rugby legend Rory Underwood and TV presenter JJ Chalmers.&nbsp;
"I'll also be completing a summer of fundraising for Help for Heroes, with three expeditions across this summer all turned into a mini documentary series &ndash; so lots of exciting plans on the horizon.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Find out how Broadcast and Multimedia Journalism graduate Fin Brown has been soaring to new heights in the world of journalism and documentary filmmaking.

The student documentary that brought a World War II veteran back to the skies

Natalia Makohon, a Chevening Scholar from Ukraine, is one of many international students bringing a wealth of knowledge, experience and enthusiasm for collaboration here to the University of East Anglia (UEA).&nbsp;
She is currently studying <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/postgraduate/ma-broadcast-and-digital-journalism-international" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Broadcast and Digital Journalism</a>, drawn to the course for its hands-on learning and real-world applications, and considers it a &ldquo;huge honour&rdquo; to be part of the Chevening scholarship programme. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Natalia&rsquo;s education has taken her across the globe, exposing her to diverse learning approaches. In Ukraine, she navigated an intense curriculum, managing up to 11 subjects in a single semester. She then spent two years in Japan, working on group projects with a focus on teamwork and communication. Now, as a postgraduate student, she is adapting to the independence of Master&rsquo;s level learning.&nbsp;
Beyond her studies, she is dedicated to advocacy and awareness. Most recently, she hosted the <a href="https://www.unissueddiplomas.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&lsquo;Unissued Diplomas&rsquo; exhibition</a> at UEA, an impactful initiative dedicated to commemorating the lives of 40 Ukrainian students who lost their lives because of war. This exhibition is one of several she has championed across multiple countries.
<h2>&nbsp;</h2>
<h2>What's been the most rewarding part of being a Chevening Scholar so far?&nbsp;</h2>
&ldquo;Definitely being able to network. I'm meeting talented people from all across the world, as well as professionals in their fields and we all have the same goal &ndash; to make a positive impact and change this world for the better together.&nbsp;
&ldquo;When I see someone who is talented and professional, it inspires me to create more, think bigger and explore more ideas. It's all about people from different backgrounds and countries, working together in one place for only one year, and the opportunities we have to connect and network with each other.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<a class="ui-button" href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/blog/gaining-knowledge-giving-back-meet-the-global-talents-studying-at-uea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read Natalia's article about Chevening Scholars at UEA</a> 
<h2>What&rsquo;s been your favourite project to work on at UEA?&nbsp;</h2>
&ldquo;Probably my dissertation as I'm currently working on a documentary movie. This is our chance to combine all the skills we&rsquo;ve gained during the course and from our own background.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It's not only about storytelling, but also creativity, negotiation and having the skills to approach people for interviews. We also have more freedom to choose a story &ndash; we're not limited by region or theme, so we have the choice to choose a topic that personally matters to us.&rdquo;&nbsp; 
<h2>Have you explored much of the UK since coming to Norwich? &nbsp;</h2>
&ldquo;I love to travel. So far, I&rsquo;ve visited places like Cambridge, London, Oxford and Bristol. I&rsquo;ve also visited Scotland with a friend from Japan who came to visit the UK, and more recently I&rsquo;ve traveled to Cromer with other friends.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Moving to Norwich has been a challenge for me because I&rsquo;m used to living in big cities &ndash; in Ukraine, I studied in Kyiv and then in Japan, I studied in Tokyo. But I also see it as a chance to focus on my studies and experience a different approach of living life here, and I&rsquo;m grateful for that opportunity.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I understand why people like it here. It's all about nature. If you feel tired being in a bustling city, Norwich is somewhere you want to come back to again and again.&rdquo; &nbsp; 
<h2>What advice would you give to other international students?&nbsp;</h2>
&ldquo;For those on a one-year degree like mine: enjoy your first semester! If you want to travel, see new places and explore new cultures, the time to do it is then. After that, it&rsquo;s time for dissertations; you&rsquo;ll have more projects to complete and will be a lot busier. Treat your first semester as a space for adaptation and exploration. &nbsp;
&ldquo;Try to also be open to new experiences. It can be overwhelming to move to another country and a different education system, to meet new people and make new friends, but try to be open to new opportunities.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<a class="ui-button" href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/postgraduate/ma-broadcast-and-digital-journalism-international" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Study Broadcast and Digital Journalism at UEA</a> 
<h2>Why did you decide to arrange the &lsquo;Unissued Diplomas&rsquo; exhibition here at UEA?&nbsp;</h2>
&ldquo;This project is made by students for students, and I see it as a great opportunity to bring awareness about what's happening in Ukraine, to remind people that the war is still going on. As it was recently the third anniversary of the Russian invasion, I decided that now is the time to do it. &nbsp;
&ldquo;I wanted UEA students to see themselves in these Ukrainian students. That we are the same age, the same majors; we have the same dreams and hobbies. Yet their futures were stolen by war and their diplomas will never be issued. &nbsp;
&ldquo;I hope everyone who reads these stories can relate and see this parallel. We are the same on a human level &ndash; we're just in different countries.&rdquo;
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/720x350/f715985ce7/natalia-s-unissued-diplomas-exhibitions-hosted-in-tokyo-panama-and-the-uk.png" border="0" alt="Image L-R: Natalia&rsquo;s &lsquo;Unissued Diplomas&rsquo; exhibitions hosted in Tokyo, Panama and the UK (credit: Yelyzaveta Poberezhniuk)" width="720" height="350"> Image L-R: Natalia&rsquo;s &lsquo;Unissued Diplomas&rsquo; exhibitions hosted in Tokyo, Panama and the UK (credit: Yelyzaveta Poberezhniuk) 
<h2>How did you first learn about the stories of these 40 Ukrainian students?&nbsp;</h2>
&ldquo;When I was studying in Tokyo, I saw through social media that one of my friends from the US had prepared a similar exhibition. 24 countries had joined the initiative by then, with more than 100 different exhibitions set up by then, and I saw politicians and presidents from these countries coming to visit them.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It felt powerful and really inspired me to bring an exhibition to my own university in Japan, for the second anniversary of the invasion. From there, I did it again in Panama, and now this is my third time, in the UK.&rdquo; 
<h2>What message do you hope visitors took away? &nbsp;</h2>
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s about connecting deeply with short but powerful stories in a short time. For the people who came to view the exhibition, they dedicated their time to see those 20 pictures and read those 20 stories, and that&rsquo;s powerful enough. Even if one person understands their stories, I am more than happy.&nbsp;
&ldquo;My key message would be to highlight that it&rsquo;s not just a number. These are real lives that were lost, and I want everyone to understand that. They had a family and a life &ndash; these students had the same ambitions as the students looking at the exhibition, with wishes to have a family, a nice career, to travel to new places. Until those opportunities were stolen from them. &nbsp;
&ldquo;I want people to understand that the exhibition is about highlighting peace, education and human life. It's about humanity and humanising the circumstances.&rdquo; 
<h2>Do you have any plans to bring the exhibition elsewhere? &nbsp;</h2>
&ldquo;This summer, in collaboration with Prof Matthias Neumann, I&rsquo;m hoping to bring &lsquo;Unissued Diplomas&rsquo; to the <a href="https://www.iccees2025.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Council for Central and East European Studies' (ICCEES) upcoming XI World Congress</a> in London. &nbsp;
&ldquo;The theme for this year is centered around disruption, and it&rsquo;s a big deal for me, because there will be more than 1,500 participants from around the world attending. I hope to share the stories of these 40 Ukrainian students more widely there.&rdquo;
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/4030x2638/6f26fc0618/the-unissued-diplomas-exhibition-hosted-at-uea.jpg" border="0" alt="The &lsquo;Unissued Diplomas&rsquo; exhibition hosted at UEA" width="1528" height="1000">Image: The &lsquo;Unissued Diplomas&rsquo; exhibition hosted at UEA

