Rajarajan Harikannan – Tamil Nadi, India – Cardiff Metropolitan University, MSc Food Science and Technology – Global Wales Postgraduate Scholarship
When Rajarajan came to Wales he didn’t just find a place to pursue his academic dreams.
Its glorious landscapes, welcoming community, and vibrant culture made Cardiff a second home.
“My top three things about Wales are the beaches, the friendly surroundings and its culture. Cardiff is like a second home to me,” he said.
“The people in Wales are some of the friendliest in the UK. I believe my future in Wales looks bright and full of opportunities.”
Rajarajan Harikannan came to Wales on the Global Wales Postgraduate Scholarship programme, an initiative offering scholarships worth up to £10,000 for students to pursue a full-time master's degree in Wales.
The scholarship was offered to Rajarajan on behalf of the Global Wales Programme, a partnership between Universities Wales, ColegauCymru, Welsh Government, British Council Wales and Medr, funded by Taith.
“At first it was bit confusing and I felt so shy to ask things around but as the days went on people helped me to adapt,” he said. “I’m still trying to adapt to the Welsh language, but we have the English language everywhere.”
Rajarajan studied MSc Food Science and Technology at Cardiff Metropolitan University. He believes there are key differences that make Wales one of the best places to study in the UK.
He said: “Wales is a calmer and safer place to study compared to England, the people here are so nice and the cost of living is much lower here. After studying in Wales, I have evolved in all aspects of my life and this version of me is much more productive and nicer.”
One of the biggest differences Rajarajan found in Wales was the focus on assignments rather than exams. He also believes moving to Wales has allowed him to become more independent and financially stable.
“At first it was bit hard because in India almost 90% of the studies involve exams, but here it’s all assignments,” he said. “However, I found this style is much more effective. The education opportunities in Wales are second to none.
“Wales has impacted me in all walks of life, even in smaller aspects on how to run my life, be financially stable, the people of Wales help you with all of that. There are lots of opportunities in Wales, I’d highly recommend Wales to study due to the low living costs. The people and the environment are also great, and they have some of the highest rated universities in the UK.”