Career counselling: questions and answers

Q1: Dear Mr Abidi, I have recently completed my bachelors with distinction in Political Science with major in Governance and Public Policy. I wish to pursue my masters abroad in the same field. Can you Please suggest some top programmes and universities in this field in the UK? (Asfand Yar, Okara)

Ans: Dear Asfand, first of all, congratulations on scoring the distinction. Governance and Public Policy is a highly competitive field of study, which requires deep on field research. Considering your high CGPA, I think you should consider the top-tier UK universities’ programmes such as University of Oxford’s Master of Public Policy, University of Manchester’s MSc Governance and Public Policy programme and King’s College London’s MA Public Policy programme. These programmes are well-regarded and aligned with your background.

Q2: Dear sir, I am a final-year student of Bachelor’s in English Language and Literature and I am keenly interested in debating and public speaking. What are some of the possible future academic and professional avenues that I should consider?

(Sidra Bokhari, Sargodha)

Ans: Dear Sidra, I must say, your educational path and debating is a perfect amalgamation of academic passion and interpersonal skills; highly in-demand skills, especially in Pakistani context. For your further education, you can pick between doing Masters in English Literature or Master’s in Mass Communication, for which Government College University and The University of Punjab and Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, are the best options. As for the professional fields, you can be an invaluable asset both in the fields such as Civil Services and Journalism, provided you give your best.

Q3: Dear sir, I am currently doing A Levels and my subjects are Business Studies, Mathematics and Economics. What are some of the best universities in Pakistan that I should target and what kind of areas would that open for me if I am interested in doing business in future?

(Ali Murtaza, Peshawar)

Ans: Dear Ali, I am deeply impressed by your subject selection in A Levels; it says a lot about your plan of becoming an entrepreneur. As far as top universities in Pakistan in business are concerned, Institute of Business Administration (IBA, Lahore), Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and Lahore School of Economics (LSE) are my top picks, not just because of their top rankings, but also because these institutes have strong alumni networks which can be instrumental in seeking guidance and further refining your future entrepreneurial ideas.

Q4: Dear Mr Abidi, I am an early-career professional Architect and I want to hear your thoughts on how important is it to take post graduate courses/diplomas to further one’s knowledge in the field. How do you recommend these courses?

(Zeeshan Awan, Lahore)

Ans: Dear Zeeshan, post-grad diplomas are an excellent source of updating one’s toolkit and I highly recommend taking these courses to early-career professionals, like yourself, as these are especially instrumental if you are not immediately considering a masters or PhD in this field. However, if you are already gaining equivalent experience in practice, you can skip these.

(Syed Azhar Husnain Abidi is a renowned educationist in Pakistan, with more than 20 years of experience as provider of education counselling services. He has represented Pakistan in over 100 national and international seminars, conferences and fora. He is a recipient of the most coveted civil award Tamgha-e-Imtiaz).