Natalia Makohon’s academic journey has spanned Ukraine, Japan, and now the UK, where she continues her studies in journalism as a Chevening Scholar. Find out all about her time here, as well as her commitment to advocacy.

Natalia’s international journey in learning, journalism and advocacy

To mark World Book Day on 6 March, we spoke to Leo Telford, a student author whose debut publication, a memoir co-authored alongside his mum, explores a unique dual perspective on identity, acceptance, and the evolving dynamics of family.

Mum and son publish memoir to humanise the journey of trans people

Bob Goodson graduated from UEA in 2002 with a BA in English Literature and Philosophy. He went on to further study at the University of Oxford where he studied for an MPhil in Medieval Literature, focusing on language theory. Throughout his studies, he was an active entrepreneur, starting businesses and founding student societies. In 2004, Bob moved to San Francisco and became the first employee at <a href="https://www.yelp.co.uk/">Yelp</a> where he helped to develop what would become the Like button we see and use today. He then set up his business <a href="https://www.quid.com/">Quid</a>, which uses A.I. to harness the power of the written word.
Bob has co-authored a book being published by Harvard in April 2025 and available for pre-order (<a href="https://mybook.to/likebook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Like: The Button That Changed the World</a>) all about the surprising stories behind the creation of the Like button and what it reveals about innovation, business, culture and us.
We were thrilled to be able to put some questions to him. 
Where did your UEA journey begin?
I grew up on the North Norfolk coast and UEA was the closest university. I did look at lots of different places to go to university, and my first intention had been to get far away from Norfolk and explore. However, I had taken a gap year after A-Levels to work at Aviva in Norwich and developed friends at UEA. I&rsquo;d gotten a feel for the place over that year and felt at home at UEA. I was also very keen to study with Prof Peter Womack, who I was sure was the smartest person I had ever met! One of the things that surprised me when I joined UEA was that there was such a global community. Even in 1999 there were people from all over the globe studying a huge variety of subjects. It felt like another world and all on one campus.
What were your expectations when you decided to study English Literature and philosophy?
Long before university, I had a deep interest in language. I got drawn into studying literature and philosophy because of my interest in the underlying question of what language is and its amazing power to shape our mindsets and therefore, the world. An arrangement of words can become so important over time and that fascinated me. The mysterious power of words will never cease to fascinate me and has just entered a whole new era with the scaling of Large Language Models.
I had no idea what English and Philosophy would lead to, but it felt right to me.
What are some of your favourite UEA memories?
I started the UEA Yoga Club in 1999 realising there were no classes on campus and in our third year the university told me it was the most popular sport on campus, and I got the award for contributions to societies that year.
A memory I&rsquo;m often reminded of is something I missed! A flatmate from the F-Block of Norfolk Terrace was trying to get us all to come along to this gig at the LCR that night. He was from the West Country and said he knew some of the band members from school and that it was one of their first ever gigs. I passed up the offer because no-one had heard of them and I figured they would be terrible. I also didn&rsquo;t mind too much when they said how great it had been and that they&rsquo;d even got to hang out with the band after the gig. A week later, I picked up NME and saw the band on the front cover. The band was Muse. He still ribs me about my decision not to go, to this day.
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/1600x1057/84a23f1bac/bob-goodson-as-yoga-club-chair.jpg" border="0" alt="Bob Goodson at UEA YOga Stand" width="550" height="363">
Bob at his UEA Yoga Stand at Societies Fair (2000)
And how did your interest in business come about while studying?
I&rsquo;ve always been interested in building teams and organisations. I&rsquo;d started a football club when I was a teenager for the kids in my village and I'd created various endeavours to make money through my teenage years.
When I got to UEA I started my first proper businesses. One was called Prana Publications which was a yoga publishing business which I started in 1999, and the other was a design agency which I started in 2000 that offered corporate identity work and logo design. I didn't think of those as startups at the time. The word startup really wasn't around or used at the time. I just was trying to find creative ways to test myself and learn but also make money while I was studying at UEA and helping to pay my way through my studies here.
UEA was an amazing environment for developing these interests. It felt like a very interdisciplinary community and has always been designed that way, being founded on &lsquo;Do Different&rsquo;. Innovation is in the DNA of UEA and I really felt that while studying there. People from all different subjects were coming together to start things, create and push past boundaries.
And how did you develop these entrepreneurial instincts after UEA?
