Anna Afanasieva
Project Specialist (Legal and Regulatory work) in the International Organization for Migration, Mission in Ukraine, UN Migration Agency
I liked the idea of giving myself some time to stay and study in a small student city and devoting my time to learning in the library, reading and volunteering
Name: Anna Afanasieva
From: Ukraine
Why I chose this programme: For me, it is always important to do a meaningful job. After several years working as a lawyer in the capital of Ukraine, I understood that I lacked the education to make a better impact on society. As one of the solutions to my personal goal, I targeted obtaining a degree in international human rights law and with the gained knowledge come back to Ukraine. I liked the idea of giving myself some time to stay and study in a small student city and devoting my time to learning in the library, reading and volunteering.
The studies: My study experience was very positive. I tried to take as many courses as I could to get a better overview of international human rights law. The obligatory course on the International Protection of Human Rights and the Course on the European Convention on Human Rights laid the foundation for other more specific courses. The Advanced Course on Justiciability of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights helped me to identify the topic for my master’s thesis. The volunteer work in the Red Cross of the city of Turku played a great role in my study process and it helped define the sphere of my interest for the future job.
Additional comments: I strongly recommend the Master’s Degree Programme in International Law and Human Rights for its friendly study atmosphere where a student is always welcome to ask questions, participate in discussions and take part in different activities in the university.
Now, I work for IOM Ukraine as a project specialist. I am responsible for the implementation of the component of the project related to the alignment of Ukrainian legislation with the EU acquis in the sphere of migration.