Moonde Ng'Andu

What are your top 3 favourite things about Swansea?

• The University has plenty of affordable and high-class accommodation both on and off campus with well-installed heaters to warm students down the night they complete assignments in the comfort of their rooms. For those who prefer to stay in private accommodation, there is plenty of affordable accommodation to meet students` needs.
• Swansea has an unbeatable transport system with university buses operating 24/7 with affordable payment plans including monthly, termly, and even yearly payment plans.
• Swansea`s location as a city by the sea, simply makes it a perfect destination for international students, the city is peaceful and affordable compared to other cities like London.

Why did you choose to study for your degree at Swansea?

I chose to study at Swansea University because the university is boastful for Academic excellence and quality publication - ranked in the top 26 of UK universities (Guardian University Guide 2023) The university highly promotes independent learning critical for the acquisition of specific skills relevant for the twenty first century and beyond. In addition, most of Swansea's courses give students opportunities for working and studying abroad. Very welcoming, friendly and honest people are always willing to help which influenced my decision to pick Swansea University as a destination to fulfil my academic dreams.

What is your favourite thing about your course?

The perfect combination of hands-on and mind-on approach coupled with the application of modern tools including R programming for predicting the occurrence and distribution of species and habitat suitability across space and time in the face of the climate change crisis made this course a perfect fit for me. The course is exclusively designed to respond to current environmental challenges including the global biodiversity loss and the Net Zero agenda by 2050.

What are you planning/hoping to do after you graduate?

To go back home and utilize the knowledge and skills gained to mitigate the impact of climate change and biodiversity loss. I intend to achieve this goal by influencing policy and working closely with several rural communities teaching them how and the economic and ecological significance of living in harmony with the environment. My long-term career plan is to revamp my Non-Governmental Organization Youth for Green Environment and Sustainable Development (YGESD) into a multipurpose international organization while strengthening the link between Zambia and the United Kingdom as a whole and Swansea University in particular.

Would you recommend Swansea University to other international students?

Yes, 100% due to its education system of international reputation. Additionally, the University also provides a wide range of opportunities to enhance students' professional development including career services and job search, impressive paid internships, paid work, and student led networking events.