After UEA, I went to Oxford to do a two-year MPhil degree in Mediaeval literature. While I was there, I co-founded a group called Oxford Entrepreneurs, which was the first student community of student entrepreneurs in the university&rsquo;s 750-year history.
I found my experiences with societies at UEA had given me a lot of confidence, and leading this new group was so exciting &ndash; it was an incredible hive of activity with so much talent and energy. &nbsp;I helped start 40 companies when I was at Oxford through my Start A Company programme, and many of the entrepreneurs involved have gone on to do amazing things, including the Collison brothers, who shortly after started payments company, Stripe.
How did your career in tech begin?
In 2003, when I was at Oxford, I went to a talk by an entrepreneur who had started PayPal, a guy called Max Levchin. Watching him speak on stage about the scale that PayPal had reached, the number of people it was serving, and the way they thought about the technology was life changing.&nbsp;They were talking about business philosophically, they were thinking about the politics, they were thinking about the future and thinking about how to disrupt existing inefficient systems. Until that day, I had never encountered people that thought like this. It was like a new world opened up to me during that talk.
I sat in the audience connecting with these ideas for the first time and decided I should do everything I can to work with and learn from these people. I met Max after the talk and showed him my portfolio of things I'd worked on, told him about my company, and I showed him an early social network that I'd built for students at Oxford in 2002, two years before Facebook started. He asked me to visit his colleagues in San Francisco a couple of months later, and within a few weeks of that trip I dropped out of Oxford and moved to San Francisco.
I ended working for him on three companies in an incubator, and one of them was called Yelp, a local review website, which was innovative and pushing web boundaries long before social media platforms had become well established. I became Yelp&rsquo;s first employee, hired by the co-founders. Yelp is now used by 140 million people per month and employs 4,800 people.
I found myself in the middle of this community of people who were way more experienced than me and had done other things before. Even then, in the whole of San Francisco, I estimate that there were probably only about 50 to 100 people that were deliberately trying to build stuff in that space in 2003, which is when I arrived. I found myself in this community of people working on things like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/4284x2688/656ddf2130/bob-goodson-outside-norfolk-terrace.png" border="0" alt="Bob Goodson outside Norfolk Terrace, UEA Campus" width="550" height="345"> Bob outside Norfolk Terrace, where he lived in first year
And how did the Like button innovation come about?
We were trying new things out at Yelp one day in May 2005. We put buttons on our content that people could easily click on to share that they found it useful or funny or cool. We were the first to put multiple emotions on a piece of web content and the first to let you react to content with a single click that did not leave the page and reacted when you clicked it. It sounds obvious now, but back then it was totally new.
We had no idea or perspective that we were doing something important because you do stuff all day, and that was just that day's design challenge. And yet we contributed to the development and invention of what then became known as the like button and subsequently evolved into various reaction buttons that you see all over your apps, all over your content. We estimate that they are now clicked 7 billion times a day.
Why have you written a book about this experience now?
The Like button has become one of the most important user interface features ever developed. What has intrigued me as I&rsquo;ve watched it develop over the last 20 years is observing things that have worked and those that have not. At some point I just asked myself, &ldquo;How did this thing come about? Who were all the people involved? And what does it have to teach us about how innovation works? Why do we like to like things?&rdquo;
Together, with a good friend of mine, Martin Reeves, we&rsquo;ve spent four years researching the book. We&rsquo;ve interviewed 100 people &ndash; neuroscientists to anthropologists through to many of the people that helped develop the button at different stages.
What advice do you have for our students and graduates looking to start their own businesses? 
There is so much value in just getting started with something and seeing where it goes. It&rsquo;s very easy to overthink and get in your own way.
Almost nothing you try and create that's important ends up being the thing you thought at the start, and you only realise that by trying things. Just get started and roll with it. Put yourself in the furnace. That&rsquo;s where the good stuff happens. The furnace is intense, it&rsquo;s uncomfortable, but it&rsquo;s only by going there that you discover your best work and what customers really want.
Later on - once you're in a career - I think there's real value in asking yourself &ldquo;What is the most important problem in my field and am I working on it?&rdquo; Every field has its important problems, and it's usually obvious. Can you make sure that you&rsquo;re working on that problem?

