In May 2009 our parent organisation, Cambridge Assessment, launched a scholarship to enable students from Pakistan to take up their place at the University of Cambridge without the worry of creating a financial burden for their families.
We recently met one of the first winners of the University of Cambridge 800th Anniversary Scholarships – Zulifqar Ali – who started his Politics, Psychology and Sociology degree at Queens College last September.
Zulfiqar (pictured) was thrilled to discover he’d won a scholarship in February 2010. He said he would not have been able to take up his place at the University without it. So how did it happen?
'My school, Karachi Grammar, supported me throughout my application to the University,' he said. 'I applied for a scholarship and was interviewed in Dubai last October. I watched lots of online lectures to help me prepare for the interview and broaden my horizons. The interview was really stimulating. There were two interviewers on the panel and they asked me to think about things in different ways – such as the role psychology plays in politics. You really need to be able to back up your ideas. Nothing is wrong as long as you can support your arguments. I felt nervous, but I stayed calm right up until the last minute.'
Inspired by Cambridge
Zulifqar met the entry requirements for the University having achieved impressive grades in his Cambridge International A Levels. He also participated in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, including debating, sports, and guitar lessons, and won six Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards. We asked him how he is finding life at Cambridge:
'This is my first time in England. I have always felt a connection to Cambridge. At school our books were published by Cambridge University Press, and then I studied Cambridge exams. Everyone in Pakistan knows the University of Cambridge. It’s amazing to be here and to study alongside some of the smartest people in the world.
'The tutors at Cambridge are really inspiring. They can ignite your interest in something so that you want to go off and do more research into it on your own. At school the focus was on exams, at university it’s about working on your own and developing your own knowledge.'
Zulifqar says that his Cambridge International A Levels helped him prepare for university: 'They taught me how to think critically which is helping with my university studies. They gave me analysis skills too.'
Just go for it!
So what is his advice to fellow students in Pakistan? 'If you want to study at the University of Cambridge, don’t be put off by the financial barriers,’ he says. 'If you believe in working hard, you should apply for Cambridge and one of the scholarships. Cambridge offers amazing opportunities – both academic and socially.'
Good luck to Zulifqar with his studies, and we wish him every success with his ambitions to become a lawyer. Cambridge Assessment is pleased to fund the University of Cambridge 800th Anniversary Scholarships, and we encourage other students in Pakistan to apply.
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