Gabriella Cabral

Please tell us a bit about yourself

Originally from London, I did my undergraduate degree in International History and Politics at Leeds and enjoyed it so much I decided to stay and do a masters here too! Outside of my course, I play the viola and I’m part of the university’s music society, and have volunteered with Student Action for Refugees as well.
 

What made you want to apply to your course and to Leeds?

Having done my undergraduate degree at Leeds, I knew I loved the city and the university, and the course stuck out to me as something a bit different – academic but with a practical diplomacy element that didn’t exist elsewhere.
 

What is it that makes you passionate about your area of study?

We are faced with increasingly difficult and important global challenges at the moment, from the pandemic to the refugee crisis and climate change, and I wanted to learn more about how different actors could work to find sustainable solutions to those challenges.
 

What do you think of your course so far – what aspects of the course have you enjoyed the most or are looking forward to the most?

I’ve really enjoyed the breadth of topics we’ve managed to discuss, and the practical side of the diplomatic practice module was really fun.
 

What would you say about the learning facilities at the University of Leeds? 

I really like the variety of study spaces on campus, and having access to the post-graduate floor in the library this year has been great.
 

How do you find the student support from the School?

Good, I’ve always known who to get in touch with if I need anything.
 

What other activities are available for students to take part in outside of their studies, and which ones have you tried out yourself?

There are so many activities to get involved in, from trips, and access to conferences and talks that go beyond the course content, to societies like music society which I’m a part of, and volunteering opportunities which I have been involved in through Student Action for Refugees.
 

What do you think about Leeds as a city?

I love Leeds, it has so much going on, while not being too big and daunting.
 

What would you say to anyone thinking of applying to your course?

Do it! I’ve loved the content, and the options we have to specialise and choose topics we are interested in.
 

What do you plan to do once you’ve finished your course? What are you career aspirations?

I’d like to work in policy research, either within government or in an NGO