Bob Goodson graduated from UEA in 2002 with a BA in English Literature and Philosophy. Bob talks to us all about the surprising stories behind the creation of the Like button and what it reveals about innovation, business, culture and us.

UEA graduate Bob Goodson talks about helping to develop the Like Button

<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10308388/?ref_=tt_ov_dr_1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fr&oslash;ydis Fossli Moe</a>, has recently been featured in the New York Times along with her short film, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33184511/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_lk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Final Chapter</a>, which follows Fr&oslash;ydis&rsquo;s journey a decade after cutting all ties with her parents due to a difficult upbringing, as she is forced to confront her past while her father lies on his deathbed.
UEA&rsquo;s Social Media and Communications Intern, Jess caught up with Fr&oslash;ydis ahead of International Women&rsquo;s Day 2025, to discuss her career since UEA, and the success of her recent films.
Q. Would you be able to introduce yourself?
My name is Fr&oslash;ydis, it is a very Norwegian name, and I&rsquo;m a film director. I studied at UEA eight years ago, so a long time ago now. I was an Erasmus student, studied International Development studies and I absolutely loved it, &mdash;so much so that I even considered completing my entire BA there. In the years since UEA, I have made award winning short films and a feature film, and today I am studying Directing Fiction at National Film and Television School.
Q. Hard question, but could you sum up what International Women&rsquo;s Day means to you?
International Women&rsquo;s Day is about raising awareness of the incredible women around the world and amplifying their stories. It&rsquo;s such an important day, and I believe it&rsquo;s crucial to recognise the challenges women face in a patriarchal society. Through my work and this film, I want to remind people why our voices matter.
I work in a very male-dominated industry. I love making films and creating art, and I&rsquo;m lucky to be surrounded by great people most of the time, but there still aren&rsquo;t enough women in the film industry. I believe that&rsquo;s largely because it&rsquo;s so male-driven, making it difficult for young women to find space in such a competitive field.
I think it's really important that we as women support one another, especially within the arts. I felt that very much when I was studying at UEA, I felt like I was part of a strong, like-minded community.
Q. Speaking of UEA, did you enjoy your time studying with us?
I felt that my time at UEA really shaped me as a human being and I probably wouldn't have become a filmmaker and director if it wasn't for my time there.
It was amazing, I wanted to make the most of it, so I was in every society possible. I had such a big fun group, that every time I went to lunch, I struggled to fit everyone around the table. We were such a tight knit group, but everyone was studying different things. It felt very vibrant and such a kind community to be a part of.
The funny thing is that while I was at UEA, I didn&rsquo;t study film. I had studied media in high school and kept making short films on the side, but I never saw myself becoming a film director. My plan was to continue with International Development&mdash;until one film I made at UEA grew too big for me to finish on my own.
Q. What film was that?
While at UEA, I made a film called&nbsp;Believe in Me, which serves as a prequel to The Final Chapter. It followed my life during my time at UEA, capturing my struggles with family issues while trying my best to be a good student and friend. I finished the film right after graduating and decided to submit it to various festivals&mdash;never expecting much.
To my surprise, it was chosen to be screened at multiple festivals, which felt surreal because I never thought anyone would relate to it. The charity Save the Children even selected it for screenings in different cities, and it ended up gaining a lot of attention. People started sharing their own personal stories with me, and I was completely unprepared for the overwhelming response.
Q. And how did that feel? For it to get so much attention?
Receiving recognition was great, but over time,&nbsp;I felt that the documentary no longer visually represented me. I transitioned into making fiction films, and the film belonged to my old life, not my new one. So, I left it untouched and didn&rsquo;t think about it for a long time.
Then my dad got ill, and I didn&rsquo;t know how to process it. I had always heard that film and art could be used to express emotions and make sense of difficult experiences. In a desperate attempt to understand my feelings, I started The Final Chapter. I wanted something to look back on, almost like a time capsule. I never imagined the film would do as well as it did.
If you compare the documentary, I made at UEA to The Final Chapter, they tell a continuous story, but they feel completely different. You can see that I&rsquo;ve grown, my perspective has changed, and my taste has evolved.
Without the film I made at UEA, I would have never been able to make this one.&nbsp;It&rsquo;s crazy to think that it all started with me just having fun, filming my adventures with friends while studying.
Q. And have you found your International Development degree has helped you with your career in film?
I think that everyone who does art should study International Development, obviously, because it is amazing. I think&nbsp;it's so important that if I'm going to try to portray or make films that different kinds of people or different stories is so important that I can understand the different perspectives. When I start a new project, I try to approach it like it was a thesis from school or something like that, because I think doing the research and actually portraying real communities is so important.
International Development is where my heart is. I want to tell stories about important issues&mdash;things that often go unspoken, the conversations people tend to avoid.
When it comes to film, I hope to see more women in the industry and greater representation,&nbsp;that&rsquo;s something I truly believe in and want to be a part of.
I think the time I was studying at the UEA was&nbsp;probably the best time of my life, the&nbsp;community is so incredible, and I hope we extend that energy for International Women&rsquo;s Day, let's listen and be there for one another, and let's celebrate.<span class="EOP SCXW209077100 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}">&nbsp;
<span class="EOP SCXW209077100 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}"><a class="ui-button" href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/undergraduate/ba-global-development">Study Global Development at UEA</a>

Ahead of International Women's Day, Frøydis Fossli Moe, a UEA graduate who has gone on to make name for herself in film making, says she: “would love for there to be more women in the industry, more representation".

Graduate film maker calls for more female representation ahead of International Women’s Day

