Masters program leads to global opportunities for science student

"I applied to the University of Melbourne because of its status as a world-renowned institute and its location in arguably the most liveable and dynamic city, Melbourne. The Master of Biotechnology program was perfectly designed for my chosen career path in the biotech sphere," says  Aaquib.

At Melbourne, the Master of Biotechnology program includes an industry project in collaboration with a scientific organisation that offers students hands-on, practical experience. While, the University’s Parkville campus located within the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct provides students with unrivalled access to academics and employers.

Why the Master of Biotechnology?

Aaquib knows that the future of science is multidisciplinary, and the Master of Biotechnology offers subjects across the scientific business and regulatory domain.

"It's far more fruitful to determine what problems, goals and objectives you want to apply science to and use that to drive what subjects you select. Collaborate with those around you, leverage the knowledge others possess and share your own, this will help you to design your future," says Aaquib.

"The quality I find most inspiring about the discipline of biotechnology is the scope for ambition. Biotech aims not just to treat healthcare problems but provide long term solutions at the societal level. For example, the desire to control infectious disease through vaccines or solving cancers using genetic engineering all falls in the realm of biotech."

Beyond the classroom

For Aaquib, the University's extracurricular programs, such as the Job Ready program, and the active encouragement of study abroad options made Melbourne particularly attractive place to study.

As a student, he took every opportunity to get involved and even helped to build a stronger biotech community within the University. Aaquib is proudly a founding member of the University of Melbourne, Biotechnology Club, a project he pursued with a group of friends and the support of the faculty staff.

"Since its [the Biotechnology Club] creation, we have been able to achieve greater networking amongst peers," says Aaquib.

Aaquib was also awarded the Newman Rector's Exhibition Scholarship and Father Gerald Daily SJ Travelling Scholarship, which funded his accommodation and summer research exchange at the Tokyo Institute in Japan, respectively.

"Both these experiences have influenced my personal development and education. They have allowed me to pursue these opportunities which would have otherwise been difficult," says Aaquib.

"One piece of advice I have for commencing students is - not knowing exactly where you want a degree to take you isn't a problem, as long as you are actively seeking to find out."