Peidong Yang (MPhil 2011)

Peidong Yang studied his MPhil (by Research) in Social Sciences, in conjunction with Seafarers International Research Centre, under Nippon Fellowship. Here, he shares some of his highlights.

I chose Cardiff University because it offered a unique opportunity to pursue a research degree in the social sciences. Given my non-social science background at the undergraduate level, this was a great privilege – all the more so since it came with a full scholarship provided by the Nippon Foundation. I was glad that I came to Cardiff because it proved to be an affordable and convenient place to live compared to many other places in the UK.

Studying at Cardiff laid the foundation to my subsequent pursuit of an academic career. It also shaped my scholarly identity because it was where I first studied social sciences.

After Cardiff I obtained a doctoral degree from Oxford University (2014). I am now a lecturer at the National Institute of Education, Singapore. There, I teach sociology courses to students training to be social studies teachers in Singaporean schools. I also conduct educational research and supervise students undertaking teaching practicums. My sociological research on education is highly synergistic with my teaching and other duties.

There are many highlights from my time at the School of Social Sciences but my research field trip to India stands out as an unforgettable experience.

I feel fortunate that I have been able to pursue graduate studies in fields that I was passionate about, and that these endeavours have now led to the start of an academic career at the national educational institute of one of the world’s best-performing educational systems, namely, that of Singapore’s. Of course, I’m glad and grateful to say that for me, Cardiff was the starting point of all these.