It&rsquo;s National Careers Week and we thought we&rsquo;d look back on what UEA&rsquo;s Careers Service was like in the early 2000s. We spoke to one of our Careers Advisers, Rachael Breed, who has worked in UEA&rsquo;s Careers Service since the year 2000. Rachael was the first person to do the AGCAS (Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services) qualification in 2006, receiving the John Roberts Memorial Prize.&nbsp;
What was UEA&rsquo;s Career Service like back in the year 2000? &nbsp;
The department was a lot smaller. When I first joined, there were staff that had worked at UEA&rsquo;s careers service since its early days and for many years. I&rsquo;m still in touch with one of them, John Thurman, today.&nbsp;
On my first day, we moved into a new building, currently the Student Appointment Centre, which was converted from an old squash court into the new Careers Service building. It won a prize. It was the first time the Careers Service had its own designated space on campus, so it was very exciting.&nbsp;
Since then, we&rsquo;ve also been based on the Street, where the Student Information Zone (SIZ) is now, and in the Library, where we are based now.&nbsp;
What was your role when you first started?&nbsp;
It was a new job &ndash; Employer Liaison Officer/Skills Development Adviser. I coordinated careers events and employer contacts and worked closely with the Students&rsquo; Union. We ran a &lsquo;job shop&rsquo; called &lsquo;Employability&rsquo; together (where part of Unio is now) and one of the main things I did was promote student employment to UEA departments and a wide range of employers and organisations.&nbsp;
When I first started, it was a paper-based system. The process was that a job would come through, and we&rsquo;d advertise it on a paper-based noticeboard. One of the first things I did was transform this into an online service!&nbsp;
What inspired you to become a Careers Adviser?&nbsp;
I actually had a mock interview on the PGCE course here with John Thurman, who I ended up working with when I joined. I wasn&rsquo;t really sure what to do and he really put me at ease, having so much empathy as I was trying to figure it out. That made such a big impact on me. I got the sense that he was a side-by-side, professional friend, promoting a safe space to try stuff out. I thought this is something I&rsquo;d like to do in future.&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s a programme on Radio 4, where listeners share stories, thanking people that have helped them in the past. Once, someone mentioned one of the original founding Careers Advisers here at UEA &ndash; about how they&rsquo;d helped them think about what to do in life and how much support they offered. I think it&rsquo;s wonderful you can have such an impact in this role and really help people&rsquo;s futures in this way.&nbsp;
Would you say the ethos of the service has stayed the same throughout the years?&nbsp;
Fundamentally, yes. Strategies around the service and our offer to students has developed but with one-to-one appointments, it&rsquo;s still all about non-judgement and non-directive support. Careers Advisers were and are still here to support you with working it out and getting clarity so you feel like you can do it. We want to help people widen their perspectives, explore and research their options, as well as develop their self-awareness. Most of all, we want people to feel like they can be themselves and that we care about supporting you on your individual journey. It was the same back then and it&rsquo;s the same now.&nbsp;
What inspires you most about the students you&rsquo;ve worked with over the years?&nbsp;
Being a Careers Adviser is a real privilege, and you have so much empathy for the different places that people are at when they are working out their career journey. What inspires me is when I see people taking their first brave steps and developing their confidence. The courage that people have to try things out and go for interviews, make changes and work towards their dreams &ndash; it&rsquo;s a privilege that people are happy to open up about their thoughts on this kind of thing to you and that, as an Adviser, you can help with those possibilities. &nbsp;
What&rsquo;s the one thing you&rsquo;d like to say now to all those students you&rsquo;ve seen in the past?&nbsp;
I hope they feel that they work in careers, jobs or areas that touch upon the things that are important to them. &nbsp;
If you&rsquo;re a recent graduate and would like careers advice, guidance or support, you still have access to all of our services via <a href="https://mycareercentral.uea.ac.uk/s/gradcentral?utm_source=community_blog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=national_careers_week&amp;utm_content=grad_central" target="_blank" title="Grad Central" rel="noopener">Grad Central</a>. &nbsp;
We&rsquo;re also looking to expand our pool of alumni mentors, particularly those who work in psychology and mental health roles, or in roles related to international development. If you&rsquo;d like to help a current student become more career confident and share your insights about working in your field, find out more about<a href="https://employers.mycareercentral.uea.ac.uk/content/become+a+mentor?utm_source=community_blog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=national_careers_week&amp;utm_content=mentors" target="_blank" title="mentors" rel="noopener"> becoming a mentor</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

It’s National Careers Week and we thought we’d look back on what UEA’s Careers Service was like in the early 2000s. We spoke to one of our Careers Advisers, Rachael Breed, who has worked in UEA’s Careers Service since the year 2000.

