In the last 4 months, I got some messages from people around the globe asking about the master programme that I’m doing now. I am more than happy to explain things, the programme, and life in Europe. Everything that’s written here is not sugarcoated, I’m going to say things as truthful as it is.
On 15th January 2019, my heart almost stopped beating when I got the email from DCLead (Digital Communication Leadership) joint-master programme regarding my scholarship application. I was selected for the selection interview and finally secured the fully-funded scholarship by Erasmus+ exactly two weeks after that. It’s not a short process, rather it took me three years to finally figure out the suitable programme and got the funding. To make a long story short, I was selected for another Erasmus+ programme as well in Health Economics and Management (EUHEM). The second scholarship option has a higher university ranking, but I believe at the end of the day it’s not about the number written on the paper. It’s about the people inside the programme, who you are, what you want to be, and things that you want to learn in the future. This story will give you a bigger picture of what the programme looks like according to my own experience.
It’s Started in Austria, Not Australia
You won’t find a kangaroo in Austria since it’s a native animal in Australia. It’s a different country, people. The fact that my mobility programme started in Austria made me wonder what the country looks like. I was surprised as well figuring out there’s a university in Salzburg. Whenever I said to my friends that I was going to study there for a semester, they thought I was pivoting my career to become a musician. That’s the last thing that I’ll never anticipated, even my blues harp is still stranded somewhere in my room.
During the first semester, I was learning the foundation of digital communication as if I knew nothing at all. Even though my previous job was related to the same thingy, the programme pushed me to see the paradigm from different perspectives. In fact, Aristotle already proved that a long time ago: the more you know, the more you realise you don’t know. I am not going to explain details of the courses, but metaphorically, it was structured into two kinds of categories: the course that teaches you what life is and how to live.
The first category taught me about all things related to digital communication theories in general and the pro-contra. The professor invited a lot of guest lecturers during the whole semester, and students were asked to critically think from different angles across various topics. The second category complemented learning from the first one, students were challenged to do a semester research project on a certain topic and critically review a phenomenon with resources from various literature. Overall, the programme is well-structured for everyone from different backgrounds. There was a time when I felt so stupid for not knowing the alien-topic and that’s totally okay - you don’t need to rush. Everyone is (re)learning from scratch :)
Moving to Brussels: It’s Getting More Serious Than Before
I thought classes in Salzburg were already brain-squeezing. I was totally wrong; things got harder when I enrolled in Vrije Universiteit Brussel, with specialisation in Digital Communication, Policy and Innovation in Europe (POLINN). The course content is way even harder than I had before in Salzburg. But on the bright side, you’ve got chances to design your own course based on your interest and that’s your gateway for the upcoming thesis topic.
The courses in VUB are generally categorised into three big topics: economics, media and journalism, and lastly policy and governance. Although you can still see courses that are not related to those three groups. I’ve designed my courses focus on (digital) economy as well (yes, my Chinese bloodline never lies) with a sprinkle of journalism and technology in between. Somehow, I feel the courses are interconnected. No matter what kind of topic you’re going to pick later, those courses will be beneficial for your critical thinking and knowledge.
Working Experience Before Master Programme
Having experience in the industry is totally beneficial before you pursue the master study. Sometimes it’s hard to slap your ass off the office chair when you already enjoy monthly salary transferred to your bank account. It was also hard for me, but hey, you’ll get more knowledge for your future career after the master. I felt I can relate things with what I’ve done in the past and critically review what I did. Is it ethically right or wrong? Can I do it better? If I already have that knowledge before, what will I do? Although having no professional experience is completely fine, but I highly encourage you to test the water first.
Always Ask Yourself: Is This the Right Programme for Me?
Never forget to question yourself why do you want to pursue this master programme. I know living in Europe can be a wholesome (yet awesome) experience. You’ll have the luxury to travel between countries easily, enjoying new cultures, finding good beers - but that’s not the purpose of the programme, isn’t it?
If you’re still not sure about the programme, there are ways to figure out where Rome is. You can find the alumni or current students on the DCLead website, find them on LinkedIn or any other platforms, or see the details of the programme content - even though it might change in the following years.
I understand finding a suitable programme is hard and there’s no such thing as the perfect one. Each programme has its own flaw but there are things that you can still compromise. You need to evaluate all information that you’ve got, carefully select which one is relevant and not sugarcoated, and ask yourself again: is this what I want? You clearly need to know where you are going to navigate your ship a.k.a. life.
If you have any further question about the programme, feel free to reach me through these mediums. I am more than happy to answer your question :’)
