Maria Peiro Mir

What do you do now? What do you enjoy about what you do?

Right now I am a projects assistant at Global Partners Governance. A political consultancy focused on parliaments. We work with parliaments all around the world, mostly in the Middle East at the moment and in Fiji. I enjoy having a direct impact on policy and legislation, working with members of parliament in different countries from one’s own requires a lot of adaptability and is a constant learning process.

I particularly enjoy when we have to deal with a process or law that is focused directly on human rights.

What path have you taken to get there? Were there any particular areas of interest that lead to you specialising?

My main areas of interest are policy, the Middle East and human rights. This company ticked two of them. Also, during my dissertation I focused on parliamentary elections in Egypt and Palestine- so it made a lot of sense for me to pursue work in a company that deals with parliament directly and is so specialised.

Why did you choose to study at City, University of London and how has it helped you?

I chose to study at City because of the particular approach and relevance given to the Human Rights specification on the MA programme- which I couldn’t find anywhere else.

It has helped me broaden my horizons, it has helped me tailor my main interests, and it has developed my already-existing inclination towards academia. City has allowed me to be able to deal with topics in depth.

What did you enjoy most about your course?

The depth of the topics discussed and being challenged with new ideas and new ways of thinking on a regular basis.

What was the hardest part of your course?

The UK system is quite different than the Spanish one, you can be a passive student and just be evaluated on your essays. Students can be more passive, even if the whole interaction in class avoids that quite successfully, there is room to actively not participate if one doesn’t want to. There are fewer lessons and a lot of hours ready to be filled on your own. I guess the most difficult part was to be consistent and thorough to read and be on top of the topics in class to get the most out of it.

What was your favourite part of being a City Student?

The proximity and quality of the teachers, the diversity of students, and the treatment.

If you could give one piece of advice to a prospective City MA International Politics and Human Rights student, what would it be?

Use the resources you are given. (Do the readings, these are carefully chosen and will open your mind. And do engage with your teachers and fellow students. They hold the knowledge and are willing to share it with you. There will be nothing more enriching than being an active member in your class and getting exposed to different perspectives on a daily basis.)