Looking back at the Careers Service in 2000

<h2>Natalia Makohon, an MA Broadcast and Digital Journalism student at UEA, is a Chevening Scholar from Ukraine. She shares the positive stories of other Scholar students at the University who, alongside their studies, spend time volunteering in the wider Norfolk community:&nbsp;</h2>
14 Chevening Scholars from around the world joined the University of East Anglia (UEA) this year, selected from almost 70,000 applicants and representing the top 2% of the best candidates.&nbsp;
Beyond academics, these Scholars actively engage with the Norfolk community, contributing through volunteering, part-time work, and cultural exchange.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.chevening.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chevening</a> is the UK Government&rsquo;s international awards scheme. For more than 40 years, they have supported exceptional individuals to make a positive global impact.
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/2959x2178/ef4b23bec4/chevening-scholar-1-credit-natalia-makohon.jpg" border="0" alt="International scholars at UEA volunteer with Girlguiding and Oxfam, supporting gender equality and tackling poverty">Image: International scholars at UEA volunteer with Girlguiding and Oxfam, supporting gender equality and tackling poverty (credit: Natalia Makohon)
<h4>Kulasinee Pipattanasookmongkol</h4>
Kulasinee Pipattanasookmongkol, a Chevening scholar from Thailand, is studying Global Development at the University, which ranks in the top 20 worldwide in this field.
She started volunteering with Girlguiding in Norwich at the beginning of the semester. This organization is the UK&rsquo;s largest youth organisation dedicated completely to girls, between the ages of four and eighteen.
Kulasinee thinks it is essential to educate young girls about gender equality: "They will grow up to be strong, independent women who can live their lives better than the past generation.
"I am also different here. I am an Asian here, and I hope the girls will learn about the difference between me and them. I hope they think it's normal to have friends who are different from them.
"For me, it's very nice to see that people here value gender equality. In Thailand, people will think that gender equality is not a serious topic, and the girl's community is not that necessary.&nbsp;
&ldquo;So, I feel I'm in the right place because I value the same thing with them. I feel more confident.&rdquo;
<h4>Nsa Uwakmfon</h4>
While Kulasinee focused on empowering young girls, Nsa Uwakmfon, another Chevening Scholar from Nigeria, concentrated on tackling poverty and &ldquo;serving humanity&rdquo;.
Nsa works part-time as a retail assistant at Oxfam, a non-profit organisation: &ldquo;Any time I'm working and I see people walk in to buy things&hellip; there's this fulfilment I have that the money is going back to people who do not have, the less privileged, that this money is going back to helping the community.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s this joy I have &ndash; giving my time to serve humanity &ndash; and there&rsquo;s a sense of community and a sense of fulfilment.&rdquo;
Nsa also noted the flexibility of the UK working culture, contrasting it with Nigeria:
"I've built new friendship, new family, new relationships, and it's really amazing. I think they put humanity first, and I feel it's amazing to see. Possibly I could implement it in my own organisation when I get back.&rdquo;
<h4>The importance of international scholars&nbsp;</h4>
A key condition of this programme, fully funded by the UK government, is students returning home for two years to apply their knowledge and experience.
Craig Smitherman, Head of International Recruitment at UEA, highlighted the importance of international scholars:&nbsp;&ldquo;The value that they bring, both to the University and that they take away, is unmatched compared to many other schemes or programmes where students come [to study in the UK].&nbsp;
"What is really strong and really great that we see, is the whole diversity of different [Chevening] students coming [to UEA], both in terms of the subjects they&rsquo;re coming to study and also certainly the places they&rsquo;re coming from.&nbsp;
&ldquo;They are really well spread across the globe.&rdquo;
This year, UEA hosts students from countries such as Morocco, Indonesia, Ukraine, Thailand, Turkey, Nigeria, and more.
According to <a href="https://www.hepi.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Full-Report-Benefits-and-costs-of-international-students.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI)</a>, international students in the 2021/22 academic year contributed &pound;41.9 billion to the UK economy, with their spending supporting jobs and services in local communities.&nbsp;

Natalia Makohon, an MA Broadcast and Digital Journalism student at UEA, is a Chevening Scholar from Ukraine. She shares the positive stories of other Scholar students who, alongside their studies, spend time volunteering in the wider Norfolk community.

Gaining knowledge, giving back – meet the global talents studying at UEA

<h4>Moustafa Kamal came to UEA from Egypt as a Chevening Scholar in 2015 to study for a Master of Laws in International Commercial and Business Law. Before this, Moustafa had already established himself as a judge in Egypt. He has gone on to lead important law and judiciary projects for the National Institute of Governance and Sustainable Development (NIGSD) and continues to act as a judge.</h4>
<h4>Moustafa tells us more about why he came to UEA and his career.</h4>
How did you discover UEA?
I had decided to apply for a Chevening scholarship to study in the UK. I wanted to develop my learning and live abroad. Most of my Chevening contemporaries were applying to universities in London, but I actually wanted to avoid it! I wanted to live somewhere I could enjoy a green campus space and discover a broader sense of the English life.
My research told me that not only did UEA have a top-rated law school, but its campus was beautiful. So, I decided to come to UEA.
And how did you get to the point of studying at UEA?
I first graduated from the School of Law (English Department) in Alexandria University, studying English and American legal systems.
Once I graduated, I was recruited as a teaching assistant. Then I managed to go through the national competition for appointing public prosecutors, and I was focussed on building my career. Later on, I was appointed a judge and was involved with building training schemes for other judges, and we had decided that it would be a good idea to have judges with more knowledge of foreign law operations.
I also wanted to spend some time abroad and experience other ways of living. I looked to study at an English-speaking university and came across UEA. I was very proud to be accepted into the Chevening scheme at first attempt!
 <img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/1529x900/d88e8ed91c/moustafa-kamal-at-uea.png" border="0" alt="Picture of Moustafa Kamal standing in the frost outside UEA accommodation block" width="400" height="235">Moustafa outside UEA Accommodation block 
Did Norwich and UEA meet your expectations?
It exceeded them! I learned so many things in addition to studying and there were so many opportunities sent to students via e-mail, and I was able to take part in several internships, fellowships, summer schools and other programmes. These experiences were very helpful for me.
And so what happened after your degree at UEA?
Many of my colleagues on Chevening scholarships decided to go into the private sector. However, I felt that my government had supported my travels and wanted to stay in the public sector. I aimed to help my fellow legal professionals with the knowledge I had learned at UEA.&nbsp;
I transferred to the investment circuit working with other judges on investment and commercial law disputes, particularly in matters to do with foreign investment. I knew I was coming back to do this and I picked modules that would help me in my job.
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/933x798/9c5c5748e0/moustafa-kamal-as-chevening-scholar.png" border="0" alt="Picture of Moustafa Kamal holding Chevening Scholar flag" width="400" height="342">Moustafa as Chevening Scholar
And how did you find the degree helping your career?
I loved those courses on oil and gas law, litigation, investment arbitration, and commercial arbitration were all taught by professionals in their fields. I&rsquo;m also a practicing professional and I learned very practical insights. In fact, my professors would sometimes even use Egyptian law as case studies!&nbsp;
My tutors were also very receptive to personal approaches, and they gave me lots of advice and support.
How has your career developed further after UEA?
I appreciate continuous learning, so I need to keep engaged in academic research and professional learning all the time. So, after UEA, I joined the American University in Cairo to study an LL.M. in international and comparative law. I then joined ESLSCA (Ecole Sup&eacute;rieure Libre des Sciences Commerciales Appliqu&eacute;es) campus in Egypt to study an MBA (Government and Public Sector Specialization). Currently I am doing my PhD in governance and anti-corruption, focusing on business and human rights issues. I do believe that I'm trying to work for the greater good and that's not easy. People are divided and want to hear different things. &nbsp;
I am currently leading a project on reforming the judiciary and its efficiency. We want to be able to deliver prompt and effective justice and increase access. It is very difficult but a very important project.
Moustafa Kamal studied a <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/postgraduate/llm-international-commercial-and-business-law" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Master of Laws in International Commercial and Business Law at UEA</a>.

Moustafa Kamal, Master of Laws graduate, tells us all about how coming to UEA as a Chevening Scholar elevated his career as a judge in Egypt, and he reflects on his experiences in Norwich.

Moustafa Kamal: UEA graduate and Egyptian Judge

In a heartwarming reunion, eight alumni from the University of East Anglia (UEA) gathered to celebrate decades of enduring friendship. All members of the group began their UEA journey in 1987 and graduated in 1990. Travelling from different corners of the globe, the group included Sultan from Oman, Mairo from Nigeria, Aris from Greece, Maro and Madeleine from Cyprus, Ricardo from Peru, Peter from Seychelles, and Robin from Bermuda.
The reunion commenced with a special dinner hosted by Aris and his wife in honour of Aris&rsquo;s birthday. This memorable evening was followed the next day by a delightful lunch at Robin&rsquo;s family home in Maidenhead, where the group shared laughter and reminisced about their cherished university days.
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/1600x1200/365fb6769c/4684d49c-de65-4baf-8025-70952e1afb06.JPG" border="0" alt="Stopping for lunch at the Student Union" width="500" height="375">Stopping for lunch at the Student Union 
The highlight of the reunion was a nostalgic trip to Norwich. The train ride from London to Norwich on a Sunday afternoon, evoked memories of their student years, when the same route had been a familiar part of their lives. Upon arriving in Norwich, the group checked into the historic Maids Head Hotel, which served as their home for the next two nights. Some took an evening stroll to explore the magnificent Norwich Cathedral and the city&rsquo;s charming, cobbled streets, while the day concluded with an official reunion dinner. Set to the backdrop of 1980s and 1990s music, the dinner became even more memorable with a surprise screening of a video from 1989 and 1990. The footage vividly captured moments from their UEA days, including the excitement of completing their final exams and the lively celebrations that followed, culminating in their last gala dinner and dance at the then Nelson Hotel.
The next day, the group visited the UEA campus, where they were warmly welcomed by university officials and treated to an extensive tour. The tour highlighted the many transformations over the years, including the state-of-the-art sports complex and the remarkable increase in student numbers, now more than double what they had experienced in their time.&nbsp;
While the modern developments impressed them, it was the shared stories and laughter during a group dinner back at the hotel that truly rekindled the spirit of their university days. For some, the memories extended to late-night dances at the University&rsquo;s iconic LCR, bringing back the youthful energy of their student years.&nbsp; <img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/185167/1600x1200/25d39bde9c/117d9a58-92ff-486f-b632-333ca2b6bfb2.JPG" border="0" alt="Group of alumni in Earlham Hall" width="500" height="375">Visiting Earlham Hall where many of the group studied 
This reunion was a powerful testament to the enduring bonds formed at UEA &mdash; bonds built in classrooms, on the steps of the Square, and through countless shared experiences. 34 years later, the friendship among Sultan, Peter, Ricardo, Robin, Aris, Mairo, Maro, and Madeleine remains as vibrant as ever, serving as a living legacy of their time at the University of East Anglia.

Eight University of East Anglia alumni from all over the world return to campus in Norwich and reflect on their friendship and shared history.

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